Philip Gourevitch's book We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with our Families is his attempt to explore and explain the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi people in Rwanda. Gourevitch is a staff writer for The New Yorker and has spent much time in Africa as a contributing reporter for a number of magazines, so he has a unique perspective of the Rwandan situation. His affection for Rwanda and its people is evident in this compelling work.
Gourevitch does an incredible job of blending narrative with survivor interviews so that the reader is exposed to the big picture as well as the personal details of each survivor's experience. His inclusion of a map of Rwanda and his vivid descriptions give the reader a vivid picture of the aftermath of the mass violence. Particularly poignant was Gourevitch's conversation with Joseph, his driver, in which the reporter asks Joseph whether the Rwandan people appreciate what a beautiful country they have. Joseph's response was a "soft hissing sound" and the reply that "The country is empty".
A general theme running through the stories of each survivor interviewed by Gourevitch is the amazement that he or she was spared. Laurent Nkongoli, in his interview, summed up the survivors' feelings when he stated that he was spared due to "Providence and also good neighbors".
Usually, I prefer to read a book before seeing the film about any event, but in this case, I am glad that I saw the movie first. When I read We Wish to Inform You..., I had already formed a mental picture of those involved, and the book took on an even greater meaning to me.
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2 comments:
Interesting that you say you were glad to have seen the movie first. I just finished watching it and kept thinking how I was glad to have read the book first. There were nuances and details that I'd have missed otherwise. And I don't know for sure, but it seemed like if I hadn't read the book, then I'd have been confused with the action and the people involved. I was disappointed with the map...my reasons will be in my blog (hopefully I'll have it finished by tomorrow).
Jenny, I agree. I read the book first and was glad I did. The movie was powerful, didn't only gave a morsel into the range of atrocities that took place in Rwanda. The book also did a great job of explaining the history in reasons that led up to the events in 1994.
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