My Father, Maker of the Trees

July 13, 2009
The author was 16 in 1994 when he fled for his life as Hutus set out to eradicate Tutsis in Rwanda. Those 100 days of genocide left more than one million people dead and also left 120,000 orphans. Irivuzumugabe survived by hiding for 15 days in a cypress tree, watching from above as Hutu killers combed the brush, killing anyone they found. He wondered about the fate of his family; he wondered if he would survive the lack of food and water. Fifteen years later, the author shares his story—and the stories of other survivors—with American readers. “I want you to know of my struggle so that you too may feel the call to forgive,” says the young man who in 2005 founded Humura Ministries to help fellow orphans in Rwanda. This story mirrors many told by those who came through Rwanda's genocide, yet the power of this book comes from a call to forgiveness worldwide as well as from the author's understanding of suffering. Americans can only benefit from this story of God's provision and grace.

As a 16-year-old, the author survived the 1994 Rwandan massacre when he climbed a cypress tree and remained there for 15 days without food or water as the slaughter spread throughout the country. The listener hears unforgettable stories of what he saw from his birds-eye view, including instances of children left for dead amid piles of bodies hacked beyond recognition by machetes. Using rich characterizations and subtle accents, narrator Dion Graham masterfully depicts the horror of genocide. But this is not a memoir without hope, and Graham also captures the author's belief in the power of God's love to heal Rwanda and its people. The account of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus killed in 100 days is searing, but both author and narrator craft a spiritual message of vital importance. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine