Strength in What Remains Summary
Tracy Kidder

Strength in What Remains Overview

This combination of biography and memoir is primarily focused on the experiences of a young African refugee named Deogratias, Deo for short. The book’s two parts chronicle Deo’s journey from poverty in the impoverished, war-torn country of Burundi, through his journey of making a life for himself in America, and then to his journey back to Burundi, where he makes a degree of peace with his memories. As it follows Deo’s path to physical, economic, and emotional freedom, the narrative also develops themes that consider the nature and presence of God, the processes of memory, and the contrast between cruelty and compassion.