We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our FamiliesWe Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1994, over about a hundred days, Hutu extremists in Rwanda murdered some 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu, often with machetes, often by their own neighbors. Philip Gourevitch traveled to Rwanda in the year after and interviewed survivors, killers and officials. He tells the story of what happened, how it was planned, and how the world stood by. The title comes from a letter Tutsi pastors wrote to their church president.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's the essential account of the Rwandan genocide.
You'll love it if you liked
"A Problem From Hell": America and the Age of Genocide
East West Street
Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear DisasterGood to know
It's devastating, with descriptions of mass murder. The second half covers the aftermath, including the refugee crisis in Congo.
By the numbers
- Readers85 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller15 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #89 of the 198 history books we rank
- #251 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #500 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Dark
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Quick answers
Is We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #500 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families about?
In 1994, over about a hundred days, Hutu extremists in Rwanda murdered some 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu, often with machetes, often by their own neighbors. Philip Gourevitch traveled to Rwanda in the year after and interviewed survivors, killers and officials. He tells the story of what happened, how it was planned, and how the world stood by. The title comes from a letter Tutsi pastors wrote to their church president.
How long does it take to read We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families?
About 9 hours (353 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families won?
NBCC Award (Nonfiction) winner (1998).
What should I read after We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families?
If you liked it, try "A Problem From Hell": America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power, East West Street by Philippe Sands or Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich.