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1-Page Summary of Strength In What Remains
Overall Summary
Strength in What Remains is a nonfiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder. It tells the story of Deo, who was forced to flee his home country of Burundi when it descended into civil war and genocide. He traveled across the border to Rwanda but had to return because he didn’t feel safe there either. He eventually made his way to America where he started over with nothing, working hard until he earned a medical degree from Columbia University School of Medicine.
Deo’s story is told in a non-chronological fashion. The first part of the book goes back to when he was escaping from Burundi, and the second part goes back to his time in New York City. In this way, readers learn about both parts of Deo’s life as they go through it chronologically. Through flashbacks, we learn more details about Deo’s past and how it relates to his present situation.
In part 2, the author tells his own story of meeting Deo and learning about the genocide. He also describes what happened during that time period by following one individual’s life. The author shows how a single person can provide an accurate picture of what happened in Burundi. This is because he follows someone who was there for most of it, but then went to America and had to adjust to a new lifestyle as well as learn English. In doing so, we see how kind people saved this man from dying or living on the streets when he first arrived in New York City after fleeing his country due to civil war. We also see that even though Deo had no money at all when he left Burundi, strangers helped him out along the way until he got settled into his new home in Chicago where he eventually became a doctor.
Deo overcame a lot of challenges in his life, despite the horrible circumstances he was born into. He became a student at Columbia University and later went on to build medical clinics in his home nation. Kidder reminds us that Deo’s story is bittersweet because it’s still tragic for many people who live in nations like Burundi and its neighboring countries.
Introduction: “Burundi, June 2006”
The story begins in 2006. The author, Tracy Kidder, is travelling with Deo (the main character) near Ganza Mountain in Burundi. They are on the way to Deo’s home. Burundi is a country that has suffered from poverty and disease for years. In fact, they have an expression called gusimbura which means haunting people with the past. Unlike America where people seek out their history, Burundians try to forget it because of all the suffering they’ve endured over time.
Chapter 1: “Bujumbura – New York, May 1994”
The story goes back 12 years to when the main character was in Burundi, on the verge of escaping his war-torn country. He wasn’t entirely happy because there were rumors that planes had been shot down, including those of neighboring Rwanda’s president.
On his way to New York, Deo lands in Entebbe, Uganda. He got a visa and plane tickets with the help of Jean—a friend from medical school. As for Deo’s knowledge of the world, it is limited to what he learned in primary school: that France and Belgium are important countries on the map.
From Entebbe, Deo takes a complicated route to the US, stopping in Cairo and Moscow on his way. He arrives in New York where he must pass through immigration. His lack of English is problematic since he speaks French. However, Muhammad helps him get through by sleeping on the floor so that Deo can also save money for staying there.
Deo spends his first day riding the subway, trying to learn how it works and where some of its stops are.
