Immaculee was a young girl when the Rwandan genocide took place. During that time, a specific group of people were targeted because they belonged to a different tribe. The Tutsis were the target of racial discrimination by the Hutus. Tutsis were the victims of various indescribable acts. The women were brutally raped and then murdered. Babies were killed in front of their mothers and mothers died in front of their children. People were decapitated, bodies filled the streets, and the hatred that was present was undescribable. Hutus walked down the street with machetes ready to kill anyone they believed was a Tutsi. The way they chose who was a Tutsi was by their appearance. The Hutus believed that Tutsis were light skinned, had more refined noses, and were much taller and statuesque compared to the Hutus. So if someone resembled that it was good enough reason for them to be killed.Immaculee was a Tutsi and in school when the discrimination began her friends turned against her. She was a smart girl who was the first in her class but because she belonged to the Tutsi tribe she was beat out by mediocre students for a scholarship to the university. Her dad wanted her to go to school so he found a way to send her. She tells the story of her childhood, teenage years, and more importantly of her relationship with her family. She was 19 and in college when the lives of over 400,000 people were taken brutally during the Rwandan genocide. Immaculee tells her story of how since childhood she was a devout catholic and during the genocide she sought refuge in her faith to help her get through it.
She tells the story of how a Hutu priest took her in along with 7 other Tutsi women and saved their lives by hiding them in a tiny bathroom.They did not leave that tiny dark bathroom for months until the genocide ended. She tells the story of how she faced Hutu killers who had machetes and who were hungry for killing people and through her faith in God she was able to walk away unscathed. She told of various miraculous events that she experienced that strengthened her belief in God. This story is inspirational and thought provoking. This woman was able to forgive the Hutu killers that terrorized her and millions of other Tutsis. Her faith and optimism for life is amazing. In reading this book, you will see life in a different way. You will not be the same person for you will have read about the experience of a person who went through the worst imaginable situation and can still find the good side of humanity amidst the evil and destruction that humanity can impose. The author targets love, relationships, family, forgiveness,hate, anger, and so many more topics in the book. Truly this book is a good read.