Thanks to those who gave their suggestions. If I didn't pick it this month, I might in the future - so don't worry, I wrote them down. This month I decided to read a true story. It's called...
A Human Being Died That Night
A South African Woman Confronts the Legacy of Apartheid
By Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
(Here's the description on the back of the book)
This book recounts an extraordinary dialogue. Pumla, a psychologist who grew up in a black South African township, reflects on her interviews with Eugene de Kock, the commanding officer of state-sanctioned death squads under apartheid. Pumla met with de Kock in Pretoria's maximum-security prison, where he is serving a 212 year sentence for crimes against humanity. in prufoundly arresting scenes, Pumla conveys her struggle with contradictory internal impulses to hold him accountable and to forgive. Ultimately, as she allows us to witness do Kock's extraordinary awakening of conscience, she illuminates the ways in which the encounter compelled her to redefine the value of remorse and the limits of forgiveness.
Doesn't that sound AWESOME!
I'm always up for reading inspiring stories, especially when they're true. Here's a few of the reviews-in case you need more convincing :)
"An exploration of far reaches of compassion...The important maeesages of this remarkable book are many. But the powers of compassion and forgiveness are not the least of them" - Christian Science Monitor
"A book that tugs at our humanity, compassion, and integrity" - Archbishop Desmon Tutu
"The story of an almost unimagineable dialogue... and exploration of evil, innocence, and the gray spaces in between." - New York Times
Now go get the book at your nearest library, bookstore or from a friend and let's start reading!
1 comment:
Even though I'm not reading the book of the month with you. I enjoy reading your blog and It's fun to get to know the boook through your posts without having to read it! :) SOunds like you've found a fun "get away" hobby!
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