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"In 1994, Obadiah was the thirteen-year-old son of a Hutu pastor who dreamt of becoming a pilot when he heard something was wrong in Kigali, Rwanda. He didn't understand the politics, but an uncle appeared, a family meeting was held, then they were fleeing genocide. They were under gunfire, soldiers in pursuit. Everywhere were bodies, hunger, that smell. Stalked by terror, Obadiah kept moving through unrelenting danger and the darkest despair. He was sustained by faith and the philosophy of Ubuntu -- finding one's self through others. But not even escape led to safety, as Obadiah had to face the American refugee detention system. Die Walking is one boy's horrific story of shared humanity in a chaotic world."--
About the author
OBADIAH M. is the pseudonym of a Rwandan author living in East Africa. He writes anonymously to protect himself and his family from those who would prevent him from sharing his story.
Summary
An unforgettable first-person account of surviving the Rwandan genocide and its aftermath
Featuring a foreword by Globe and Mail Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York
In 1994, Obadiah was the thirteen-year-old son of a Hutu pastor, living comfortably in Rwanda and dreaming of becoming a pilot, when violence and bloodshed began to engulf the country. His family soon fled their home, pursued by soldiers and stalked by death and hunger. As the genocide led into a horrific war, Obadiah was forced to survive unrelenting terror and the darkest despair as a refugee, both in neighbouring Zaire and eventually in the American refugee detention system. Obadiah was sustained through these horrors by his faith and the philosophy of ubuntu — finding one’s self through connection with others.
In the spirit of Night by Elie Wiesel, Die Walking is one boy’s horrific story of shared humanity in a chaotic world.
Foreword
REVIEW COPIES:
- Publishers Weekly
- Booklist
- Kirkus Reviews
