IMMACULEE ILIBAGIZA GREW UP IN A COUNTRY SHE LOVED, SURROUNDED BY A FAMILY SHE CHERISHED. BUT IN 1994 HER IDYLLIC WORLD WAS RIPPED APART AS RWANDA DESCENDED INTO A BLOODY GENOCIDE. IMMACULEE’S FAMILY WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED DURING A KILLING SPREE THAT LASTED THREE MONTHS AND CLAIMED THE LIVES OF NEARLY A MILLION RWANDANS. INCREDIBLY, IMMACULEE SURVIVED THE SLAUGHTER. FOR 91 DAYS, SHE AND SEVEN OTHER WOMEN HUDDLED SILENTLY TOGETHER IN THE CRAMPED BATHROOM OF A LOCAL PASTOR WHILE HUNDREDS OF MACHETE-WIELDING KILLERS HUNTED FOR THEM. IT WAS DURING THOSE ENDLESS HOURS OF UNSPEAKABLE TERROR THAT IMMACULEE DISCOVERED THE POWER OF PRAYER, EVENTUALLY SHEDDING HER FEAR OF DEATH AND FORGING A PROFOUND AND LASTING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. SHE EMERGED FROM HER BATHROOM HIDEOUT HAVING DISCOVERED THE MEANING OF TRULY UNCONDITIONAL LOVE—A LOVE SO STRONG SHE WAS ABLE SEEK OUT AND FORGIVE HER FAMILY’S KILLERS. THE TRIUMPHANT STORY OF THIS REMARKABLE YOUNG WOMAN’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF GENOCIDE WILL INSPIRE ANYONE WHOSE LIFE HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY FEAR, SUFFERING, AND LOSS.
अफ्रिकेतील रवांडा या देशात
१९९४ साली ‘हूतू’ आणि ‘तुत्सी’
या जमातींमध्ये भीषण हत्याकांड घडून आले.
जवळपास दहा लाखाहून
अधिक माणसांचा बळी घेतलेल्या
या दंगलीने देशात अराजकाचे
सत्र निर्माण झाले.
या भयावह कत्तलीच्या
काळ्या सावलीत
एक लहानशी मुलगी
जीव मुठीत धरून
तो हिंसाचार डोळ्यात साठवत होती.
या नरसंहारात आपलं कुटुंब गमावूनही
त्याबद्दल संयतपणे बोलणाऱ्या
इम्माकुली इलिबागिझाची ही कहाणी.
माणसांमधील असीम कुरूपता आणि कौर्य
पाहूनही त्यांच्यामधील ईश्वराचे अस्तित्व शोधणारी
आणि माणसांच्या जगातील प्रेम, दया, शांती
या जाणीवांना आवाहन करणारी ही इम्माकुली
पुस्तकाच्या प्रत्येक पानागणिक वाचकाला
अधिकाअधिक अंतर्मुख बनवत जाणारी आहे.