Book Description From the world’s most troubled corners, true stories of courage and compassion.
“What makes this anthology of personal experience so particularly moving? . . . It’s the workers’ determination, in the foulest conditions that man and nature can dream up between them, to make human decency work rather than weep; to do whatever they can, again and again, knowing it can never be enough.”—John le Carré, from the Foreword
Sudan, Rwanda, Somalia, Afghanistan, Bosnia, the Gaza Strip … Places that evoke scenes of unimaginable suffering and hardship, the human condition at its worst. But they are also places that highlight humanity at its best—the capacity for generosity, self-sacrifice, and compassion. Among those who live at the intersection of these realities are thousands of international humanitarian workers—dedicated men and women from many countries who leave behind their own comfort and security to face dangers, sorrows, and brutality that most of us cannot imagine. Carol Bergman sought them out and encouraged them to tell their stories—not to add to the chronicles of horror, but as a witness and a challenge. Some of them are heroes; others, ordinary men and women who could not sit idly by while others were suffering.
"In this extraordinarily powerful collection we hear in the humanitarian workers' own words their testimonials of life and death, of compassion and simple courage, tales which should both haunt and inspire us."--Scott Anderson, author, The Man Who Tried to Save the World
"Another important contribution to social justice literature by Orbis."--Emmanuel
