Strength in What Remains

Tracy Kidder's latest triumph follows in the footsteps of his masterwork, Mountains Beyond Mountains. The true story of Deogratias from Burundi to New York and beyond is for everybody, not for any particular special interest. The title, Strength in What Remains, is from Wordsworth's romantic "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Reflections of Early Childhood". There are many other good reviews if you want to hear more of the particulars, so I want to instead introduce the author to those unacquainted. Mr. Tracy, like John PcPhee and precious few others, is at the tiny top tier of journalistic authors of books, as opposed to articles of immediacy. Two years he spent listening to Deogratias tell his story and spent in other research. Years ago at the beginning of my technology career I read his "Soul of a New Machine", the story of the skunkworks of Data General Corp. at the dawn of mini-computers and client-server architecture. From then on I learned just to buy whatever he wrote. You teachers might start with his "Among Schoolchildren". Mr. Kidder is the selfless writer. He does not choose topics to sell books. He has no ideological drum (or horse) to beat. He is not attracted to fads or celebrity, power or the rich. Those are left for the sycophantic, the mediocre, those unencumbered by talent and skill. He uses some sort of dowsing rod for profundity. He is also something of a phenomenologist, letting the truth bubble up from his uncompromising observation of people and circumstances. He does not editorialize or advocate. He does not pretend to understand more than he can show. But he introduces you to all the best people, besides his central figures, taking time to capture them fully. In "Strength in what Remains, Mr. Kidder appreciates that he is is taking us places we do not know. So he includes all things of importance from different points of view. He himself does not appear until Part II, where he is finally comfortable explaining himself and his approach. He has a good historical section and five pages of sources. Here we meet again the sainted star of an earlier landmark opus, Mountains Beyond Mountains, the redoubtable Dr. Paul Farmer of Haiti and Harvard (Kidder's alma mater). Also, cameo appearances by Chaucer, Hanna Arendt, Primo Levi and St. Benedict. It is instructive to point out that nowhere does Mr. Kidder mention his earlier book. He refuses to hawk his own stuff. He describes the episodes of Deogratias and Farmer without any mention of his own connections. He merely mentions Deogratias, Deo as called by others, at the library encountering a work called Infections and Inequalities. Deo must meet the author, I instantly recalled from the prior book. Sure enough, there is the great doctor himself, scourge of the self-absorbed. I almost want to say read Mountains Beyond Mountains first because you will wish you had, once you do. Besides, these monumental gifts do not last long. This is the kind a

I remember listening to NPR's in-depth reports about the genocide in Rwanda and Burundi. Horrified, I turned off the radio, but I couldn't turn off my imagination. Even though I admire other books by Kidder, I wasn't sure I was up to reading this one. I'm glad I took the chance. Although Kidder's book is the story of genocide and the mad rush to survive, it's also a moving character study of Deo's family and life in Burundi and of his life living on the fringes of New York's immigrant population. The story of his arrival in New York City with $200 and a firm conviction that French is the universal language is an amazing journey, one which opens readers' eyes to the people it's all too easy to overlook as they do the jobs no one else wants. Years ago I heard Kurt Vonnegut speak, and I'll never forget him saying that good fiction mirrors real life in that it is impossible to know the ramifications of individual actions in advance. Miss the bus? A Bad Thing in most fiction, but in real life the missed bus might prevent a tragedy. The story of Deo's survival would have been an excellent illustration of his thesis -- small actions, done differently, would almost certainly have led to his death. Had some people not decided to go good in the face of evil it is hard to imagine him living long enough to even reach the United States. Once in the United States, the kindness of strangers, coupled with his own talents and fierce determination, were awe-inspiring. For whimps like me, I will mention that the structure of the book made it a bit easier to read about Deo's past than I had feared. The story is not told chronologically, so there is some small relief -- bits of horror interspersed by other narrative. The second part of the book is less intense, but moving, as we share Deo's return. Deo's story deserves to be heard. How wonderful that Tracy Kidder is alive to tell it.

This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. The first section is beautifully written and fascinating: what it's like for an African immigrant with $200, horrendous wartime memories, and no English to find himself alone in New York City. I learned about an underclass I'd seldom thought about, a war I've never previously understood, and people who help others in ways most of us would never consider. It's a gripping, horrible, and ultimately very inspiring story about not just one hero but many, and how individual acts of kindness can change the world.

This is the first work of Tracy Kidder that I have read so I cannot compare it to his others but I can see why he won a Pulitzer Prize ~ he is a masterful writer and engaging storyteller. What he vividly gives us in STRENGTH IN WHAT REMAINS is the inspiring story of an extraordinary human being, a story that left an intense and no doubt lasting impression on me. I was so engaged, so completely absorbed, that I read it in one sitting. For me it is a remarkable and unforgettable story of one hero's journey, not just an African refugee's flight from genocide in his war torn, poverty stricken country, but his spiritual journey in survival, healing, forgiveness and compassion. It evoked the spirit of Joseph Campbell and the hero's journey for me, hence the title for my review, for in my mind's eye, Deo is truly a hero of great measure. Deo's story is an important one to be told and Kidder takes us into Deo's very soul to express all the horror and outrage, the pity and fear, the courage and hope, the compassion and sensitivity that lies within and makes the man. Part one is seen through the eyes of Deo himself. It is as brutal and raw as it is poignant and moving. Part two is seen through Kidder's as he observed Deo for the writing of this biography. There is a distinction between the two perspectives and some readers may not appreciate this technique in the telling but for me it was very effective. I felt more connected to Deo, the haunting events which shaped his life and the important characters who changed it. This book also cleared up a great deal of the murky history of Burundi and Rwanda for me and established a relevance for what is currently happening in the Sudan. I feel a bit more in touch with these events now and for that I think this book has added value. I cannot praise this fine biography enough and thank Tracy Kidder for creating an awareness of some very important issues and instilling Deo's beautiful spirit therein.

I just finished this book late last night. It took me only a couple of days to read it and after reading the harrowing journey of Deo, an African forced to flee his homeland, I am still reeling from the story. Like most Americans, I can not imagine life in other countries where one is slaughtered just because you're a member of a different tribe. Nor can I imagine how difficult it would be to go to school, let alone be in medical school, or even to get medical care. Life is vastly different from my corner of the world to other remote parts of the world. I am woefully ignorant and this book has enlightened me just a little bit more of my ignorance. This book is a must-read for all serious readers. It is thoughtful and thought-provoking (which is my favorite kind of book to read). It is inspirational as well. This story is more than about a young man's fight for survival, it is about his home-coming as well, to build a clinic in his homeland in the midst of the fighting that has just stopped. Throughout this book, I can definitely relate to Deo's confusion as to why people are being slaughtered simply because of their tribal heritage. Who is exactly the Tutsi and who is the Hutus? Does it matter to the common folks caught in the middle of the genocide? Did it matter to Deo? Deo is not from Rwanda, but is from the neighboring country Burundi. This book starts out with Deo's journey to New York City, a land so far removed from his country and the war that is ravaging his homeland. He started out as a delivery man for a grocery store, delivering groceries to the richest part of NYC. It was a totally alien world for Deo and I am ashamed to say, definitely the most unfriendliest world for him. One day he met a former nun, who eventually opened the doors for Deo to go back to school, and finding friends among the New Yorkers who can help his cause. This book also dives into his childhood, where he grew up on a mountain with his family, where he went to school and eventually making it to be a medical student. He was getting ready to do rounds when the attacks began. This book tells of his tale in getting out and trying to get back home ... and the confusion he felt, the numbness of watching a baby at its dead mother's breast, seeing hundreds of people being slaughtered, his brief time at the refugee camps, ... and more. This book cannot make the reader experience exactly what Deo felt but it did a good job of trying. The genocide of Rwanda and Burundi is now more real in my mind and it is awful. It makes the war in Sudan and Dafur have a more human face to it ... it is just no words to describe the atrocities of war. This is not a bitter book. Deo is far from being a bitter man. Instead of just living in America and becoming a doctor (so far, in this advanced reader's guide), he put his medical studies on hold and went home to build a medical clinic there, with the help of his friends and co-workers. Deo took Kidder on a tour of his flight as well as