About the Book
This is my story, told as I remember it ... and I remember it as though it happened yesterday. It's a true story; I use my own name and the names of my family.
This is the story of how I discovered God during one of history's bloodiest holocausts. I wrote this book hoping that others may benefit from my story.-Immaculee Ilibagiza
In the spring of 1994, more than one million people were murdered in the Rwandan genocide. This is the story of how Immaculee survived certain death, along with seven other women, by hiding in a very small bathroom for more than 3 months. Day after day, for months, the killers would search nearby - gleefully chanting 'kill them big, kill them small, kill them, kill them, kill them all!'
With uncommon sincerity, Immaculee shares with us her soul's struggle through disbelief to anger and rage and, ultimately, forgiveness. She is living proof of the power of prayer and positive thinking.
Her story will touch you deeply. You will feel her fear, you will cry, and you will ask yourself the same questions that we as a people have been asking forever- How could this happen? Where does such animosity come from? Why can't we just be like God, Who is the Source for all of us? But you will also feel something else most profoundly- You will feel hope, a hope that inch by inch, we as a people are moving toward a new alignment-that is, we're moving toward living God-realized lives.
To me, Immaculee was not only left to tell this mind-blowing story, but more than that, she's a living example of what we can all accomplish when we go within and choose to truly live in perfect harmony with our originating Spirit.
-Dr. Wayne W. Dyer (from the Foreword)
'In 1994, Rwandan native Ilibagiza was 22 years old and home from college to spend Easter with her devout Catholic family when the death of Rwanda's Hutu president sparked a three-month slaughter of nearly one million ethnic Tutsis. She survived by hiding in a Hutu pastor's tiny bathroom with seven other starving women for 91 cramped, terrifying days. This searing firsthand account of Ilibagiza's experience cuts two ways- her description of the evil that was perpetrated, including the brutal murders of her family members, is soul-numbingly devastating, yet the story of her unquenchable faith and connection to God throughout the ordeal uplifts and inspires. This book is a precious addition to the literature that tries to make sense of humankind's seemingly bottomless depravity and counterbalancing hope in an all-powerful, loving God.'
- Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review, March 2006
Abridged 4-CD Set Read by Lisa Renee Pitts
Left to Tell wristbands now available. All wristband proceeds help the children of Africa build better lives.
About the Author :
Immaculee Illibagiza is a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust. She now works in the Rwandan office at the United Nations in New York.
Review :
“I am humbled by the extraordinary spirituality that shines throughout Immaculée Ilibagiza’s story of terror, endurance, healing, and forgiveness. As a Rwandan, I am proud that we can look beyond the misconceived differences that resulted in the murder of so many of our children, men, and women in 1994. Immaculée’s account of genocide survival is truly astonishing. It gives us hope of overcoming the divisions deliberately created by those with self-serving agendas and no thought for humanity. Everyone should read this story—survivors as well as perpetrators. I hope that all can experience Immaculée’s profound spiritual transformation and be inspired to work for a united and lasting nation.”
— Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda
“In 1994, Rwandan native Ilibagiza was [24] years old and home from college to spend Easter with her devout Catholic family when the death of Rwanda’s Hutu president sparked a three-month slaughter of [more than] one million ethnic Tutsis. She survived by hiding in a Hutu pastor’s tiny bathroom with seven other starving women for 91 cramped, terrifying days. This searing first-hand account of Ilibagiza’s experience cuts two ways: her description of the evil that was perpetrated, including the brutal murders of her family members, is soul-numbingly devastating, yet the story of her unquenchable faith and connection to God throughout the ordeal uplifts and inspires. This book is a precious addition to the literature that tries to make sense of humankind’s seemingly bottomless depravity and counterbalancing hope in an all-powerful, loving God.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Left to Tell is for anyone who is weary of the predictable ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ trance most of the world suffers from. Immaculée Ilibagiza breaks that spell by bravely quelling the storm within, and contacting a force so powerful that it allows her to calm the storm ‘without,’ and more important, to forgive the ‘unforgivable.’ Her story is an inspiration to anyone who is at odds with a brother, a nation, or themselves.”
— Judith Garten, teacher and counselor of The 50/50Work and a child of the WWII Holocaust
“This book has renewed my faith in God and the Universe in a profound and real way that has changed me forever.”
— Christiane Northrup, M.D., the author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
“An inspirational, life-altering book. Once you turn that first page, you’re changed forever. You will never forget Immaculée and what it means to embrace life in the darkest of times.”
— Cindy Pearlman, New York Times Syndicate
“Immaculée Ilibagiza’s gift of forgiveness to the perpetrators of the unthinkable acts revealed in this book is just one of the extraordinary examples of her unwavering courage. This book moved me in unimaginable ways, and reminded me once again about the immense grace that is born out of faith and forgiveness.”
— Denise Linn, the author of If I Can Forgive, So Can You
“Reading this book has truly changed my life—not in some distant future, but right now! I can’t even describe my feelings, but they have shifted things inside me in such a way that I just can’t find the words. This is a book that defies adequate description.”
— Vimala Rodgers, author and motivational speaker
“Immaculée’s story is totally gripping from first to last page. It’s such an important work that I don’t want to just describe it as a page-turner . . . but it is. This is a book that will stay with me forever.”
— Al Burton, writer, director, and creator of numerous hit TV shows
“Left to Tell reminds us that we are all sons and daughters of God; that with faith, miracles will always appear; and that forgiveness is the key to freedom. A must-read for all of us in these troubled times.”
— Colette Baron-Reid, the author of Remembering the Future
“Left to Tell is an incredibly important story. It addresses both the best and the worst aspects of our humanity. Immaculée is a living example of the undefeatable human spirit! Her story is timeless.”
— Steve Kalafer, three-time Academy Award–nominated producer
