Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography

• An autobiography from the Rwandan genocide, An Ordinary Man tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina, the son of a Hutu father and Tutsi mother and the manager of a Belgian-owned Rwandan hotel. He considers himself to be Hutu but is married to a Tutsi woman.
• Published in 2006, Rusesabagina’s story is also told in the film Hotel Rwanda.
• The book shares the themes of Friends Becoming Enemies and The Loss of Innocence.
• An Ordinary Man on SuperSummary

Life Laid Bare: The Survivors in Rwanda Speak

• A collection by French journalist Jean Hatzfeld, Life Laid Bare features the stories of Rwandan genocide survivors, specifically from the town of Bugesera.
• Bugesera is about 45 km (28 miles) south of Immaculée’s home in Kigali, and one of the most severely affected areas in the Rwandan genocide.
• This book is an exploration of the Rwandan genocide and the effect on this nation; the theme of Faith and Forgiveness is evident.

Mere Christianity

• Composed during World War II, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is a theological exploration of Christian thought.
• The book explores the theme of Faith and Forgiveness particularly after having been shaken by the ravages of war.
• Mere Christianity on SuperSummary

Other Student Resources

Hotel Rwanda

• Starring Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda is the critically acclaimed film adaptation about Paul Rusesabagina during the Rwandan genocide.
• The film focuses on the marriage of Paul Rusesabagina (a Hutu) and his wife Tatiana (a Tutsi).

Voices of Rwanda

• Voices of Rwanda (VOR) is an organization “dedicated to recording and preserving testimonies of Rwandans, and to ensuring that their stories inform the world about genocide and inspire a global sense of responsibility to prevent human rights atrocities.”
• VOR’s website gives first-person accounts from Rwandans themselves about their experiences, and how they persisted through unspeakable violence.

“University of Minnesota’s Taylor Krauss Comments at the 20th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda”

• In 2014, the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Human Rights Program hosted a 3-day lecture series honor and in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide.
• Taylor Krauss is the director of “Voices of Rwanda.”

Teacher Resources

University of Southern California—Shoah Foundation’s “10 Resources for Teaching about Genocide”

• The Shoah Foundation’s mission is to “develop empathy, understanding and respect through testimony,” connecting to first-hand accounts like Left to Tell.
• The Shoah Foundation has compiled 10 resources for teachers to help students better understand and process the atrocities of genocidal war.