Synopses & Reviews
Anand Giridharadas’s deeply moving new work of narrative nonfiction tells the story of Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a former Bangladeshi Air Force officer who comes to America with a dream of starting a new life. That dream falters when, after 9/11, a self-declared “American terrorist” named Mark Stroman walks into the Dallas minimart where Bhuiyan works and shoots him in the face, nearly ending his life. Then, a decade after the shooting, in a remarkable act of mercy, Bhuiyan forgives Stroman and wages a legal battle against Governor Rick Perry, in the name of Shariah law and the U.S. Constitution, attempting to spare from execution the man who tried to kill him.
The True American is a story about our love-hate relationship with immigrants, about the meeting of Islam and the West, and about whether we choose who we become or let ourselves be hemmed in by history.
Review
"This is an enthralling real-life tale of murder and forgiveness and what it means to be an American. Brilliantly reported and powerfully told, this Texas drama personalizes the ethnic diversity that has always been the source of our nation's strength and many of its tensions. It's also a breathtaking account of how a crazed murderer came to know a Muslim immigrant he tried to kill." New York Times Book Review
Review
"Exhilarating and deeply affecting, Giridharadas's book is not only a captivating narrative; it reminds us of the immigrant's journey at the heart of the American story and how, in the wake of violent tragedy, one new to our country can help us to see through to the best in ourselves, even when the law requires far less." Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University
Review
"Anand Giridharadas has written a book that is simply impossible to put down. Just when we thought that we had read everything we could possibly absorb about 9/11, finds a new and compelling perspective, one that explores two sharply opposed dimensions of the American experience in a style that neither celebrates nor condemns. We readers become the jury, weighing what it means to be a true American today." Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO of the New America Foundation
Review
"An unforgettable story about two men caught in the jaws of history. In this compassionate, tenacious, and deeply intelligent book, Giridharadas casts brilliant new illumination on what we mean by 'American.'" Teju Cole, author of Open City
Review
"Remarkable...a richly detailed, affecting account...Giridharadas seeks less to uplift than illuminate...Which of these men is the 'true American' of the title? That there is no simple answer to that question is Giridharadas's finest accomplishment." Ayad Akhtar
Synopsis
ABoston Globe 'Best Nonfiction of 2014' (Kate Tuttle s pick) NPR, Staff Pick: 'The Dark Side, Science and Society & Eye Opening Reads Categories' Amazon, 'Best Books of 2014: Nonfiction' Imagine that a terrorist tried to kill you. If you could face him again, on your terms, what would you do? "
Synopsis
A Boston Globe 'Best Nonfiction of 2014' (Kate Tuttle's pick)
NPR, Staff Pick: 'The Dark Side, Science and Society & Eye Opening Reads Categories'
Amazon, 'Best Books of 2014: Nonfiction'
Imagine that a terrorist tried to kill you. If you could face him again, on your terms, what would you do?
Synopsis
A 2014 Notable Book and Best Book of the Year Imagine that a terrorist tried to kill you. If you could face him again, on your terms, what would you do?
Synopsis
tells the story of Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladesh Air Force officer who dreams of immigrating to America and working in technology. But days after 9/11, an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman, seeking revenge, walks into the Dallas minimart where Bhuiyan has found temporary work and shoots him, maiming and nearly killing him. Two other victims, at other gas stations, aren't so lucky, dying at once.
Synopsis
In the vein of Zeitoun and Behind the Beautiful Forevers, a tour de force of narrative reportage.
Synopsis
A 2014 Notable Book and Best Book of the Year A 'Best Nonfiction of 2014' (Kate Tuttle's pick) Staff Pick: 'The Dark Side, Science and Society & Eye Opening Reads Categories' , 'Best Books of 2014: Nonfiction' Imagine that a terrorist tried to kill you. If you could face him again, on your terms, what would you do?
About the Author
Anand Giridharadas writes the Admit One column for the New York Times's arts pages and the Currents column for its global edition. He is the author of India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of A Nation's Remaking. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.