Escape from Rwanda: A True Story of Faith, Hope, and Survival

by John Y. Bizimana

When he was seven years old, John Bizimana and his widowed mother, along with his younger brother and sister, were forced from their home in Rwanda at gunpoint. With nothing more than what they could carry, the family made their way to refugee camps in Zaire, Tanzania, and finally to Zimbabwe. Once respected upper-class citizens, they were now the poorest of the poor, but the greatest trials of John s young life were yet to come. His unforgettable story of hope and triumph will forever change the way you look at challenges in your own life. The true story of a boy caught in the tragedy of the Rwandan genocide, in which approximately 1,000,000 people were killed An inspiring message about the resilience and strength of the human spirit A beautiful testimony of the power of the gospel and the caring hand of Heavenly Father

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Lds, Book Club, Biography Memoir, History

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2010

Reviews

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning, having read other accounts of this event, I felt frustrated that everything seemed rather sterilized and brushed over. I later decided that the Rwandan holocaust was really not the message or purpose of this book. It was a message of hope, endurance and light. I enjoyed it once I figured that out. "The distance between today and our dreams coming true tomorrow is patience. We must wait our turn. If that were not the case, we would all be trampling on each other's dreams." John definitely shows patience in this book and shows concretely how patience triumphs. "We are all different and bound to have different capacities. To one is given a hammer and to another a saw. You cannot compare hammers to saws or you will end up upset that your hammer does not cut or your saw does not pound." How true. Instead of spending time envying others we need to appreciate what they bring to our experience. "Having different experiences with different people liberated me from a prison of preconceived notions." This is reason I feel urgency to not allow my childen to live in a box, but see and know of others experiences and plights. Invaluable is the knowledge and understanding gained from knowing of other's life experiences.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a story of hope and perseverance ... I have read a few other accounts of the Rwandan genocide, this was not like them at all. His perseverance was not through the hardship of the genocide, but rather from the hardship of growing up very wealthy to having everything, literally EVERYTHING, taken from you and then getting yourself back up. The author tells his story based on his memories, and he was a very young boy when much of this happened. So, many of his struggles are emotional, he deals with lonliness and embarrassment, fear of failure and just an overall lack of hope in his ability to have any kind of success or happiness in this life.

Fortunately, time after time, he sees God's hand in his life and is able to pick up again (as he is knocked down many different times) and move on. The author seems very raw at times, especially in sharing his emotional struggles. This was not what I was expecting, but it was good to read the honest account of how he found hope.

I can't say that this was a life-changing account, but definitely one worth sharing and I will pass this on to my young daughters for sure.

[Glen Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read. I was impressed with John's optimism, which increased towards the end of the book. We have heard that, "patience is a heavenly virtue." This young man had a dream to go to America, but it took him years to realize that dream.

I especially liked the end of the book in which he basically sums up why we have the experiences that we have in our lives. It was very insightful and caused me to look at my life in a different way.

I think as a people, we take our freedoms for granted. I think that he along with Imaculee Ilibagiza should share their stories with our current "entitled" generation of young adults.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was puzzled by the choice of the title of this book because the actual escape from Rwanda was fairly simple and was overwith, the Rwandan conflict dealt with and left behind, in the first 11 pages of chapter two. From there on, this short book (144 pages) dealt with the experiences of the author and his family, and their efforts to survive and make a life for themselves. It is also the conversion story of the author to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints.

This was a worthwhile book, but I had a hard time making myself finish it. I am not sure why, exactly. It was a good story because it was true.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escape from Rwanda was exactly what it claimed to be a true story of faith, hope and survival. This memoir shares the incredible life story of John Yves Bizimana.

Born to a wealthy family in Zimbabwe, John had an idyllic childhood. Delicious meals, a huge house, many servants and a wonderful family made for a blissful life. When John was just seven years old everything changed. The death of his father followed by the Rwanda Genocide left John as a refuge. Forced to flee to Zimbabwe with his mother and two younger siblings, life would now be full of one trial and challenge after another.

John dreamed of coming to the United States but circumstances took him to Zimbabwe where he lived in the Transit Center then to Emerald Hill Orphanage and then to Belgium to live with relatives.

Through his trials the hand of God was evident in his life, from the kindness of strangers to needed documents being found at the last minute, we see many instances of the tender mercies of the Lord. John's life changes for good one day when he is drawn towards two out of place men playing a game of street ball in suits and ties.

I highly recommend this amazing story. It is a inspiring book that is worth taking the time to read.

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually just read this book as a random one I picked from the library shelf to fill a reading challenge criteria, but overall, I enjoyed it.
This book was quite a bit different from what I expected, based on the title and the cover. It was a nice quick, mostly uplifting, read with some great lessons, although it didn't really pull me in as much as I expected.

The Rwandan genocide and his "escape from Rwanda" technically only took up a very small part near the beginning of the book and was really just one of the major events that influenced the future trajectory of his life. He was only 7 when it happened and the book was more about all of the main events that shaped his life from his early childhood to when he finally went to college, including people that were placed in his life during crucial moments to help him accomplish and overcome the obstacles he encountered.

Even though, with major tragic events in history, we often try to imagine what it was like for people to go through those events, we don't seem to consider quite as often what obstacles those people might have had to overcome AFTER the main ordeal was over and how those events might have influenced the future course of their lives. This book made me think more about how it wasn't just getting out of Rwanda alive that was a trial, but that trying to establish a life even many years after having to flee from their homeland was still difficult and there were many other obstacles to overcome.

I felt like the book was a little difficult for me to really get into even though the author's story is pretty neat. For how short the book was, I felt like there were more details than I would have preferred about some things I felt were relatively unimportant (details about how the boarding school was laid out or how different people were related or other more technical details like that), and not enough details to really help me get to know the other people involved or the thoughts and feelings that the author really went through. Thinking from a logical point of view about everything he went through and how divine providence obviously guided his life and guided others to impact his life made me realize how miraculous his story really is, but I'll admit that the way it was written didn't really draw me in and make me really feel that as I read it. It was almost as if he was just relaying his story as a series of facts, even though what he went through is obviously quite an inspiring story.

I've kind of noticed the same thing with a couple of other autobiographical books I've read, so I'm starting to wonder if that's just fairly common when people write their own stories, as opposed to reading something by a professional author, but I always tend to wish the stories were written in a way to really help you feel how powerful the story is a little more. I'm glad I read it, though. It was an interesting story.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Incredible survival story of John Bizimana as he and his siblings escape Rwanda in the 1990's during the Rwandan genocide.
The children spend many years being shuttled from country to country, never seeming to find a completely permanent home.
John shares it all in a pragmatic and yet faith-filled voice. Although the history is heartbreaking and the events are traumatic, the book is always hopeful and uplifting.
While I very much enjoyed the book and would recommend that everyone read it, my own personal wishes for the book would be these:

1) I would have preferred a longer, more detailed account of John and his family's experiences. I really was left wondering what became of his siblings and other family members. The book was short and glossed over many events that I would like to have known more about.

2) The book was published through Deseret book and as a result seemed to be VERY sanitized. I personally would have enjoyed a version that was more realistic. I have read other historical novels of this same time period and feel like this account quickly skimmed over anything too unpleasant or that may have been seen as controversial or uncomfortable.
War and death are unpleasant, controversial and uncomfortable to put it mildly...so I expect to be made uncomfortable when reading about traumatic and terrible historical events.

3) The book ended somewhat abruptly when John's journey seemed to just be beginning. I would have liked to have known what his experiences were like in the US and what college was like for him. None of that was shared in this book.

That said, I still really liked the book and think John's story is amazing and worth being shared. He is a remarkable man.

[Bibliomaniac Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

As many others have mentioned, this book was a little bit of a let down as it had nothing really to do with escaping front Rwanda or the Rwandan Holocaust. If you were hoping for a riveting book like "Left To Tell: Discovering God Amid the Rwanan Holocaust" by Imaculee, you will be sorely disappointed.
I am giving it 3 stars however, because the writing was very well done. If you're a memior reader, you know sometimes there are people not meant to be writers...this book is very put together.
Overall, this book moreso details his life. It was almost as if, while attending BYU he got asked SO often "You're from Rwanda? What was that like?" That he just decided to write down his life story so he could say "just read my book". While it was an amazing story, overcoming many tribulations, I felt like I also was reading a testimony of the LDS/Mormon church. Which I am not a fan of.
Anyway, I would like to know where he is now, as he has had an interesting life. I can say I cheered him on & felt proud for him. I'm curious where he is today. I hope he has continued to accomplish all he desires.
I just felt misled by the title.

[Etta Mcquade · Rating 4 out of 5]

What John goes through is unbelievable--the death of his father when he is seven, the escape from Rwanda's genocide shortly thereafter with his widowed mother, his younger sister and brother, the death of his mother in Zimbabwe when he is 10, the children living as orphans in Zimbabwe for most of their eight years there, his mother's sister in Belgium finally taking the children, his being baptized into the LDS Church when 18, being accepted at Brigham Young University and ending up in the United States, and even graduating from BYU.

With this summary, I have not mentioned the terrible hardships he goes through--the poverty, loneliness, and deaths he encounters, but also his tremendous faith, hope and determination, plus many miracles along the way. A remarkable story.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a book about faith, hope, and survival. I thought it would be more in-depth about the horrendous things that happened in Rwanda, but it was a tale of overcoming many different trials, facing adversity, learning, and achieving long-held dreams. I liked his thoughts about how opportunity knocks on the door of those who have the courage to build one and how the tests of life are there for us to use to assess our abilities and better know ourselves. I look forward to sharing this book with my kids.

[Kalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was humbling to read the account of a boy who went through so much. It was humbling to hear the experiences of this boy's family. It also motivated me to look for ways to help relieve the suffering of those around me. I have been blessed with so much and I want to lift the burdens of those around me.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about a young man and his journey from Rwanda to Zimbabwe to Belgium to the US, his ultimate goal. Most of the story focuses on his time as a refugee in Zimbabwe, only a few pages really talk about his time in Rwanda. (The title is a bit misleading.)
Story is really a good account about it takes a village to raise a child.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Yves Bizimana truly has an amazing story to share. I cannot even imagine going through all that he has. He really is an example of "faith, hope, and survival."

My favorite quote: "In the end our lives will fall into place; if they haven't, then it is not yet the end."

[Beth Stephenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is a bit misleading. I would title it From refugee to realized dreams. it's really not about Rwanda at all.
The writing is full of cliches and the odd sentence structure of a non-native speaker. Overall a quick read that is worth the time it takes if you're a fast reader.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not aptly titled, though it is mildly interesting to read about a boy who left Rwanda as a 7-year-old refugee and lived a very different life than the one he was born into.

[Ranee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I’d already read this book but maybe not. Wonderful true story of miracles, determination, humanity and love

[Tiffany]

I'm not rating this because it's a memoir. I enjoyed learning about this man's story, which included unexpected hopefulness, given the grim background of civil war in Rwanda.

[Holly Boyer Kartchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really proud of you John for having the courage to write your story! It's life changing.

[Verona · Rating 4 out of 5]

My visiting teacher and former student in 5th grade, Brooke Peterson Yates, gave me this book for Christmas. I don't know that it's a book that I would have taken time to read, but I'm glad I did. It gave me a new perspective on how different and how hard life can be for people living in Africa. The story of John Yves Bizimana was full of sadness and challenge, yet he realized his dream of coming to America. His life's journey started with a life of privilege and relative ease as a 5 year old, and ends with his dream of coming to America when he was in his early twenties.
He teaches us through the experiences he had. One of the most meaningful parts of the book was where he gave his philosophy on page 140: The trials of our lives expose to us the strengths or weaknesses of our character. Trials are the mirror that allows us to see ourselves indeed, because trials in whatever form,reveal to us how strong or weak we are. they are not always punishment or past offenses. Once we identify our weaknesses by virtue of those trials we then have a choice to rectify them through the proper means. Trials are similar to a test. A test will not make us more intelligent, but it will reveal ou standing in a subject, thus exposing which areas we need to improve.
Another part I liked was when he was on the plane to America at last, and he reviewed his history: I reflected and looked back on my life. Many a time, the mercilessness of life had humbled me to my knees. I had been evicted from the land of my inheritance by the inhumanity of my fellowman; the sting of death had robbed me of my parents in my youth. Misery had been my companion from nearly the beginning of my existence. I Had been told, "You can't do that. It's impossible!" I did not have the right story. I did not have the right background. Life had not dealt me the right cards. I had known a million reasons to concede defeat, but only one to keep my grip on my dreams.
He realizes how blessed his life has been in spite of all these trials; he lists some of the people and circumstances that blessed his life on page 130 and again on page 144 where he expresses that it is through his finding God he knows the true Source of his strength.
On page 138 he recounts the miracles that made his life possible, with the crowning miracle of meeting up with two Latter-day Saint missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at a street basketball game. The meeting changed the direction of his life. His faith has given meaning to his life.

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

True story of a young man who had to flee Rwanda as a child, lost both of his parents at a young age, and the experiences that have shaped his life. I was mostly amazed at how he survived and just how young African children....wow. He also had some tender "nuggets" of thought in his journey. Some I liked..."One has to learn patience while one endures; time is the absolute refiner of character. So it goes in life that we intimately know many defeats but are acquainted with fewer victories. The distance between today and our dreams coming true tomorrow is patience. We are all different and bound to have different capacities. To one is given a hammer and to another a saw. You cannot compare hammers and saws or you will end up spet that you rhammer does not cut or your saw does not pound. NO tragedy had ever befallen me had failed to devlier a compensatory opportunity for growth and learning. The trials of our lives expose to us the strengths or weakensses of our character. Trials are the mirror that allows us to see ourselves indeed. Trials are similar to a test. A test will not make us more intelligent, but it will reveal our standing in a subject, thus exposing which areas need to improve." Easy read.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this awhile ago and forgot to review it. I just now noticed since I started reading something else this week. This is a story about an LDS guy who (you guessed it) escaped from Rwanda during all the civil warfare there and how he joined The LDS Church and ended up in America. Turns out we ALMOST got to have him come to our book club meeting, because a friend of a friend helped him publish this book (BYU had a center that helped students get things published and a lady in our club is a librarian at the Y so they know each other...) but he had another commitment that night that he forgot about- a big deal multicultural night thing at BYU. That would have been really cool to meet him. Oh well.

I found the book to be interesting and surprisingly articulate, given the fact that English was (something like) his 4th or 5th language to learn. I found it to be much more uplifting than "Left to Tell", but the war probably wasn't as life-threatening for him as it was for Immaculee. He also got out of the country (it sounds like) fairly quickly. I will admit, there were a couple of tiresome parts, but overall, it was good.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories of hope, faith, and survival are always among my favorites, but this book, although good, seemed to be lacking emotion. That is an odd thing to say since the author obviously went through a lot of challenging experiences, but for the most part I couldn't relate on a level equal to, for example, A Long Way Gone. There are two things I would suggest changing. The first is the title. As other reviewers have pointed out, there is very little about Rwanda or his family's escape from it. Second, and this is probably dumb on my part, but I was really curious to know how his dream of America turned out. Was he disappointed? Fulfilled? I don't know, and I wanted to know! I also wanted to know more about his siblings and their relationship. Personally, I'd suggest Delivered By Hope, One Woman's Remarkable Journey From Sierra Leone to Temple Square as a great watch instead. (Although, obviously, it deals with Sierra Leone instead of Rwanda).

One last rambling thought though, Escape from Rwanda is a good reminder of the challenges young people face in immigrating to other countries, and as an educator, that is always a good reminder!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed John Bizimana's journey not only to America (his greatest dream) but to a higher sense of peace and understanding within his own heart. I too am LDS and have read many biographies and memoirs of individuals who experienced extreme difficulty in their lives. I would sometimes wonder how a 'loving' God could or would allow such horrible things happen to seemingly undeserving (good) people - especially children. Allow I still have questions, one comforting Bible scripture comes to mind:

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

To me, Christ is saying here that an individual can be in the middle of a war zone and still able to be at peace with the knowledge of His gospel. I believe that in his own way, this is the place Bizimana was able reach (or at least, like many of us, is striving to attain). I think whether or not we admit to ourselves, this is the peace we all seek.

Thank you John Bizimana for sharing your story!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some really good lessons to learn in this book, some really lovely stories of compassion and service, as well as some beautiful miracles and tender mercies. There was very little focus on Rwanda or the genocide which makes the title just a bit misleading, but I was moved by the stories of John's patience and perseverance as he had to re-create his life many times before living out his lifelong dream of going to America. This is a petty comment, I know, but I found the language to be too flowery for a memoir. And there were some mundane details included that were completely unnecessary (like general floor plans of buildings, etc). But other than those two minor annoyances, and accepting that the book wasn't actually about Rwanda or the atrocities there that necessitated the author's escape, I did enjoy the stories and message of the book.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to meet John and ask him about his experiences in the US. This paragraph in particular really spoke to me--I've been thinking a lot about this lately:

My prejudice crumbled at the tenderness of the human hearts that had shown me kindness notwithstanding our differences. Ignorance had constrained me from looking at life and people objectively. Having different experiences with different people liberated me from a prison of preconceived notions. There was no reason why I and people of other races or simply of other cultures could not live together in harmony. I believe that all of us are in pursuit of some happiness, and if we cannot be of help to our fellowman, then let us at least not be a hindrance to them.

[Mary Hollister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was great timing for me. This is John's life story to the present (August 2010), and how he accomplished his dream of coming to America. It shows how in no uncertain terms, God was mindful of him, and helped him achieve this dream, despite all of the things he had to deal with in his young life. After reading this you know that God loves each one of us. John has GREAT insights about life, which I plan on copying down to keep. It is a quick read, the story is sometimes slow, but a great story. It will definitely remind you how blessed we are to have the gospel on this earth, and how important missionary work is in the gospel plan.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like to rate personal life stories with "stars", because somebody actually lived through this. How do you rate somebody else's experiences? It is an interesting story though. I only gave it 3 stars because I didn't really care for the writing style. It didn't flow very well, and some parts seemed rushed. It didn't go as in depth as I usually like stories to go. This may have been because the author was relying on memories from his childhood and he had probably spent several years trying to block out the horrors. In any case I would recommend it. Its a quick read and will give you another perspective on life.

[Kellie's Book List · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this story is recounted in a simplified way, often with childlike optimism, its message is clear. No matter the difficulties we might face (and we all face them), we can still have hope. Like John, who faced escaping a war-torn country, losing his parents, bureaucratic obstacles, doubting his faith, and extreme poverty, we can always have a dream to live a better life. Like he says, "Hope had paved my way through the infernal snake pit with promise. Hope had kept my bare feet moving while I wandered in the desert of my travails. I had prevailed through hope, and I found through my experiences both ordinary and miraculous the true Source of that hope."

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, easy to read story about a boy from Rwanda. I liked it because although he suffered through the Rwanda genocide, that was but a brief moment in his life of struggle. I was impressed by the story after the story - what his life was like after the many trials he experienced. It was a quick read, but very personal and inspiring in many ways. Though he is still relatively young, there were little bits of life wisdom throughout the book that show experience beyond his years. I applaud him for overcoming all that he has and for being willing to share his difficult story.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as compelling as I had hoped, but it was very inspirational and the man who wrote the book has come to some very good conclusions about life and you definitely see how living through trials makes us stronger as we turn to God. It made me all the more eager to read the book "Left to Tell" that I missed out on the month our book group read it. I guess I just wanted more history - although I was glad that he left out some of the details that surely would have caused me to stop reading.