This afternoon as I mentioned in my last post, I read Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin. What follows is my review of the book:
Title: Left To Tell: Discovering God
Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Author: Immaculee Ilibagiza
with Steve Erwin
Pages: 215
Publication Year: 2006
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Count for Year: 27
I heard the killers call my name.
They were on the other side of the wall, and less than an inch of plaster and wood separated us. Their voices were cold, hard and determined.
“She’s here…we know, she’s here somewhere…find Immaculee.”
Like a suspense novel, it begins, but this is no suspense novel. This is the true story of Immaculee Ilibagiza, who survived the 1994 Rwandan Holocaust in which more than one million ethnic Tutsis were killed by Hutus in roughly 100 days in the African country. She and seven other Tutsi women survived by hiding in a Hutu pastor’s tiny bathroom for 91 days.
I had never heard of this book until last year when a woman at our church mentioned it while at a church function. At the time, I believe she said a friend was borrowing it, but when that person was done, she would let me know when she saw me at church. This was about six months ago. Finally, this morning, after several miscues and miscommunications, I spotted her on the other side of the church and thought maybe this time I would finally be able to borrow the book, and– surprise of surprises — she did have it in her car.
And like a suspense novel, I couldn’t put down this book as I read all 215 pages this afternoon. The last book that I reviewed, I read over several weeks as I was reading other books. This one, however, I felt like I had to finish this afternoon. My normal Sunday afternoon nap was even interrupted (another gasp!), but it was more than worth missing a nap.
Ultimately, the story, while told in parts in horrifying detail, is one of hope and one of forgiveness, as odd as it may sound.
As she concludes in her epilogue:
The love of a single heart can make a world of difference. I believe that we can heal Rwanda– and our world– by healing one heart at a time.
I hope my story helps.
I believe, Immaculee, it has, and it will.
Final analysis: 10/10. A story told from the heart, of forgiveness and love for one’s enemies on the most personal scale, gripping from beginning to end.
![WG Spock[5]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3199/3287415141_51d509b1af_m.jpg)
9 Comments
May 18, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I’m glad you reviewed this. I’ve been meaning to add it to my TBR list, and now I have with a link to your review!
May 19, 2008 at 12:48 am
Glad I was able to help you out. It looks like you have quite a list started. I need to be more organized about my TBR list. Right now I have some on Shelfari, but need to be more consistent on my blog.
May 19, 2008 at 8:27 am
Very nice review. I read this and reviewed it about this time last year. Like you, once I started it I couldn’t put it down.
May 19, 2008 at 11:13 am
I read this earlier in the year, on a recommendation from my grandma, and felt the same way you did. Such a beautiful book. Her story is heartbreaking but also so completely inspiring. I’m glad you got so much out of it!
June 26, 2008 at 1:22 am
[...] Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin, representing Rwanda [...]
September 18, 2008 at 4:08 pm
[...] notes and further resources for reading, I didn’t think it was quite as poignant or good as Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin but I think that was because that book was told in the first person whereas this one was in the [...]
September 18, 2008 at 5:17 pm
[...] notes and further resources for reading, I didn’t think it was quite as poignant or good as Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin but I think that was because that book was told in the first person whereas this one was in the [...]
October 26, 2008 at 2:25 pm
[...] Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin [...]
April 8, 2009 at 12:37 pm
[...] Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin: For months a woman at our church said this was a book I had to read. I told her I was interested in borrowing it from her. Finally, after months and months, I read it– and I was overwhelmed. A must read for Christians and those of every faith or no faith because of the power of forgiveness exhibited within. [...]