If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered how a single act of kindness can transform a homeless refugee into a medical pioneer for his war-torn home country?
- What's the secret to finding the resilience to rebuild your life when everything you knew has been destroyed by conflict?
- Are you curious about how the small, everyday choices of a few good people can spark a revolution of hope for an entire community?
Listen to Strength in What Remains — Free Audiobook
Loading player...
Key Takeaways from Strength in What Remains
- Learn how education and academic excellence can serve as a vital escape route from systemic poverty and political violence.
- Understand the brutal realities of the 1990s Hutu-Tutsi conflict and the terrifying speed at which political instability can force citizens into sudden, perilous exile.
- Discover how quick thinking and the willingness to pivot—even returning to a dangerous starting point—can be crucial for survival when fleeing a deadly environment.
- Find out how the support of personal networks and the unexpected kindness of acquaintances can provide life-saving opportunities during moments of absolute crisis.
- Explore the transformative power of radical compassion by learning how total strangers in a new country can help a homeless refugee secure shelter, healthcare, and a renewed future.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from Strength in What Remains
Mind Map
Strength in What Remains
Early Life in Burundi+
The Burundian Civil War+
Arrival and Struggle in New York+
The Power of Kind Strangers+
Academic Triumphs+
Returning to Heal Burundi+
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 6
Why did Deo feel compelled to leave the refugee camp in Rwanda shortly after escaping there from Burundi?
Question 2 of 6
How did Deo manage to enter the United States and survive his initial days despite speaking no English?
Question 3 of 6
What major administrative obstacle did Deo face when applying to Columbia University?
Question 4 of 6
What was the primary motivation behind Nancy and Charlie Wolf taking Deo into their home?
Question 5 of 6
How did Dr. Paul Farmer influence Deo's medical career?
Question 6 of 6
What was Deo's ultimate goal upon returning to his hometown in Burundi in 2006?
Strength in What Remains — Full Chapter Overview
- 1Recommendation
- 2Deo herded cows, and despite violence and injustice in schooling there, he excelled academically through it all.
- 3When the civil war erupted in 1993, Deo fled Burundi for Rwanda, and later he returned back to Burundi.
- 4Deo fled Burundi and survived his first days in New York thanks to a compassionate stranger who helped.
- 5Deo lived on the streets, but fortunately started meeting strangers who were determined to help him out.
- 6Deo enrolled at Columbia University in 1995; during his sophomore year, he learned that his parents were still alive.
- 7Deo struggled to enroll in medical school, yet that still didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion for medicine.
- 8Both the Wolf family and Sharon McKenna were inclined to extend Deo a helping hand.
- 9In 2006, Deo returned to Burundi to build a clinic in his hometown there.
Strength in What Remains Summary & Overview
Strength in What Remains (2009) tells the story of a man who, after fleeing war-torn Burundi, is able to make his dreams a reality with the help of a few kind souls. By following his story, you’ll learn all about how the small actions of a few good people can make a huge difference for a community on the other side of the world.
Who Should Listen to Strength in What Remains?
- Anyone interested in refugees' stories
- People curious about the Hutu-Tutsi conflict
- Established and aspiring philanthropists
Books Similar to Strength in What Remains
Readers who enjoyed this also liked these titles.
