Reading the sub title of this book I expected to be reading a sad, perhaps even depressing book. Full of the horrors and atrocities we've all heard about taking place in Darfur. And while these atrocities are discussed in a poignant and harrowing way, the overall tone of the book is positive and upbeat. Perhaps this is because Hari, after being tortured and imprisoned himself, escaped Darfur and is now living in the United States. Generally I admire people who look on the bright side of things.But it seems to me a book on this subject should have a more somber tone. ( )

A tribesman's memoir of Darfur

I do not know why it was so hard for me to get into this book. I had to try 3 times and the thied time I finally managed to fully read it. Great story teller. Learned more about Dafur. An interesting read ( )

A Remarkable Book! A Remarkable Man!: In the modern Western world, vivid documentary photojournalism plays an important role in how we world learn about major world events. However, when the story is genocide, the visual record can be so horrific that most people instinctually flinch and turn away, unable to bear the sight of so much human suffering. Croatia, Rwanda, Darfur--we are bombarded by harrowing nightmarish images.

It is easy to see why most people might not want to read a book about genocide. But they fail to realize that books work on the brain in an entirely different manner than images. A well-conceived book can promote understanding and provoke action. Take "The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur" by Daoud Hari as an example. Readers would be making a grave mistake if they turned away from this powerful and unforgettable memoir. This book is more than a recounting of genocide. It is a fierce story of heroism and survival--it is also a loving lament to a culture and people on the brink of extinction.

This book is definitely not what you might expect. There are no indictments against the international community's indifference. There is no anger--no blame. Instead, there is a calm heartfelt recounting of three years in the life of one tribesman working as a translator for Western journalist covering the story of war-torn Darfur. The years covered are 2003 through 2006. During this period, the author took immense risks to lead first a team of UN genocide investigators, and then six separate teams of Western journalists into dangerous war-torn Darfur. That he has come out of these ordeals alive is a miracle.

Daoud Hari tells an incredible story! For the last one-third of the book, I found myself gripping the book, unable to tear myself away before knew what happened. Compelling is a word that hardly does this book justice!

Although most of the book deals with the three years that he served as a translator, the author also tells us briefly about his early childhood. These are fascinating tales that bring to life the ancient and vibrant culture of Darfur's peoples.

As a young boy, Hari demonstrated a gift for languages. He was proficient in Arabic as well as his native Zaghawa language, but he also learned English. He learned it so well that could easily lose himself in the English classics--books like Brontë's "Jane Eyre," Stevenson's "Treasure Island," Dickens' "Oliver Twist," Orwell's "Animal Farm," and Paton's "Cry the Beloved Country." His father wanted him to become a camel herder, but Daoud had a head full of dreams. He took off for Libya and found work as a restaurant worker in rich hotels serving international tourists. Later, he tried to smuggle himself across the border into Israel to get a better paying job, but ended up first in an Israeli jail, and then later transferred to an Egyptian jail. Eventually, he was freed to return back to Darfur. He arrived home in 2003, a day before his village was savagely attacked. First, came the Sudanese government helicopters raining down bombs and machinegun fire. After a short interval, this was followed by the "Janjaweed" ground troops intent on killing and destroying everything in their path. His village fought back and many were killed and maimed. Fortunately, the author escaped with most of his family to a refugee camp in neighboring Chad. It is there where western journalist discovered his translating talents.

Working with the UN genocide investigators and journalist, Hari met face to face with countless victims. He hears their stories and tells many of them again in the pages of this book. The scenes of massacre are related with exquisite sensitivity and maturity. Yes, there are descriptions of unspeakable atrocities. But this book is also brimming with humanity--stories of strong family ties, devotion, and love. Overwhelmingly, it is the goodness of man that shines through this horrifying true-life tale.

Don't miss this remarkable book. It will leave you with a better understanding for the nature of genocide and for the complexity of the ongoing situation in Darfur. Most of all, it will stir you to action...after all, that is surely the author's intent--the author must still feel he is fighting the battle for his people, and he is doing it with the one tool he knows best: his extraordinary gift for language.

Daoud Hari is a Zaghawa tribesman born in a village in Darfur, who, at an early age, showed an aptitude for languages. As an adult he lived abroad for a while, but was remanded to Sudan after violating a visa requirement. Shortly after he returns to his village, it is attacked and destroyed by one of the militia groups that terrorized the Darfur regions throughout much of the last decade. Members of Hari’s family are killed and others are separated. Hari decides to join the line of displaced persons heading for a refugee camp in Chad and walks with the others to the border. Once in Chad, his facility with languages soon lands him jobs as a translator for reporters eager to enter Darfur and report on the atrocities being committed. Hari was exceptional at safely leading reporters through the most dangerous parts of Darfur, giving them a firsthand look at the horrors destroying his country. His knowledge of languages, his charming personality, and his daring helped reporters from organizations like The New York Times, the BBC, and the United Nations acquire the evidence needed to declare the conflict in Darfur genocide.

Although a bit dated due to recent political developments, I still think The Translator has relevance. Hari’s experiences as a translator bring to mind stories coming out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places where the U.S. is relying on native translators, drivers, and facilitators of meetings and interviews. This memoir captivated me because of the edge-of-your-seat stories and Hari’s open, friendly style of writing. Despite the tragedies he describes, he is optimistic about the fate of his country and trusting that people are basically good. I have read some books about Sudan and Darfur that left me emotional exhausted and depressed, but this one left me hopeful. For that reason alone, I’m glad I picked it up. ( )