Faith and forgiveness are at the center of Left to Tell. Immaculée’s deep-seated belief in God s her to overcome extreme trauma and facilitates her ability to forgive the Hutu killers that murder her family and destroy her life.

Immaculée is raised Roman Catholic, and she embraces this religion wholeheartedly for her entire life:

My parents were devout Roman Catholics and passed on their beliefs to us. Mass was mandatory on Sundays, as were evening prayers with the family at home. I loved praying, going to church, and everything else to do with God. I especially loved the Virgin Mary, believing that she was my second mom, watching out for me from heaven (6).

Immaculée sees the power and beauty of God in everything, even in the way she describes the natural beauty of her home country: “Rwanda is a tiny country set like a jewel in central Africa. She is so breathtakingly beautiful that it’s impossible not to see the hand of God in her lush, rolling hills; mist-shrouded mountains; green valleys; and sparkling lakes” (3).

Immaculée’s already existing faith in God is strengthened by the trauma she experiences hiding inside the pastor’s bathroom. She enters near ecstatic states during prayer, reciting her prayers fervently: