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Jan 27, 2008

Stephen rated it:

Entering this book, I was expecting personal account of the Rwandan holocaust, despite the foreword stating otherwise. In some ways, my expectations were met, in some others, I was surprised. More than just a chronicling of atrocities, Imaculee Ilibagiza's tale is also a testament to inner fortitude, faith, and the power to forgive.

As an agnostic (though my views on spirituality are constantly in flux) I expected that her story would come off as a bit hokey, with too much Jesus- More...

1 comment like (32 people liked it)

Jan 05, 2008

Gilbert rated it:

"What was that all about, Immaculée? That was the man who murdered your family. I brought him to you to question...to spit on if you wanted to. But you forgave him! How could you do that? Why did you forgive him?"

I answered him with the truth: "Forgiveness is all I have to offer."

pg. 204

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THAT line is the goal....but how the heck did this woman get to that point is why you NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!
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2 comments like (18 people liked it)

Apr 07, 2010

Bells rated it:

Faith can be defined as:
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof
3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion
4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.
(courtesy Dictionary.com)

How Immaculee Ilibagiza's faith was not shattered and completely destroyed after her ordeal in the Rwandan holocaust is astonishing. Tribal tensions between the Hutus and More...

6 comments like (8 people liked it)

Apr 19, 2009

Glenna rated it:

All those who harassed Eliece about this book, need to buck up and read it. This is a story that everyone should know. This is a story of great faith. Even though it deals with what happened in Rwanda (which we should all understand) it is the story of a young woman who found God in a bathroom and how he rescues her again and again even through some very difficult situations. My favorite quote from the book happens when there are killers outside the place she is hiding, calling her name and s More...

10 comments like (7 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Paul rated it:

I'm not giving this five stars because I think it is a great piece of literature or that it in any ways matches up with the great books of the world. The five stars are more for how powerful and raw the book felt and how much it physically effected me. To me this is the job of a really great survivor testimony. They don't have to be perfectly written or come with accompanying historical footnotes, etc. There were times as I was reading this book that I had a physical reaction to her story. She t More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2008

Matt rated it:

Shocking and inspiring. Ms. Ilibagiza tells the story of what happened to her during the Rwandan Holocaust. The narrative's glut of horrific violence made me sick at heart, but Ilibagiza's faith and personal strength pulled me through.

These people are just like you and me: human, educated, desiring of a happy life, and it's stunning to see how quickly so much of this can go down the tubes when mob mentality, based on racial prejudice, sets in. And lest my dear review reader thinks th More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Mar 29, 2011

Karen rated it:

Eye-opening. I didn't want to put it down. Most of all, humbling. I am ashamed at what horrendous things we, as human beings do to each other and also, what we ALLOW to happen. It broke my heart to read of all those refugees hoping and praying for help from someone--anyone, and no one stepped up to help. They were left to fend for themselves. I am ashamed at my own whining and complaining about nothing. I have everything! I am so very blessed.

I was inspired by Immaculee's ability to More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 26, 2011

Tami rated it:

Incredible account of how this woman was sustained (and blessed) through prayer during the atrocities of ethnic cleansing and civil war while hiding in a crowded small bathroom with very little to eat.

Here is a thought from Elder Holland (fireside address, "Lessons from Liberty Jail", September 2008) that I thought went along well with the overall message of the book...

"...when you have to, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experienc More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Mar 22, 2009

Juliana rated it:

To give this book fewer than five stars would be a statement that it was somehow incomplete or flawed. How could I find fault with something so heartfelt and genuine? This is a book I will not read again. This is a book I did not ENJOY reading, but it is a book that is worth reading. It is a book that uplifts, even while it subdues.

Would I recommend this book to my friends? Only certain of them. If you like to read books that entertain and put your brain on cruise control, this isn't More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2009

LaSchelle rated it:

Amazing survival story! Through her ordeal, she was isolated with 7 other women for 3 months in a tiny bathroom. She turned to prayer and meditation as she had no idea how long this ordeal would last. Through this horror, she became closer to God. She listened to inspiration from God and it saved her life and the lives of those with her.

It was a great reminder that money and power can influence people to do evil. Slowly, people can be influenced to believe things that are not t More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 22, 2008

Lisa rated it:

I think this is the most heartwrenching book I have ever read. I was emotionally exhausted when I finished reading it! I usually stay away from books like this because I just can't handle the violence, and I as I read it, I was reminded why I don't read stuff like this! I will forever have in my mind those images of what the Hutus did to the Tutsi people. I know that the author could have described things much more explicitly, and I'm grateful she didn't. It is unbelieveable to me that this More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 01, 2008

Annette rated it:

It's a pleasant relief from most information about the Rwandan holocaust, as she doesn't hold bitterness, anger or revenge in her narration. It's the journey of surrendering to God and having faith, not a chronicle of the genocide (outside of her own experience). If you wish for complete accounts, facts or a political understanding of the event this is not the book to read. But if you wish to understand how such atrocities are lived through and spiritually dealt with successfully, this is a More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 14, 2008

Emma rated it:

Could you imagine spending over three months in a crowded bathroom, with little food, little hope, absolute silence and horrible living conditions? Well the author of this absolutly, 100% true story, LEFT TO TELL, was forced to try survive in a such situation. Immaculee Ilibgiza, is one one of the few surviving Tutsi victims in the 1994 Rwandan Genecide. This novel is about Immaculee Ilibgiza, and her horrific experiences struggling to survive. Immaculee herself describes the book as the foll More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 01, 2007

Amber rated it:

Left to Tell is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. In style it reminded me of Life and Death in Shanghai which was a Chinese woman's memoir of the Revolution in China. Like that book, Left to Tell displays the atrocities of the Rwandan Genocide of the mid to late 1990's without any hate or darkness. It's rare to find a book or movie depicting this kind of pain without the presence of anger or blame.

The author, Immaculée Ilibagizaa, is a Tutsi Rwandan who hides in the More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 26, 2008

Amy J rated it:

This book is much like "The Hiding Place" in its focus on forgiveness and God's love and support through such great trials. It is very difficult to get through, with details of the violence and horror that were a part of this genocide. Very disturbing. Most distressing to me though, was how much about this event I didn't know. It's hard to imagine that we live in a world where things like this happen, and we don't tune in or send help. I think of W. H. Auden's poem, "Musee de More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Jul 27, 2011

Mandy rated it:

How is it that I was a teenager when the Rwandan Holocaust was taking place, and I can't remember it? It was less than 20 years ago! My eyes were opened to the harsh realities of this terrible event. I cried a few times while reading this book. Even though the genocide was terrible and horrifying, this book is more about forgiveness than hate. Immaculee did a wonderful job telling her story of survival and how she came to know God and find peace amidst the Rwandan storm.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 28, 2009

Jess rated it:

This is definitely the most powerful book that I have ever read. Reading this book brought me to tears so many times, and it truly takes a phenomenal woman to go through what she did and then forgive the perpetrators after all was said and done. I believe that this is a book that everyone needs to read at some point in his life. Not only will reading this book make you realize how much you may take for granted in your life, but it also shows you that if she can find forgiveness through God, so c More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 06, 2009

Amber rated it:

I LOVED this book. It is about a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust and her experience of learning to forgive and actually love the killers of her family, friends, neighbors, and countrymen.

It is not beautifully written. Her words are simple but her message super powerful. Immaculee Ilibagiza is now ranked in the same category of Victor Frankl for me - unforgettable examples of how to see people who do wrong with compassion, understanding, and even love. I want to be like them.
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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 15, 2008

Kendra rated it:

I have to be honest, I don't really want to read this book because it hurts my heart too much. I heard Immaculee speak at a banquet. I was captivated by her story (while I sobbed), and found myself marveling at how vastly different our life can be, even in our modern world. I recommend this book to everyone (even though I have not read it), because it is an unbeleiveable story. From what I have been told it is mildly graphic and horrific as she describes the massacre of her own family and the at More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 23, 2009

Rachel rated it:

Really an excellent read. She is able to describe her experience dealing with the Rwandan holocaust in a physical, spiritual , and emotional way. Despite the serious subject, this book is uplifting. But I don't want to move to Rwanda.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 30, 2009

Bonnie rated it:

Wow! This book is so good. What an amazing woman. The things she endured and the attitude and faith she was able to keep are unbelievable. Definitely a lesson in faith, miracles, God's love, determination, forgiveness and many more. My sister kept telling me to read it, and finally just sent it over to me. I'm so glad she did. Thanks, Deb!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Kt rated it:

This book broke my heart over and over all the while strengthening my spirit. I learned that no matter what your situation you can put your trust in God's hands. Often times I feel like my own needs are trivial in comparison to what others may be dealing with and that I don't have a right to burden Heavenly Father with my miniscule problems and questions. But we all need direction, no matter what your circumstance and we all need support.
This book was wonderful. I marveled at her amazing More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 05, 2008

Barbara rated it:

This book is amazing, inspiring, heartwrenching, and hope giving. When I read this true story, I bought it for my friends who I felt would appreciate it as I did. It touches the deepness of the soul, and truly makes you appreciate the family, friends and those that are blessed to be present in your life. I was fortunate enough to have met Imaculee and have this book signed. To hear her speak is moving. She is humble, graceful, and passionate and it was an honor to hear her story aloud.
Her More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Sep 02, 2008

Cristi rated it:

My friend, Kristi gave me this book and it has been a gift from the start. This is an amazing true story of faith, forgiveness and the power of prayer. I cannot even imagine having faith as strong as what this young woman exhibited and lived. Having lost a brother to a violent murder myself, I was humbled and touched by Imaculee's ability to forgive. I have to believe it is made possible by her ability to love -- love God first and her fellow men second. This story will make you grateful fo More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 23, 2008

Cecilia rated it:

The author's story is a major inspiration. I read this for school, but I didn't feel like I was forced to read it. I very much enjoyed the book, while learning more about the holocaust in Rwanda than I had known before. It really did open my eyes. I couldn't believe how she managed to stay alive despite of all the devastating things that she went through. All because of her strong faith in God. I'm an atheist and even I am convinced that her strong faith saved her. I would recommend this book to More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 16, 2009

Tahnia rated it:

This is a must read. This book teaches that faith and prayer not only works but are our strongest tools in the face of evil.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Mar 01, 2009

Tiffany rated it:

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It's about a Young Woman from Rwanda who survived the genocide of her country by hiding in a bathroom for 91 days with 6 other women. Her parents and 2 brothers were killed and reading about their killings were really hard. They were brutally murdered. I just finished reading a book about the holocaust and the killings were different there. In Rwanda alot of the killings took place by a mob with machetes. And in only 3 months time 1 million Tutsi's were killed. I really More...

4 comments like

Dec 18, 2008

Teri rated it:

the memoir of Immaculee Ilibagiza (i love that name!). it is an easy read, but potentially life changing. this woman survided the rowandan genoicide by hiding in a bathroom for over three months. the author does a great job of presenting the facts without sensationalizing. there are a few slightly "gorey" parts, but they are written thoughtfully and "quickly" so you don't dwell on the "evil" but get a sense of the extremity of the situation. her ability to tru More...

0 comments like

Dec 01, 2008

melissa/missy rated it:

A harrowing first-hand account of the Rwandan Genocide. (Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the genocide by hiding in a tiny bathroom with seven other women, barely eating and never leaving the room, for three months.) The book is also a spiritual memoir, so it sets the external horror side-by-side with Ilibagiza's inner spiritual journey, and the conclusions she comes to (of forgiveness and bearing witness) are pretty amazing.

I spent the whole book feeling freshly horrified at the Geno More...

0 comments like

Dec 08, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

I was so scared to read this book because I knew it make me sad, scared and angry. I usually like to read books as an escape to a happy, make-believe place. But this was for book club and I reluctantly read it. I'm so grateful for a book club for helping me step outside of my comfort zone. And I was right, this book made me profoundly sad. I admit I knew very little about the Hutu and Tutsi. I didn't know that so many Tutsi were killed, by their neighbors, with machetes. The number is close to a More...

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