My Heart Will Cross This Ocean: My Story, My Son, Amadou

A lot of folks like the Bruce Springsteen song "41 shots" but have no idea what it is about. It is about Amadou Diallo, a young man from Guinea who was shot that many times (long after he was "down") by NYPD when he went for his wallet to provide identification to them. They say they thought he was going for a weapon.This book is heartbreaking and heartwarming, written by his mother with sentiments only a mother could feel and only Ms. Diallo could express. She was recently interviewed on Pacifica radio and I was impressed with her articulate and thoughtful responses to the questions asked her after the settlement she had recieved from the City of NY.Amadou was not a gangbanger or punk. He was a hardworking, thoughtful and intelligent man with a tightly knit family who loved him and wanted him to succeed in the "Land of Oz" like so many others, like my own forefathers who came from Europe. I wonder if this "murder by cop" would have occurred if he were caucasian.I'm hoping that those 41 shots will again be heard around the world in the voice of his mother. Shame (again) on the NYPD.

Anyone who knows the story of Amadou Diallo's fate at the hands of the NYC Police, does not know the story until you read this book. In the days and weeks following Amadou's death, the media frenzy revealed very little about Amadou's life and family short of the presumptive image of an African immigrant struggling to earn a living with little education and few family ties. Nothing could be further from the truth. This beautifully written account of Kadiatou's own story and her relationship to her son Amadou, reveals more of his character than any news report ever did. To understand Amadou, you must understand Kadiatou. Her story, and his, humbles the reader. The words are prose, the images are stunning; it is a visual read. Even if you know very little of the tragedy that occurred in 1999, this is a must read.

In most instances, books about crime victims - especially if they're black - get pegged into all the wrong categories and are marketed to all the wrong demographic groups until years later such books are discussed earnestly only in college "African Studies" programs."My Heart Will Cross This Ocean," by Kadiatou Diallo and Craig Wolff, deserves a better fate. It deserves to be read and re-read by every man, woman and - yes, young person - on this planet. Americans, and especially New Yorkers, will immediately recognize the Diallo name from news reports. Kadiatou's son Amadou, in a horrific case of mistaken identity, was inexplicably shot 40 times by New York City cops in 1999 in the foyer of the Bronx apartment building where he lived. The police officers were tried and acquitted of any wrongdoing, and for many who followed the tragedy, it was "case closed."Who knew from the papers and broadcast news that this sensitive and hard-working young man was descended from West African kings and healers? Who talked about his inner beauty or quiet religious convictions? Who spoke of his dreams and aspirations? Most of us know John Donne's now famous quote: "No man is an island, entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. Any man's death diminishes me because I'm involved in mankind, and therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."Thus, the challenge for the authors was profound. It was not just to make us empathize with an innocent murder victim from Guinea, West Africa, or to give us insight into a mother's unspeakable grief, but it was to resurrect a mother and son's life story before it was irrevocably severed in a hail of bullets. The book's preface says it all. "When a young person leaves home from Guinea, he becomes the sette. He is the explorer and the envoy, carrying the family name to unseen places. In the villages, towns, and cities, too, they will talk about him. On his return, they will gauge his manner of speaking or of entering a room, the ease of his walk, perhaps a satisfaction that shows in his eyes, to determine if his travels have given him the bearing of a successful man. Beyond his conquests, they will wait for the tales he will carry back... For years he can tell people what happened when finally he stepped onto strange land, what surprised or scared him, lifted or saddened him, what he has discovered for them. Amadou was the sette for his brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, and for me, who anticipated a magnificent return."He returned, a silent body with a tale untold. If there is anything as cruel as the taking of a man's life, it is the taking away of his story, the particulars that make him holy. The mother who dreams that she can undo any harm that comes to her child, dreams fruitlessly. The one last thing she can do is to try to give her child back his story, the greatest and least obligation she can fulfill."Kadiatou's life story is yours and mine

Kadiatou's book takes the reader behind all the headlines and really allows them to truly be part of Amadou's family and life. His and Kadiatou's story is fascinating and well worth reading even if Amadou was still with us due to the rich descriptions of life in Africa and Asia. This book is even more of a "Must Read" due to the tragic ending of Amadou's life as it humanizes him who could have been part of any of our families.

The quality and elegance of the writing, combined with the drama, heartbreak, and poignancy of the story, make this book gripping and unforgettable -- a true piece of literature.