The True American

Murder and Mercy in Texas

By: Anand Giridharadas

Narrated by: Anand Giridharadas

Imagine that a terrorist tried to kill you. If you could face him again, on your terms, what would you do?

The True American 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.

The True American traces the making of these two men, Stroman and Bhuiyan, and of their fateful encounter. It follows them as they rebuild shattered lives - one striving on Death Row to become a better man, the other to heal and pull himself up from the lowest rung on the ladder of an unfamiliar country.

Ten years after the shooting, an Islamic pilgrimage seeds in Bhuiyan a strange idea: if he is ever to be whole, he must reenter Stroman's life. He longs to confront Stroman and speak to him about the attack that changed their lives. Bhuiyan publicly forgives Stroman, in the name of his religion and its notion of mercy. Then he wages a legal and PR campaign, against the State of Texas and Governor Rick Perry, to have his attacker spared from the death penalty.

Ranging from Texas's juvenile justice system to the swirling crowd of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca; from a biker bar to an immigrant mosque in Dallas; from young military cadets in Bangladesh to elite paratroopers in Israel; from a wealthy household of chicken importers in Karachi, Pakistan; to the sober residences of Brownwood, Texas, The True American is a rich, colorful, profoundly moving exploration of the American dream in its many dimensions. Ultimately, it tells a story about our love-hate relationship with immigrants, about the encounter between Islam and the West, about how - or whether - we choose what we become.

©2014 Anand Giridharadas (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Great story, a bit padded

The story is great but it feels padded out for length. There is so much extra information that more loose ends are created. I want more because there's so much here. It would have been better if narrowed down a bit.

The narration is clear and easy to follow with the author changing his voice slightly for each person's dialogue to avoid much confusion. My only complaint on the narration is his speed. I kept it on 1.25× speed all the way through because he spoke so slowly. It felt more natural this way. It is an easy fix and you will get through the story a bit faster which is good if you don't have much time to read it.

I recommend the book because it has a powerful message that is important in this time in America.

Blending beliefs, cultures and humanity

The story illustrates a path blending aspects of actual factual occurrences with belief’s individually held, along side of intentions which strive to obtain purpose through kindness, faith and love for self and other.

Loved the story! life changing!

i loved this story and the narrator was awesome! the book actually made me cry, but some of the back stories were irrelevant, although mind altering!

Heart wrenching

Anand Giridharadas brings an incredibly complex piece of history to us with in this book. The story brought me to tears and downright sobbing at times and also overwhelmed me with joy, with Rais’ love for his mother and humanity, as wretched as we are. I cried the Stromons, for Rais and his family and many times just had to stop and rest from the book. I recommend this as required reading in helping to understand racism, white supremacy and the decay of family.

moving sad story

very much worth a credit. racism and hate eventually give way to forgiveness and beauty.