We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families:… (edition 1999)

Eye opening account of Rwandan geneocide ( )

Philip Gourevich's account of the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda is soul shattering and haunting. One of the most important case studies of Rwanda's aftermath. ( )

This is one of those books I read slowly. Not because I was savoring the language (as good as that was), but because I simply could not read it constantly and retain my sanity. But this is an excellent study of the Rwandan genocide, the factors leading up to it, the people and countries involved, the local and worldwide political situation and how all of that affected (for good or bad) the situation in Rwanda, and all the many permutations of the immediate aftermath and hope for healing and restoration. Throughout Gourevitch also asks important questions about the how the world perceives genocide and historically how it reacts to it. Bill Clinton and Madelyn Albright have immense amounts of blood on their hands. ( )

As another reviewer pointed-out, this book haunts you. The title refers to a line from a letter seeking aide written by a group of Tutsi Seventh Day Adventist ministers to their bishop, a Hutu, requesting that he intervene on their behalf. Not only did he not help them, by some accounts he assisted in their slaughter. Between April and June, 1994 roughly 800,000-1,000,000 Tutsis were killed in Rwanda. G. reveals the background of the genocide. He shows the government radio and print media calls to kill building. He tells us that Hutus who protested or refused to kill might be killed themselves. Most damning of all he reveals the lack of response from the International Community.
This book lacks an index and bibliography.
A study of this book paired with the movie Hotel Rwanda, and the book Machete Season for a powerful unit on violence and personal responsibility. ( )

An excellent history of the Rwandan Genocide, Gourevitch covers, in depth, the events from the time of Rwandan independence in the late 1950s/early 1960s, to the reconstruction and reconciliation period after the genocide in 1994. Skillfully woven throughout the history are the personal and heartbreaking stories of individual survivors, as well as the stories of those accused of participating in the killing. In addition, the author had access to those in power, and the book includes extensive interviews with Paul Kagame, current President of the Republic of Rwanda and former leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

The lack of response and aid from the international community around the time of the genocide is even more infuriating when you learn about the background of the conflict and the events leading up to it. The media coverage following the genocide, particularly the coverage of the refuge camps in the surrounding countries is equally infuriating.

I listened to this as an audiobook, but it was so excellent that I hope to read it someday. Very highly recommended. ( )