Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

"Left to Tell" is an amazing story told by Immaculée Ilibagiza who survived one of the most unsettling disturbing events known as the Rwandan genocide. This is one of the greatest books I've had ever read that covers the themes of resilience, faith, God, family and forgiveness. There were moments of this book that left me to indescribable thoughts and led me to tears due to how heartbreaking her experiences were. Just the fact that this story was based on real experiences is absolutely mind boggling and nerve-wracking. Her descriptions of her family were so strong and meaningful--revealing heartfelt moments which makes us reader feel emotionally invested. Overall, I highly recommend this book which makes us reader appreciate life moments and understand the importance of forgiveness.

"Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust" by Immaculée Ilibagiza is a profoundly moving and inspirational memoir that recounts the author's harrowing experiences during the Rwandan genocide. Immaculée's storytelling captures the unimaginable horrors of the genocide while also offering a message of faith, hope, and forgiveness. The narrative follows Immaculée's journey from a peaceful and loving childhood to the devastating events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The author's ability to convey the intense emotions and challenges she faced during those dark times is both gripping and heart-wrenching. Her survival, both physically and spiritually, becomes a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. What sets "Left to Tell" apart is Immaculée's profound spiritual transformation amidst the horrors she witnesses. The book explores how faith and prayer became essential tools for survival and healing during the darkest moments of her life. Immaculée's discovery of God's presence amid such profound suffering adds a powerful layer to the narrative. The themes of forgiveness and reconciliation are also central to the book. Immaculée's ability to forgive those who committed unspeakable atrocities demonstrates an extraordinary strength of character. Her journey towards forgiveness, despite the unimaginable pain she endured, serves as a powerful example for readers grappling with their understanding of humanity and forgiveness. The writing style is straightforward yet deeply evocative, allowing readers to connect with Immaculée's experiences on a personal level. The memoir not only serves as a historical account of the Rwandan genocide but also imparts important lessons about the human capacity for cruelty and, ultimately, the healing power of forgiveness. In conclusion, "Left to Tell" is a powerful and thought-provoking memoir that goes beyond recounting historical events. Immaculée Ilibagiza's resilience, faith, and capacity for forgiveness make this book a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. It is a must-read for those seeking stories of hope and healing in the aftermath of profound tragedy.

This book touched my heart deeply. Immaculée’s story of surviving the Rwandan genocide is heartbreaking, inspiring, and full of faith. Her strength, forgiveness, and spiritual journey moved me in ways I didn’t expect. It’s a story everyone should read to understand the power of hope, prayer, and resilience. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended!

This is one of those books that everyone should read. It is a hard story to read because of man's unbelievable inhumanity to man being displayed like the holocaust of Rwanda. This story reaches deep into the heart of the reader evoking feelings of horror, shame, and sorrow that leads to penance that friends and neighbors can turn on one another because of prejudice and commit horrible gruesome acts of murder and mayhem that happened in Rwanda. And we cringe in shame that we turned our backs on an innocent Christ loving people who were being hunted and killed by those who hated them for no other reason than that they were just a little different. A repeat of history of the Jewish Holocaust that is so well known. However, the story tells of a beautiful young woman's faith and courage that helped her to survive by hiding in a small bathroom with 7 other women for three months while her enemies called her name just outside her window, looking for her and threatening her very existence. The story tells of that beautiful young woman learning that her family had been murdered and the strength and fortitude it took for her to put her life back together after the killing stopped. It is a story of how she held on to the faith she learned as a child and put it into practice when all else failed her and by the grace of God, she survived and lived to tell her story. Immaculee Ilibagiza is a wonderful storyteller. I have heard her speak in person and she is a beautiful speaker as well. God has greatly blessed her with the grace of telling her story and the story of Rwanda before and after the holocaust. She is very inspirational and really shares her faith and love to those who read her books or hear her tell her story. If you want to grow in your faith and your love for other people who are 'different' from you, read this book. It is powerful and life changing! You might find out those other people aren't so 'different' after all. I know I did and I thank God that he put this book into my hands. I look forward to reading other books written by this delightful Christian woman.

What an amazing book! Or maybe it is just an amazing story, the hideous inhumanity that prejudice can drive us to coupled by incredible forgiveness. I read the whole book in 24 hours straight - something that I haven't done in years. Immaculee is from a loving, respected Catholic family in a small town in the west of Rwanda. A family who believed your tribal background shouldn't matter in a country where history and particularly Belgian colonial rule had made it of paramount importance. It is the story of her childhood and adolescence in Rwanda before the unbelievable genocide that was encouraged by the government and allowed to run unchecked by the rest of the world. It is Immaculee's story of God's love, strength and revelation to her in situations that none of us ever want to imagine, the brutal murder of family and friends by their own friends and neighbours and yet it is not an overtly religious book. Although in a part of the world of which I have no experience it was so easy to imagine all the people as real people that you could know and that is as it is, they are or were real people.

I liked that although it’s a very sad story about surviving a genocide it is most inspiring and uplifting. A testament to really having faith and hope in God and power of positive thinking. This story leaves me wanting to be a better human being, to be more forgiving even when the atrocities are beyond my comprehension and most importantly to focus on connecting with God, my creator through prayer, faith and hope. Fantastic easy read. This is a book that everyone needs to read especially in light of the current political and international pandemic crisis.

If you are someone to grow in the faith in God , and if you can’t forgive to somebody go for it.

ルワンダというアフリカの小さな国で起こった民族虐殺の実話。 フツ族によるツチ族の民族虐殺の（数ヶ月で80万人とも100万人ともいわれる人たちが虐殺されたようです）話なのですが、内容以上にショックだったのが、事件の発生が1994年という、つい最近の出来事であったことです。当時どれほどの報道がなされたのか、国際世論はどのように反応したのか、小生の記憶の中に定かなものがありません。今しばらくは当時を探る旅をしてみたいと考えさせられました。 翻訳本もありますが、原書（といっても英語への翻訳ですが）はきわめて平易ですので、お勧めです。

This is such an important book specially since another genocide is taking place right now. Immaculee is what I would call a Saint. Due to her tragic circumstances she built this wonderful relationship with God.