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.

Powerful story of faith and survival. Immaculee’s strength and trust in God inspired me. A must read.

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!

I purchased this book from Amazon.com back in 2008. I had to re-read it again as I just read two of her other books as of late. Since my first reading of this book, I find literally hundreds of others have not only read it, but have written Reviews of it on Amazon.com. I doubt this Review will ever be read due to all those prior, but I must reach out to say that this woman has given us (Christians to non-religious sects) a lot to think about..in all of her books; yet this one is of her own strength in her belief system...as it strengthened her as well as tided her over...thus giving her the skills to survive while hiding only inches away from a machete custom made for her, so to speak. (That is not a true statement but a true admission of those Hutu's looking for her in the Tutsi holocaust in Rwanda.) Because she was left to tell of the story of Rwanda, her childhood set precedent to this book and in the other books she penned, as to the type of person she was, from a well-to-do family known for their 'upscale value system', and NOT from material things. I know that situation but I don't know if I could have done as well as she did hiding from machetes ready to take Tutsi people apart limb by limb. Because this genocide took place and the Western countrys were not intervening is so damaging to those of us who would have wanted to help. What was our President and Congress thinking? Though in the early 1990's, not only this was happening, but so was Eastern European States coming unglued and dividing accordingly, well located far from Rwanda, Africa. There too a tragic story was unfolding for people so unjustly. This is a 'must read' because it is historical and it took place in our lifetime. It is well explained in this book. That is why many of us readers are damn-well angered we were not informed until the aftermath. Many of us learned of this genocide from the movie HOTEL RWANDA. And I think a lot of people wondered if it were a true story of one man in just a small county in Rwanda, or was his plight just a Hollywood movie. It was real and thankfully, Immaculee Ilibagiza made it through it all, with the urgency to let the world know what happened to her country by ways of her own. It's educational, historical, spiritual, an autobiography, political, uncanny, insane, and could have ended differently if we in the West would have intervened while it happened and not just after it happened. That part is a bit embarrassing as I live in one of these Western 'all for human rights' countries. But bless her soul, she continues to educate us about Rwanda, and is making money and bringing it back home to her native country to help them with their poverty. I hope she will continue to make strides with her foundation. I highly recommend this book, along with two others that she has written, as well as any other book her pen, paper and mind bring together for us to learn about. This was a great read but not for you if you do not care for the gruesome parts of what makes a massacre of a nation...a genocide. If that bothers you, please, try to work on that aspect so that you can read it. Peace to all those Rwandan Tutsis left, after the Holocaust, as well as those Hutu's who did all they could...putting themselves at the blade of the machete for hiding the Tutsis they loved or felt sorry for. They kept a tribe in Rwanda alive and from extinction. And Blessings of Peace to you, Immaculee, for all of your writings. Your beloved family is very proud of you!

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by the author by Immaculee Ilibagiza is a book that we can all learn from. It is a heart wrenching book that recounts what her life was like during the holocaust in Rwanda. She give very graphic details about what happened but in all of it, she was able to find God and forgive. In page 210, she talks about Rwanda healing when the hearts learn how to forgive. It is hard to understand how and why she forgave all the cruelty but she finds a way to get her message across using herself as an example. The book is a great book but it is very sad and tragic. I would not recommend it to those seeking something comedic or happy. The book is very emotional and can make people cry so I would recommend it to those who are trying to find God in the dark. Immaculee doesn’t only focus on forgiveness but she also focuses on how she found God and it is a really inspiring book. It gives people more insight and faith. This can be seen toward the end of the book where we see her help others forgive and have faith. Overall, the book is a very inspiring book that can help a lot of people.

"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavillion: in the secret of his tabernacle he shall hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock." Psalm 27:5 I've just read this awesome story. This is a sad story that's well written and clear, which is important since her story deals with a world gone mad and the supernatural, to which she fled to bear her suffering. In 1994, tensions between the two major tribes of Rwanda exploded into a horrendous killing spree--the majority Hutus waged war against the minority Tutsis. While the killing went on for three months, Immaculee Ilibagiza and seven other women hid in the 4' x 3' bathroom of an old and trusted Hutu family friend. All she had was the clothes on her back and the red and white rosary her father pressed into her hands as she left him for the last time telling her that her faith in God would protect her and for 91 excruciating days she prayed nearly unceasingly. What follows is a testimony to the power of prayer and the mercy of God. Those 91 days catapulted Immaculaee's faith into a spiritual dimension like none she'd ever known. Her intelligence and compassion shines through near-paralyzing fear and every moment holds the secret of life as she faces the battle that confronts us all--the battle between good and evil. I've read books by and about saints, and though Immaculaee doesn't consider herself a saint (even the greatest saints didn't consider themselves saints), she has all the qualities I've found in the great saints, the most important being a burning desire for God. For all of you who do not believe prayer can bear fruit, read this book and be amazed how one small miracle after another added up to one great miracle--her survival and this inspiring book. With Immaculee's prayers God made a cramped and tiny bathroom into his pavillion.

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.

A must read for all, healing for everyone, powerful life lessons, the world would surely look more like it was meant to be💕 Thank you Immaculée