Tracy Kidder, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of the bestsellers The Soul of a New Machine, House, and the enduring classic Mountains Beyond Mountains, has been described by the Baltimore Sun as the “master of the non-fiction narrative.” In this new book, Kidder gives us the superb story of a hero for our time. Strength in What Remains is a wonderfully written, inspiring account of one man’s remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him–a brilliant testament to the power of will and of second chances. Deo arrives in America from Burundi in search of a new life. Having survived a civil war and genocide, plagued by horrific dreams, he lands at JFK airport with two hundred dollars, no English, and no contacts. He ekes out a precarious existence delivering groceries, living in Central Park, and learning English by reading dictionaries in bookstores. Then Deo begins to meet the strangers who will change his life, pointing him eventually in the direction of Columbia University, medical school, and a life devoted to healing. Kidder breaks new ground in telling this unforgettable story as he travels with Deo back over a turbulent life in search of meaning and forgiveness. An extraordinary writer, Tracy Kidder once again shows us what it means to be fully human by telling a story about the heroism inherent in ordinary people, a story about a life based on hope.
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"This is another Tracey Kidder classic - read Mountains Beyond Mountains first and then this. The young Burundi medical student chronicled in this book becomes a follower of Paul Farmer after escaping the genocide in Burundi and Rwanda and coming to New York. I'm a sucker for these stories of perseverance, but I'm always glad to get my head out of WAshington and be reminded of people who really overcome hardships."
— Laurie (5 out of 5 stars)
" I wanted to like this book more than I did. I have lots of admiration for Deo and everything that he has overcome, and I learned a lot about the history of Burundi and Rwanda. I only give it three stars because I didn't feel that engaged while I was reading it. I think that was my fault though, not the fault of the book. "
— Katie, 2/18/2014" Okay. But I prefer his other books more. "
— Steven, 2/9/2014" The part of this book that I liked most dealt with the main character's attempts to gain a foothold on life in New York. I really think everyone should read this book as we should all learn about the outrageous deeds of genocide that have occurred in Africa. "
— Susan, 2/7/2014" I didn't read the book; I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Tracy Kidder. Since this story is told from Kidder's point of view, the narration was powerful and brought a sense of urgency and life to the story. The story itself is unbelievable and inspirational. "
— Ellie, 1/14/2014" Not particularly well-written at all, but I gave it 4 stars because of the inspirational and motivating story, and thorough information on the civil wars of Burundi and Rwanda, of which I was ill-informed. "
— Caitlin, 1/14/2014" interesting story; oddly written in a way "
— Liz, 1/13/2014" This book sucks. I hate this book "
— Josie, 1/11/2014" I thought this book was very informative about the crisis in Burundi. "
— Lena, 1/11/2014" Couldn't finish it. Not because it was too sad, but because I didn't enjoy the style of writing. "
— Carrie, 1/10/2014" Parts of this book were very hard to read content wise, it does address genocide in Barunda. That is not the heart of this book though, the main characters American experience is. "
— Bethbe, 12/14/2013" Well written. Fascinating story of a doctor from Burundi. "
— Laura, 12/8/2013Tracy Kidder is the acclaimed author of numerous books. He has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, and many other literary prizes. He graduated from Harvard University and studied at the University of Iowa.