By Barbara Katz
A Pulitzer Prize winner, Kidder once again hits the mark in this inspiring and engrossing nonfiction narrative. Partially set in Burundi, Africa, the theme is universal: finding yourself emotionally wounded, and the process of healing, forgiving, and creating meaning from tragedy. In Deogratias (Deo for short), readers meet a complex man and an imperfect hero. Deo grows up in Burundi, a small country bordering Rwanda with similar social problems. An exceptional student whose parents and grandparents are cow herders, Deo is in his third year of medical school when political chaos breaks out in Burundi and Rwanda. The tension between the Hutus and Tutsis explodes which leads to massive slaughter in both countries. Because he is a Tutsi, the minority ethnic group in Burundi, Deo is forced to run, hide, and survive any way he can. In 1994, Deo escapes the nightmare when a well-connected friend helps him travel to America. But even on safe ground, Deo is traumatized and shadowed by memories.
America treats Deo harshly. He speaks no English, and he has only $200, which would have gone far in Africa. He sleeps in an abandoned building and delivers groceries for an abusive employer who pays $15 a day. Later, Deo finds refuge in Central Park, camping under the stars. Despite a challenging beginning, Deo makes friends easily, and he is bright and resilient. He learns English, befriends people who want to help, and eventually moves in with a loving, intellectual couple. But one desire – to attend college and medical school.- burns inside him. Deo perseveres and amazes those who care about him.
Kidder tells the first part of Strength in What Remains from Deo’s point of view, and author captures Deo’s thoughts and actions magnificently. In the second part, Kidder inserts himself in the telling, as the two revisit Deo’s N.Y.C. landmarks and later Burundi. The second portion is interesting but not as compelling as the first. Readers will walk away marveling at Deo’s character. Although he has emotional scars, Deo returns to Burundi to start a medical clinic that will benefit both Hutus and Tutsis. The story ends with hope. Personally, I would love to read a follow-up.