In Strength in What Remains, Tracy Kidder gives us the
story of one man’s inspiring American journey and of the ordinary
people who helped him, providing brilliant testament to the power
of second chances. Deo arrives in the United States from Burundi in
search of a new life. Having survived a civil war and genocide, he
lands at JFK airport with two hundred dollars, no English, and no
contacts. He ekes out a precarious existence delivering groceries,
living in Central Park, and learning English by reading
dictionaries in bookstores. Then Deo begins to meet the strangers
who will change his life, pointing him eventually in the direction
of Columbia University, medical school, and a life devoted to
healing. Kidder breaks new ground in telling this unforgettable
story as he travels with Deo back over a turbulent life and shows
us what it means to be fully human.