Deogratias
This Rwandan man would have been killed in the ethnic genocide that took place there, but through the assistance of friend strangers managed to escape death. There were people who hid him from the authorities, helped to arrange his exodus from Rwanda, and then in America, those who helped him get on his feet. This man is a real person.
Tracy Kidder
Another real person; the author in fact. She met Deo in New York City and then traveled back to Rwanda with him, listening to his story and telling it in this nonfiction story. As an American, she often reflects on way people tend to forget about the ethnic genocide in Rwanda.
Sharon McKenna
This friend helped Deo by giving him a place to stay in Manhattan while he was getting on his feet. In Manhattan, Deo had no one, and the America of 1994 was not quite in tune with the horrors of the Rwandan genocide, so Sharon also helps Deo to adjust in private to American life.
The Wolf family
Another couple, Charlie and Nancy Wolf, also gave Deo shelter during the years it took for him to establish himself in America. Their trust in Deo gave him the space to construct a full life in the wake of absolute chaos and horror.
