Strength in What Remains

TracyKidder,winnerofthePulitzerPrizeandauthorofthebestsellersTheSoulofaNewMachine,House,andtheenduringclassicMountainsBeyondMountains,hasbeendescribedbytheBaltimoreSunasthe“masterofthenon-fictionnarrative.”Inthisnewbook,Kiddergivesusthesuperbstoryofaheroforourtime.StrengthinWhatRemainsisawonderfullywritten,inspiringaccountofoneman’sremarkableAmericanjourneyandoftheordinarypeoplewhohelpedhim–abrillianttestamenttothepowerofwillandofsecondchances.DeoarrivesinAmericafromBurundiinsearchofanewlife.Havingsurvivedacivilwarandgenocide,plaguedbyhorrificdreams,helandsatJFKairportwithtwohundreddollars,noEnglish,andnocontacts.Heekesoutaprecariousexistencedeliveringgroceries,livinginCentralPark,andlearningEnglishbyreadingdictionariesinbookstores.ThenDeobeginstomeetthestrangerswhowillchangehislife,pointinghimeventuallyinthedirectionofColumbiaUniversity,medicalschool,andalifedevotedtohealing.KidderbreaksnewgroundintellingthisunforgettablestoryashetravelswithDeobackoveraturbulentlifeinsearchofmeaningandforgiveness.Anextraordinarywriter,TracyKidderonceagainshowsuswhatitmeanstobefullyhumanbytellingastoryabouttheheroisminherentinordinarypeople,astoryaboutalifebasedonhope.