Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (3 page)

Bryan and me with our babies, our joy: Nikki and Bryan, Jr.

My brother Aimable and I together on his wedding day in 2004.

Here I am chatting with Rwandan president Paul Kagame at the United Nations in New York, September 2005. In 1994, President Kagame led the RPF, the rebel Tutsi army, into Rwanda, and stopped the genocide.

Praise for
LEFT TO TELL

“I am humbled by the extraordinary spirituality that shines throughout
Immaculée Ilibagiza’s story of terror, endurance, healing, and forgiveness.
As a Rwandan, I am proud that we can look beyond the misconceived
differences that resulted in the murder of so many of our children,
men, and women in 1994. Immaculée’s account of genocide survival
is truly astonishing. It gives us hope of overcoming the divisions deliberately
created by those with self-serving agendas and no thought for
humanity. Everyone should read this story—survivors as well as perpetrators.
I hope that all can experience Immaculée’s profound spiritual
transformation and be inspired to work for a united and lasting nation.”

—
Jeannette Kagame,
First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda

“Into a confused world that has lost its moral compass comes
Immaculée Iligabiza’s book, offering luminous direction, and
pointing us straight toward the path of reconciliation. As the
horrific acts of the Rwandan genocide escalate, Immaculée’s faith
deepens. It is this unsettling tension between horror and faith that
haunted me long after my tears and nausea had subsided. Although
the details of Immaculée’s story are unique, what is profoundly
universal is the way her belief in goodness is tested over and over. As unspeakable evil spreads around her, and she has to dig deeper
and deeper to find compassion, hope, and ultimately the kind of
genuine forgiveness that offers redemption.
Left to Tell
will leave
you breathless and falling to your knees with renewed faith.”

—
Gail Straub,
director, The Empowerment Institute; the author of
The Rhythm of Compassion

“We all ask ourselves what we would do if faced with the kind of
terror and loss that Immaculée Ilibagiza faced during the genocide
in her country. Would we allow fear and desperation to fill us with
hatred or despair? And should we survive, would our spirit be poisoned,
or would we be able to rise from the ashes still encouraged to fulfill
our purpose in life, still able to give and receive love? In the tradition
of Viktor Frankl and Anne Frank, Immaculée is living proof that human
beings can not only withstand evil, but can also find courage in crisis,
and faith in the most hopeless of situations. She gives us the strength
to find wisdom and grace during our own challenging times.”

—
Elizabeth Lesser,
co-founder of the Omega Institute, and author of
Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow

“Left to Tell
is for anyone who is weary of the predictable ‘eye for an eye,
tooth for a tooth’ trance most of the world suffers from. Immaculée
Ilibagiza breaks that spell by bravely quelling the storm within, and contacting
a force so powerful that it allows her to calm the storm ‘without,’
and more important, to forgive the ‘unforgivable.’ Her story is an inspiration
to anyone who is at odds with a brother, a nation, or themselves.”

—
Judith Garten,
teacher and counselor of The 50/50Work© and a child of the WWII Holocaust

“This book has renewed my faith in God and the Universe
in a profound and real way that has changed me forever.”

—
Christiane Northrup, M.D.,
the author of
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom

“An inspirational, life-altering book. Once you turn that first
page, you’re changed forever. You will never forget Immaculée
and what it means to embrace life in the darkest of times.”

—
Cindy Pearlman,
New York Times
Syndicate

“Immaculée Ilibagiza’s gift of forgiveness to the perpetrators
of the unthinkable acts revealed in this book is just one of the
extraordinary examples of her unwavering courage. This book
moved me in unimaginable ways, and reminded me once again
about the immense grace that is born out of faith and forgiveness.”

—
Denise Linn,
the author of
If I Can Forgive, So Can You

“Reading this book has truly changed my life—not in some
distant future, but right now! I can’t even describe my feelings, but
they have shifted things inside me in such a way that I just can’t
find the words. This is a book that defies adequate description.”

—
Vimala Rodgers,
author and motivational speaker

“Immaculée’s story is totally gripping from first to last page. It’s
such an important work that I don’t want to just describe it as a
page-turner . . . but it is. This is a book that will stay with me forever.”

—
Al Burton,
writer, director, and creator of numerous hit TV shows

“
Left to Tell
reminds us that we are all sons and daughters of God;
that with faith, miracles will always appear; and that forgiveness is
the key to freedom. A must-read for all of us in these troubled times.”

—
Colette Baron-Reid,
the author of
Remembering the Future

“
Left to Tell
is an incredibly important story. It addresses both the
best and the worst aspects of our humanity. Immaculée is a living
example of the undefeatable human spirit! Her story is timeless.”

—
Steve Kalafer,
three-time Academy Awardnominated producer

LEFT TO TELL

HAY HOUSE TITLES OF RELATED INTEREST

Ask and It Is Given:
Learning to Manifest Your Desires,
by Esther and Jerry Hicks (The Teachings of Abraham)

An Attitude of Gratitude:
21 Life Lessons,
by Keith Harrell

Count Your Blessings:
The Healing Power of Gratitude and Love,
by Dr. John F. Demartini

The End of Karma:
40 Days to Perfect Peace,
Tranquility, and Bliss,
by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.

The God Code:
The Secret of Our Past, the Promise of Our Future,
by Gregg Braden

Gratitude:
A Way of Life,
by Louise L. Hay and Friends

If I Can Forgive, So Can You:
My Autobiography
of How I Overcame My Past and Healed My Life,
by Denise Linn

In Real Life:
Powerful Lessons from Everyday Living,
edited by Karl Zinsmeister, with Karina Rollins

Inspiration:
Your Ultimate Calling,
by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Miracles,
by Stuart Wilde

Never Mind Success . . . Go for Greatness!

The Best Advice I’ve Ever Received,
as told to Tavis Smiley

The Power of Intention:
Learning to Co-create
Your World Your Way,
by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

All of the above are available at your local bookstore, or may be ordered by visiting:

Hay House USA:
www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia:
www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK:
www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House South Africa:
[email protected]

LEFT TO TELL

Discovering God
Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

Immaculée Ilibagiza

with Steve Erwin

H
AY
H
OUSE
, I
NC
.
Carlsbad, California
London • Sydney • Johannesburg
Vancouver • Hong Kong

Copyright 2006 by Immaculée Ilibagiza

Published and distributed in the United States by:
Hay House, Inc., P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100 •
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