Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York ; Random House, c2008.
Description
This is a harrowing memoir of how one person has made a difference: Daoud Hari helped inform the world about the genocide in Darfur. Hari, a Zaghawa tribesman, grew up in a village in the Darfur region of Sudan. In 2003, traditional life was shattered when government-backed militias attacked Darfur's villages with helicopters and on horseback, raping and murdering citizens and burning villages. His family dispersed, Hari escaped. He and friends helped survivors find food, water, and safety. When international aid groups and reporters arrived, Hari offered his services as a translator and guide, using his high school knowledge of languages. In doing so, time and again he risked his life, for the government of Sudan had outlawed journalists in the region. Then, inevitably, his luck ran out and he was captured. Now freed, he is a living witness to genocide.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TadAD
That most striking aspect of this book was simply that it brought a vague picture into focus. I knew that there was a serious war going on in Darfur. However, was it a religious war between Muslims and non-Muslims?...a racially- or tribally-motivated genocide?...something else? I didn't know. I
Daoud Hari's account clarifies the situation. Having escaped from Darfur, he returned several times as a translator for agents of various news organizations in an attempt to get the stories of the mass exterminations, the pervasive starvation, and the institutionalized rapes out before the world’s eyes.
Yet, for all the grimness, there is also a bit of hope. Hari's actions, themselves, provide some of that—his constant willingness to return to danger in order to help someone else. So, too, do the actions of reporters who endure torture and imprisonment to get stories, and aid workers who are often targeted by terror squads, yet keep working.
Hari tells his story with a wry sense of humor wherever humor is possible. He also, when referring to first world nations, takes pains to distinguish between people as individuals who "as they always do, helped a lot" and governments which "determined that, yes,…Sudan was conducting a genocide…but did not do too much else." He also notes how America's behavior at Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib gives license to the al-Bashir government to do the same, and that China's willingness to turn a blind eye as long as it gets oil props up the government forces.
If the book has a flaw, it's in some uneven pacing. I felt the sections on village relocation and the refugee camps went by too quickly, while the section on his torture seemed to drag a bit…the latter, most likely, because there wasn't an adequate explanation of why government commanders would spend so much personal attention on a minor translator. However, these are minor flaws.
There's little deep analysis in this book but, if you're like me and relatively unfamiliar with the situation in Darfur, this is worth the read.
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didn't even have an idea of the scope since I had seen reports that hundreds of thousands had died, but I had also seen reports an order of magnitude smaller.Daoud Hari's account clarifies the situation. Having escaped from Darfur, he returned several times as a translator for agents of various news organizations in an attempt to get the stories of the mass exterminations, the pervasive starvation, and the institutionalized rapes out before the world’s eyes.
Yet, for all the grimness, there is also a bit of hope. Hari's actions, themselves, provide some of that—his constant willingness to return to danger in order to help someone else. So, too, do the actions of reporters who endure torture and imprisonment to get stories, and aid workers who are often targeted by terror squads, yet keep working.
Hari tells his story with a wry sense of humor wherever humor is possible. He also, when referring to first world nations, takes pains to distinguish between people as individuals who "as they always do, helped a lot" and governments which "determined that, yes,…Sudan was conducting a genocide…but did not do too much else." He also notes how America's behavior at Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib gives license to the al-Bashir government to do the same, and that China's willingness to turn a blind eye as long as it gets oil props up the government forces.
If the book has a flaw, it's in some uneven pacing. I felt the sections on village relocation and the refugee camps went by too quickly, while the section on his torture seemed to drag a bit…the latter, most likely, because there wasn't an adequate explanation of why government commanders would spend so much personal attention on a minor translator. However, these are minor flaws.
There's little deep analysis in this book but, if you're like me and relatively unfamiliar with the situation in Darfur, this is worth the read.
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LibraryThing member Irisheyz77
Franz Kafka once wrote, "I believe, one should read only such books, which bite and sting. If the book, which we read, does not wake us with a blow on the head,as with a fist hammering on our skulls, then why do we read it? We need the books, which affect affect us like a disaster, a most painful
The Translator by Daoud Hari is definitely one of those books that Kafka describes. The words that Hari use are simple, but the message is powerful. The story that he tells is filled with horror and tragedy. But underneath all that there is hope. Hope for a better future for his people struggling to survive in the war torn area of the Sudan known as Darfur. A place that has often been in the news of late stories told by reporters in short sound bites before the anchors move on to another story and the reporters return to their comfortable lives. To me those new stories always make the conflict seem so far away, so impersonal and often doesn't stay with me. The exact opposite can be said when reading Hari's memoir.
There is nothing more personal than to read the first hand account of an event through the eyes of someone who lived it. They weren't there because some new organization paid them to be, they were there because they didn't have a choice. Daoud Hari survived the attack that destroyed his village and made it safely to a refuge camp in Chad. Once there he could have meeked out a life for himself and perhaps emigrated to another country that wasn't affected by the war. Instead he chose to return to Darfur again and again. Using his language skills to guide reporters and aid workers through the war ravaged countryside so that they could get the story of what was happening out to the rest of the world. He thought nothing about the risk that he was taking, knowing that if he was caught by the government militia or even by any of the Darfurian fighters that he could be killed.
Hari's story is very moving and it sucked me in right from the start. When you read it you feel as though he is sitting across from you telling his story. There is a deeply personal connection between him as an author and you as the reader that it doesn't feel as though you are separated by pages. As with any conversations among people he sometimes goes off on a tangent letting the story pull him (and us along with him) to where it needs to go. Hari holds nothing back. He doesn't sugar coat the horrors and he is able to evoke strong emotions from the reader. There were times that I was almost brought to tears. It has been a long time since I've read something that made me feel as much as Hari's The Translator. His words have power and they stay with you long after you are done reading them.
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misfortune, like the death of someone we loved more than we love ourselves, that make us feel as though we had been banished to the woods, far from any human presence, like a suicide. A book must the axe be for the frozen sea in us."The Translator by Daoud Hari is definitely one of those books that Kafka describes. The words that Hari use are simple, but the message is powerful. The story that he tells is filled with horror and tragedy. But underneath all that there is hope. Hope for a better future for his people struggling to survive in the war torn area of the Sudan known as Darfur. A place that has often been in the news of late stories told by reporters in short sound bites before the anchors move on to another story and the reporters return to their comfortable lives. To me those new stories always make the conflict seem so far away, so impersonal and often doesn't stay with me. The exact opposite can be said when reading Hari's memoir.
There is nothing more personal than to read the first hand account of an event through the eyes of someone who lived it. They weren't there because some new organization paid them to be, they were there because they didn't have a choice. Daoud Hari survived the attack that destroyed his village and made it safely to a refuge camp in Chad. Once there he could have meeked out a life for himself and perhaps emigrated to another country that wasn't affected by the war. Instead he chose to return to Darfur again and again. Using his language skills to guide reporters and aid workers through the war ravaged countryside so that they could get the story of what was happening out to the rest of the world. He thought nothing about the risk that he was taking, knowing that if he was caught by the government militia or even by any of the Darfurian fighters that he could be killed.
Hari's story is very moving and it sucked me in right from the start. When you read it you feel as though he is sitting across from you telling his story. There is a deeply personal connection between him as an author and you as the reader that it doesn't feel as though you are separated by pages. As with any conversations among people he sometimes goes off on a tangent letting the story pull him (and us along with him) to where it needs to go. Hari holds nothing back. He doesn't sugar coat the horrors and he is able to evoke strong emotions from the reader. There were times that I was almost brought to tears. It has been a long time since I've read something that made me feel as much as Hari's The Translator. His words have power and they stay with you long after you are done reading them.
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LibraryThing member riofriotex
This was a short book (200 pages in the advanced reader copy from Random House through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program), but not an easy read. I did not know much about Darfur before starting to read it, but I knew enough to be apprehensive about the subject matter. The appendix, “A
I found the part of the book where Hari described the impact of Darfur’s genocide on his own family and village to be stronger than the parts about his captures and eventual releases particularly while serving as an interpreter for reporters and international investigators of the genocide.
I wanted to like this book and rate it highly because of its important subject, but I can’t – it’s just not well written. The storyline is confusing, and too much of the book is about Hari’s captivity and not enough about the situation in Darfur. Despite having two co-writers, the book would have benefitted from judicious editing.
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Darfur Primer,” would have been better as a preface, along with some maps to put the story’s locations in context.I found the part of the book where Hari described the impact of Darfur’s genocide on his own family and village to be stronger than the parts about his captures and eventual releases particularly while serving as an interpreter for reporters and international investigators of the genocide.
I wanted to like this book and rate it highly because of its important subject, but I can’t – it’s just not well written. The storyline is confusing, and too much of the book is about Hari’s captivity and not enough about the situation in Darfur. Despite having two co-writers, the book would have benefitted from judicious editing.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
The Translator, Daoud, will take you into the hearts and minds of the people of Darfur. He will not only show you the atrocities which have been happening there, but he will show you the culture, traditions and history of the people and the land. This book allows you to travel beside a young man
From the first page, the author jumps in with a very personable voice. He made me laugh at the moment in the story when a gun was pressed against his head! It is a gripping story, which I found very difficult to put down and more than once my heart was in my throat with sorrow and the fear of what would come next. What spoke to me the most, however, was the author’s lack of bitterness, his kindness, and his hope for the future. Daoud Hari has a wonderful way of making his people and their experiences come alive for the reader. I expected to find horror and sadness within this book, but I found more. I found the author’s profound faith and hope in mankind. This is a story which speaks of love, brotherhood and hope. One which shows it is possible to love your enemies, even if you don’t like them.
I do hope and wish that the SaveDarfur.org website will be more prominent in the final edition of the book. Also, in my edition, the site name was spelled incorrectly, so impossible to go to. It is my fervent prayer that people will wake up and stop this insanity. Until then, I hope and pray that those who need help and sustenance will find it.
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attempting to help his people in the only way he knows, which is to translate their experiences to the world so that the world might step in to help before it is too late.From the first page, the author jumps in with a very personable voice. He made me laugh at the moment in the story when a gun was pressed against his head! It is a gripping story, which I found very difficult to put down and more than once my heart was in my throat with sorrow and the fear of what would come next. What spoke to me the most, however, was the author’s lack of bitterness, his kindness, and his hope for the future. Daoud Hari has a wonderful way of making his people and their experiences come alive for the reader. I expected to find horror and sadness within this book, but I found more. I found the author’s profound faith and hope in mankind. This is a story which speaks of love, brotherhood and hope. One which shows it is possible to love your enemies, even if you don’t like them.
I do hope and wish that the SaveDarfur.org website will be more prominent in the final edition of the book. Also, in my edition, the site name was spelled incorrectly, so impossible to go to. It is my fervent prayer that people will wake up and stop this insanity. Until then, I hope and pray that those who need help and sustenance will find it.
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LibraryThing member mckait
Simple words and a country torn apart from within. Who would ever believe that they would combine to weave a story of such huge dimensions. Of a people who though torn from their homes, some tortured or killed by their own countrymen hold love within themselves for their brothers.
Like so many
This young man felt compelled to bring this story to the world in any way that he was able. First by being a translator and guide to reporters from other nations. Reporters that he counted on to bring their accounts to people that he counted on to help.
The help did come, but all too often it was and is only the help given by organizations and individuals, not governments. The story is being told in whispers, when it should be shouted from the rooftops. It is the not being acknowledged by those with the power to bring the suffering to an end.
Hari is continuing his journey, his quest, in the hope that his people will be able to return to the life and families that they so cherish.
This is most of all a story filled with hope, and optimism. We all have something to learn here.
Like so many
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others I have heard some stories and seem pictures of Darfur. I knew that I had no idea of the truth of what is happening in that corner of the world. Daoud Hari uses the stories of individual or of families to bring us the true depth of the horror that occurs there every day.This young man felt compelled to bring this story to the world in any way that he was able. First by being a translator and guide to reporters from other nations. Reporters that he counted on to bring their accounts to people that he counted on to help.
The help did come, but all too often it was and is only the help given by organizations and individuals, not governments. The story is being told in whispers, when it should be shouted from the rooftops. It is the not being acknowledged by those with the power to bring the suffering to an end.
Hari is continuing his journey, his quest, in the hope that his people will be able to return to the life and families that they so cherish.
This is most of all a story filled with hope, and optimism. We all have something to learn here.
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LibraryThing member mcna217
"The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur" tells the story of a Daoud Hari, a Sudanese villager who lost not only his home, but his way of life, as a result of the genocide in Darfur. After fleeing to a refugee camp in Chad, he used his English skills to work as a translator for journalists,
Prior to reading Daoud's memoir, I had read only Western accounts of this massacre. I chose to read "The Translator" because I felt it was important to learn more about this region from an African perspective. This book gave me a much needed alternative view of this part of the world. I had been familiar with the horrors of genocide and famine but this book introduced me to the beauty of the land and it's people. I had previously viewed Darfur as a desolate place wracked by violence. This book told also of the Darfur that Daoud loved and risked his life to protect , the Darfur of strong family bonds, honor between friends and neighbors, love and respect for animals, and appreciation of natural beauty. This perspective alone made this book worthwhile.
I would highly recommend this book and will be passing it on soon for others to read.
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aid workers, and UN observers. He risked his life on a regular basis by driving back into the same war zones he had previously escaped. He did this to bring needed international attention to his country.Prior to reading Daoud's memoir, I had read only Western accounts of this massacre. I chose to read "The Translator" because I felt it was important to learn more about this region from an African perspective. This book gave me a much needed alternative view of this part of the world. I had been familiar with the horrors of genocide and famine but this book introduced me to the beauty of the land and it's people. I had previously viewed Darfur as a desolate place wracked by violence. This book told also of the Darfur that Daoud loved and risked his life to protect , the Darfur of strong family bonds, honor between friends and neighbors, love and respect for animals, and appreciation of natural beauty. This perspective alone made this book worthwhile.
I would highly recommend this book and will be passing it on soon for others to read.
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LibraryThing member kbondelli
Daoud Hari's The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur is one of the most valuable pieces of primary source material published on the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. While many of the published materials on the region and conflict carry a tone that is academic and impersonal, Hari successfully
The narrative is extremely readable, setting it apart from the dry texts previously available on the subject. And while it tells a compelling story it also offers fresh and poignant analysis of the situation.
One can not help but be moved by Hari's story and beautiful writing. Darfur is no longer just a footnote in the newspaper or the television news, but a very real and very evil event happening to very real and very human people.
The Translator is currently my favorite book this year for its story, writing and information.
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humanizes the struggles of the people of Sudan, leading readers to the powerful realization that people like themselves are suffering unimaginable turmoil.The narrative is extremely readable, setting it apart from the dry texts previously available on the subject. And while it tells a compelling story it also offers fresh and poignant analysis of the situation.
One can not help but be moved by Hari's story and beautiful writing. Darfur is no longer just a footnote in the newspaper or the television news, but a very real and very evil event happening to very real and very human people.
The Translator is currently my favorite book this year for its story, writing and information.
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LibraryThing member cestovatela
Reviewing someone's life story is always difficult. I can't imagine reading about someone's harrowing escape from Darfur after watching his home village burnt to the ground and then returning a review of "hated it." That said, Daoud Hari's memoir of the destruction of his homeland is more riveting
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than the average human-spirit-triumphs-over-evil tale. Hari's simple language evokes the storytellers of ancient Africa and each chapter made me feel like I was talking to a friend. Each of the writer's appeals to our common humanity feel honest and uncontrived -- "losing a child is a great pain," he says, "as some of you may know." With passages like these, Hari doesn't presume he knows more pain than we do; instead, he holds out a hand so we can relate in spite of the vast differences in our lives. Most amazing, he tells us over and over again that this is not simply a tale of tragedy; "you cannot survive if you cannot laugh," he says, and even as the loss of his family leaves him feeling "dead inside," you can feel his joy in a cold glass of beer and a reunion with a long-lost friend. I think this is one of those books every concerned citizen of the world ought to read. For me, it made a genocide at a distant corner of the globe feel like a real and human. event I imagine it would do the same for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member knittingfreak
We hear a little about the situation in Darfur every now and then, but we remain safely removed. The book tells the story of what's happening to the people of Darfur as I write this. It's been going on for years, and the issue is extremely complicated with many different factions and rebel
This book tells the story of Darfur through the eyes of Daoud Hari. He's lucky enough to have had a good education and can speak several languages -- Arabic, English and his native Zaghawa. After his village is destroyed, he decides to use his skills to become a translator for reporters or anyone else who is willing to go into Darfur to get the message out to the rest of the world. The message is clear -- there's a genocide of massive proportion being carried out in Darfur. This is not a war; this is not a civil war. This is a genocide. Women, children, and the elderly are brutally slaughtered as whole villages are systematically wiped off the map.
The world has been slow in sending help. There are refugee camps set up along the border of Darfur. However, these camps are not much safer than being in Darfur. It's crowded; there's not enough food, and it lacks adequate shelter from the harsh conditions. But worse than all of this, the women and young girls are extremely vulnerable. They're repeatedly raped when they're forced to hunt for firewood in the woods surrounding the camps.
"Three young girls in another tent also must gather firewood. The oldest of these is fourteen. The youngest, maybe nine, wears a dusty black shawl that covers her head like a hood to hide her face. She never looks up and it seems she is willing herself into the sand. They have been raped many times, but they need to go back again soon for more fuel. They cry to talk about it."
After many captures, beatings, and imprisonments, Daoud Hari finally escapes the region with the help of some of the journalists and officials he met from the U.S. and the U.K. He now lives in the United States and continues his efforts to bring attention to the situation in Darfur. This book is something that everyone should read. It's painful, but it sheds a brief light on a situation that demands out attention.
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groups.This book tells the story of Darfur through the eyes of Daoud Hari. He's lucky enough to have had a good education and can speak several languages -- Arabic, English and his native Zaghawa. After his village is destroyed, he decides to use his skills to become a translator for reporters or anyone else who is willing to go into Darfur to get the message out to the rest of the world. The message is clear -- there's a genocide of massive proportion being carried out in Darfur. This is not a war; this is not a civil war. This is a genocide. Women, children, and the elderly are brutally slaughtered as whole villages are systematically wiped off the map.
The world has been slow in sending help. There are refugee camps set up along the border of Darfur. However, these camps are not much safer than being in Darfur. It's crowded; there's not enough food, and it lacks adequate shelter from the harsh conditions. But worse than all of this, the women and young girls are extremely vulnerable. They're repeatedly raped when they're forced to hunt for firewood in the woods surrounding the camps.
"Three young girls in another tent also must gather firewood. The oldest of these is fourteen. The youngest, maybe nine, wears a dusty black shawl that covers her head like a hood to hide her face. She never looks up and it seems she is willing herself into the sand. They have been raped many times, but they need to go back again soon for more fuel. They cry to talk about it."
After many captures, beatings, and imprisonments, Daoud Hari finally escapes the region with the help of some of the journalists and officials he met from the U.S. and the U.K. He now lives in the United States and continues his efforts to bring attention to the situation in Darfur. This book is something that everyone should read. It's painful, but it sheds a brief light on a situation that demands out attention.
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LibraryThing member bananna
Darfur has been on my mind and around my wrist for 2 straight years. I was late to the learning of what was happening there, but I felt compelled to do what little I could. I wear a green bracelet that states, "Not On My Watch" and when I'm asked about it (usually by children) I talk about how this
The Translator is the first book I have read on the crisis in Sudan. I think the reality of what is happening there was not something that I felt I could relate to and so my desire to read a book about it never emerged. Maybe I felt that I couldn't handle the emersion into such a serious and anguishing human story. And I did feel that way reading Daod's words. He describes such horrible acts and gruesome scenes that at times I felt like I was simply reading a novel. His story is engrossing because you know there is a going to be a shift somewhere, an arc. You wait for the climax and relax on the decent. And with this I felt that I was just on a make-believe ride. Is this wrong of the writer? I'm not sure. As readers we need to be pulled along a story, searching for the hope at the end, but as Americans we are so desensitzed and unbelieving that the violent acts we see in films are really happening in a world we share right now. I know everything Daod's says is true, but I don't want to believe it. There are images he gives us that will never leave me. I'm not sure how he sleeps at night.
I want to say that I loved and hated this book. I loved the truth and courage of telling this story. But, I also hated it's truth. Stories like this should not exist. I'm so glad that Daod has done what he has done, risked his life and told his story, but there should be no need for heroes like him. I'll remember him now too when I look at my green bracelet and I'll pass along this book and hopefully open up a world of conversation
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dark green rubber thing reminds me that there are people in a country who's government is not being nice to them. I tell those who ask me that it just helps me remember them and even if that is all I can do then at least the memory of their lives is shared. The Translator is the first book I have read on the crisis in Sudan. I think the reality of what is happening there was not something that I felt I could relate to and so my desire to read a book about it never emerged. Maybe I felt that I couldn't handle the emersion into such a serious and anguishing human story. And I did feel that way reading Daod's words. He describes such horrible acts and gruesome scenes that at times I felt like I was simply reading a novel. His story is engrossing because you know there is a going to be a shift somewhere, an arc. You wait for the climax and relax on the decent. And with this I felt that I was just on a make-believe ride. Is this wrong of the writer? I'm not sure. As readers we need to be pulled along a story, searching for the hope at the end, but as Americans we are so desensitzed and unbelieving that the violent acts we see in films are really happening in a world we share right now. I know everything Daod's says is true, but I don't want to believe it. There are images he gives us that will never leave me. I'm not sure how he sleeps at night.
I want to say that I loved and hated this book. I loved the truth and courage of telling this story. But, I also hated it's truth. Stories like this should not exist. I'm so glad that Daod has done what he has done, risked his life and told his story, but there should be no need for heroes like him. I'll remember him now too when I look at my green bracelet and I'll pass along this book and hopefully open up a world of conversation
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LibraryThing member nobooksnolife
The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari, as told to Dennis Burke and Megan M. McKenna, 2008, Random House.
If The Translator simply reported firsthand on the situation in Sudan, it would already be an excellent, highly recommended book, but Daoud Hari’s uniquely penetrating,
The descriptions of horror can make you weep or retch, yet the book is infused with humanity, dignity, and even humor--a testimony to the worst and best humanity has to offer. Daoud Hari has witnessed utmost cruelties and survived unspeakable crimes which struck down his family, his village, the region of Darfur, and which continue to corrupt and cripple the nation of Sudan, as its tribal citizens are wiped off the face of the earth or turned into unwelcome refugees.
Overwhelmed by the senseless loss of his brother, the escape of his aged mother into the wilderness to hide, the dangerous roaming of his aged, noble father, the author sought to do something meaningful in the wake of madness which engulfed everyone and everything he knew. Armed with the ability to speak Zaghawa, Arabic, and English, and with intimate knowledge of Darfur’s geography, Hari became useful to aid organizations and journalists. He became determined to help bring to the outside world the stories of those who died, who killed them, how, and why. The courage and humanity of journalists and other individuals who gathered eyewitness accounts of the genocide in Sudan comprise an essential part of his story. He also supplies significant insights into the historic and cultural contexts of the strife in his country.
In a growing field of compelling books on the urgent, deplorable, confusing situation of war and genocide in Sudan, Daoud Hari’s The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur stands out in its ability to pervade the reader’s conscience. Moving us beyond feeling outraged and overwhelmed by man’s inhumanity to man, we develop a deep connection to the author and feel moved to do something to help, starting by recommending this book to everyone.
Related readings:
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak, with Judy A. Bernstein, 2005 (PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group, 311 pages)
What is the What, The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, A Novel by Dave Eggars, 2006 (Vintage 2007, 339 pages)
Emma’s War, A True Story by Deborah Scroggins, 2002, (Vintage, 392 pages)
(edited for misspelling June 8, 2008)
If The Translator simply reported firsthand on the situation in Sudan, it would already be an excellent, highly recommended book, but Daoud Hari’s uniquely penetrating,
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concise eyewitness account puts this book in an even higher category: this is a necessary book. If you read no other book this year, at least read this one; if you read 100 other books, read this one first.The descriptions of horror can make you weep or retch, yet the book is infused with humanity, dignity, and even humor--a testimony to the worst and best humanity has to offer. Daoud Hari has witnessed utmost cruelties and survived unspeakable crimes which struck down his family, his village, the region of Darfur, and which continue to corrupt and cripple the nation of Sudan, as its tribal citizens are wiped off the face of the earth or turned into unwelcome refugees.
Overwhelmed by the senseless loss of his brother, the escape of his aged mother into the wilderness to hide, the dangerous roaming of his aged, noble father, the author sought to do something meaningful in the wake of madness which engulfed everyone and everything he knew. Armed with the ability to speak Zaghawa, Arabic, and English, and with intimate knowledge of Darfur’s geography, Hari became useful to aid organizations and journalists. He became determined to help bring to the outside world the stories of those who died, who killed them, how, and why. The courage and humanity of journalists and other individuals who gathered eyewitness accounts of the genocide in Sudan comprise an essential part of his story. He also supplies significant insights into the historic and cultural contexts of the strife in his country.
In a growing field of compelling books on the urgent, deplorable, confusing situation of war and genocide in Sudan, Daoud Hari’s The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur stands out in its ability to pervade the reader’s conscience. Moving us beyond feeling outraged and overwhelmed by man’s inhumanity to man, we develop a deep connection to the author and feel moved to do something to help, starting by recommending this book to everyone.
Related readings:
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak, with Judy A. Bernstein, 2005 (PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group, 311 pages)
What is the What, The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, A Novel by Dave Eggars, 2006 (Vintage 2007, 339 pages)
Emma’s War, A True Story by Deborah Scroggins, 2002, (Vintage, 392 pages)
(edited for misspelling June 8, 2008)
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LibraryThing member khuggard
"You should always do what you need to to be helpful." So states Daoud Hari, the author and subject of The Translator. Indeed, Hari goes above and beyond in his efforts to help his people in the Darfur region of Sudan. Hari, who had been living outside of Sudan for many years before the genocide
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started, could have easily avoided the war and violence in his home country. Instead he risks his life multiple times taking reporters and aid workers into the war-torn region so that they can share the plight of his people with the rest of the world. This book is a continuation of Hari's mission to let the world know about the abhorrent violence occurring in Sudan, and it fulfills that mission effectively. Almost immediately upon finishing the book I was on the Internet learning more about Darfur. I was touched by Hari's courage and his desire to use his talents to assist where he could. Well worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member labfs39
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member atelier
"You have to be stronger than your fears if you want to get anything done in this life."
So says Daoud Hari in "The Translator" -- his memoir of of growing up in Darfur, that region on the western edge of Sudan, bordering Chad to the west and Libya to the north. He describes how as a thirteen year
Because he was fortunate (unlike many thousands of other tribesmen including most of his own family) to survive this war, Hari has decided to engage himself in the struggle to bring peace. He was fortunate to learn English in school and this has allowed him to return to Darfur to act as translator for journalists and photographers who can witness what is happening and spread the truth to the outside world of the genocide which is now taking place.
Yes, this is a war story. But it is not the war story of a Hemingway or a Mailer who in past wars may have tried to glorify the horrors and heros of armed conflict. Hari's is the story of the innocent people who are always the victims when wars are fought. This is not a story written for the purpose of literary fame and fortune but the plea of an ordinary man trying to get back to his home and his life there. This is a rare and engrossing tale, a glimpse into a society that most Westerners have never known, and a tale that should be on the reading list of caring people everywhere.
So says Daoud Hari in "The Translator" -- his memoir of of growing up in Darfur, that region on the western edge of Sudan, bordering Chad to the west and Libya to the north. He describes how as a thirteen year
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old boy he first witnessed the brutal invasion of his rural village by gunmen involved in the government sponsored terrorism designed to cleanse the land of its indigenous population. For the land is now highly prized, not for its beauty, its stark African deserts and hills, but for what lies below -- oil. Hari explains, both in political and personal terms, the history of his land and the conflict that now engulfs it.Because he was fortunate (unlike many thousands of other tribesmen including most of his own family) to survive this war, Hari has decided to engage himself in the struggle to bring peace. He was fortunate to learn English in school and this has allowed him to return to Darfur to act as translator for journalists and photographers who can witness what is happening and spread the truth to the outside world of the genocide which is now taking place.
Yes, this is a war story. But it is not the war story of a Hemingway or a Mailer who in past wars may have tried to glorify the horrors and heros of armed conflict. Hari's is the story of the innocent people who are always the victims when wars are fought. This is not a story written for the purpose of literary fame and fortune but the plea of an ordinary man trying to get back to his home and his life there. This is a rare and engrossing tale, a glimpse into a society that most Westerners have never known, and a tale that should be on the reading list of caring people everywhere.
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LibraryThing member yourotherleft
The Translator is Daoud Hari's memoir of growing up in Darfur, Sudan, leaving his homeland to see the world outside of Sudan's borders, and then returning to help draw the world's attention to his war-torn homeland using his knowledge of English, Arabic, and Zaghawa. Hari tells of his six sojourns
Hari's casual use of "you" as he attempts to relate his experiences to the reader's own gives the impression that you are sitting with him and he is telling you his story face to face. It's this style that gives the book so much of its power. As Hari "talks" to us, his great love of his homeland and its traditions shines through as he tells of his favorite camel, his respect and love for the strong women in his community who can usually be found dressed in beautiful bright colors, and his memory of a bygone era when the Zaghawa people and Arabs could be found dining in each other's tents and conflicts were resolved with honor far from villages full of women and children.
His conviction that one person can use his or her talents to change the way things are is infectious, and he is proof that this is true. He, at once, tells us that one person can make a difference, shows us that it is true, and challenges us saying, in effect, "If it was your family, your home, your life, wouldn't you do the same? Wouldn't you risk life and limb and do anything it took to keep evil men from extinguishing your entire way of life?" I wish that I could say that I would be so brave in the face of such a far-reaching crisis! Regardless of whether we would have the strength do what Hari has done, in this book Hari has offered us an opportunity and a reason to step up and do something for the land and people that he loves, and in so doing set the precedent that this type of senseless genocidal killing will not be tolerated in the world any longer.
This is a book that everyone should read. Despite knowing something of Darfur and its struggles, I admit that until I read Hari's book, I was a little in the dark about the whys and wherefores of the conflict and about Darfur itself. Hari brings his community and his entire homeland to life and also explains the conflict that is tearing Darfur apart in a way we all can understand and in such a way that we really can see what the world is losing if we simply stand by and allow this continue.
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back into a Sudan fraught with danger to help journalists from all over the world tell the stories that would persuade the world to take action to save Darfur. Using his language skills, his many contacts from rebel leaders to NGO leaders, and quick thinking Hari safely escorted several reporters into Sudan at great risk to his own life. Despite the terrifying nature of his work and several situations that turned ugly, Hari's narrative is strikingly optimistic, never losing hope that something can be done to save his people, and at some times, is even humorous in the most dire of situations. Hari's ability to see the good in situations is astonishing. For example, he tells of being in prison in Egypt before his return to Sudan where he doesn't lament his time in prison so much as he says that it was a great opportunity to meet and talk to new people from many places. This optimism, hope, and good humor buoys him through many a seemingly unbearable situation.Hari's casual use of "you" as he attempts to relate his experiences to the reader's own gives the impression that you are sitting with him and he is telling you his story face to face. It's this style that gives the book so much of its power. As Hari "talks" to us, his great love of his homeland and its traditions shines through as he tells of his favorite camel, his respect and love for the strong women in his community who can usually be found dressed in beautiful bright colors, and his memory of a bygone era when the Zaghawa people and Arabs could be found dining in each other's tents and conflicts were resolved with honor far from villages full of women and children.
His conviction that one person can use his or her talents to change the way things are is infectious, and he is proof that this is true. He, at once, tells us that one person can make a difference, shows us that it is true, and challenges us saying, in effect, "If it was your family, your home, your life, wouldn't you do the same? Wouldn't you risk life and limb and do anything it took to keep evil men from extinguishing your entire way of life?" I wish that I could say that I would be so brave in the face of such a far-reaching crisis! Regardless of whether we would have the strength do what Hari has done, in this book Hari has offered us an opportunity and a reason to step up and do something for the land and people that he loves, and in so doing set the precedent that this type of senseless genocidal killing will not be tolerated in the world any longer.
This is a book that everyone should read. Despite knowing something of Darfur and its struggles, I admit that until I read Hari's book, I was a little in the dark about the whys and wherefores of the conflict and about Darfur itself. Hari brings his community and his entire homeland to life and also explains the conflict that is tearing Darfur apart in a way we all can understand and in such a way that we really can see what the world is losing if we simply stand by and allow this continue.
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LibraryThing member elbakerone
Early Reviewers, January 2008
"You should always do what you need to to be helpful" is the simple phrase that Daoud Hari uses to describe his motivations for his work as a translator to reporters and journalists trying to investigate the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. His phrase tells a
Hari tells a stunning account of the history of his people and the ways of tribal life before the genocide as well as frightening stories of those who survived the attacks and their existence in various refugee camps. Relying on his education and his belief in family ties across tribal borders, he manages to save his own life and people around him multiple times. His simple prose is overwhelmingly powerful and the message behind his words becomes an invitation for the reader to speak out against the ongoing genocide as well.
Though he calls himself "The Translator" this book is also the account of a son, a brother, a leader, a risk-taker, a victim, a prisoner-of-war, a rescuer and a friend. Daoud Hari is an amazing individual and his story is one that should be read and shared by everyone.
"You should always do what you need to to be helpful" is the simple phrase that Daoud Hari uses to describe his motivations for his work as a translator to reporters and journalists trying to investigate the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. His phrase tells a
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mere fraction of the story presented in the his new book The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur.Hari tells a stunning account of the history of his people and the ways of tribal life before the genocide as well as frightening stories of those who survived the attacks and their existence in various refugee camps. Relying on his education and his belief in family ties across tribal borders, he manages to save his own life and people around him multiple times. His simple prose is overwhelmingly powerful and the message behind his words becomes an invitation for the reader to speak out against the ongoing genocide as well.
Though he calls himself "The Translator" this book is also the account of a son, a brother, a leader, a risk-taker, a victim, a prisoner-of-war, a rescuer and a friend. Daoud Hari is an amazing individual and his story is one that should be read and shared by everyone.
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LibraryThing member writestuff
Daoud Hari's memoir about the genocide occurring in Darfur is beautifully and simply wrought, and so powerful I found myself choking back tears. Hari decided to write his memoir, focusing on his years as a translator for Western news organizations, because he knows 'most people want others to have
Daoud Hari grew up in Darfur - and shows the reader his happy childhood, his close extended family, and the beautiful social network of his people. He then brings the reader up to the present day, where roving packs of Sudanese government supported rebels and militia groups systematically burn villages, rape women and children, and torture and kill tribesmen and their families who are only trying to eek out a simple existence in desert valleys. Hari reveals the thousands of displaced people living in camps without adequate water or food - places where women and children are forced to risk daily rapes as the price of wood for their fires. The stories contained in this slim memoir are horrifying and graphic - stories which once read would simply refuse to leave my consciousness.
The Translator is required reading for those who care about the people of the world. As Hari points out, if we continue to allow genocide to occur in Darfur, we risk it happening in other places as well. For Hari, it is simple: speak out, put pressure on our government and the people positioned to make a difference. Our voices, as Hari's voice, can make a difference.
For those readers unfamiliar with the political situation in Darfur which has led to the massacre of thousands of indigenous Africans, Hari provides an appendix which helps put the crisis in historical perspective. The situation in Darfur is complex and not easily understood...Hari helps to simplify it.
The Translator is a disturbing and powerful book. It is not a book which I can read, set aside and forget about.
Highly recommended for its lyrical, yet simple prose and its tremendous social significance.
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good lives, and, when they understand the situation, they will do what they can to steer the world back toward kindness.'Daoud Hari grew up in Darfur - and shows the reader his happy childhood, his close extended family, and the beautiful social network of his people. He then brings the reader up to the present day, where roving packs of Sudanese government supported rebels and militia groups systematically burn villages, rape women and children, and torture and kill tribesmen and their families who are only trying to eek out a simple existence in desert valleys. Hari reveals the thousands of displaced people living in camps without adequate water or food - places where women and children are forced to risk daily rapes as the price of wood for their fires. The stories contained in this slim memoir are horrifying and graphic - stories which once read would simply refuse to leave my consciousness.
The Translator is required reading for those who care about the people of the world. As Hari points out, if we continue to allow genocide to occur in Darfur, we risk it happening in other places as well. For Hari, it is simple: speak out, put pressure on our government and the people positioned to make a difference. Our voices, as Hari's voice, can make a difference.
For those readers unfamiliar with the political situation in Darfur which has led to the massacre of thousands of indigenous Africans, Hari provides an appendix which helps put the crisis in historical perspective. The situation in Darfur is complex and not easily understood...Hari helps to simplify it.
The Translator is a disturbing and powerful book. It is not a book which I can read, set aside and forget about.
Highly recommended for its lyrical, yet simple prose and its tremendous social significance.
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LibraryThing member NeedMoreShelves
The Translator is the first-person account of Daoud Hari, a Sudanese native who experiences firsthand the genocide perpetrated by his government. After watching his village burn to the ground, Daoud offers his services to international reporters and investigators. Because he has contacts in many
Because this is a first-person account, it is easy to feel like Daoud is in the room with you, telling you his adventures face to face. His ability to find humor in horrifying circumstances makes his story all the more remarkable. He speaks often in the book about the importance of making friends - after reading The Translator, I feel like I have made a new friend, and plan to share his inspiring work with as many of mine as possible.
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villages, as well as within rebel fighting groups, he is able to take reporters into areas of active fighting and bring them back out, often at great risk to his own life. Because this is a first-person account, it is easy to feel like Daoud is in the room with you, telling you his adventures face to face. His ability to find humor in horrifying circumstances makes his story all the more remarkable. He speaks often in the book about the importance of making friends - after reading The Translator, I feel like I have made a new friend, and plan to share his inspiring work with as many of mine as possible.
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LibraryThing member ijustgetbored
Daoud Hari's book caught me off-guard. I was expecting a book whose tone was more angry, a voice that carried more critique of all the things that other nations are not doing to help the situation in Darfur. Hari's approach is, overall, quite different.
From the beginning, Hari attempts to establish
The least strong points in the book were, for me, when we are told "you should always do what y ou need to do to be helpful" (68). Absolutely true, but it's unlikely to set a fire under readers. Perhaps Hari wants to plant a seed here; however, should one spend the whole text wondering what the author is getting at? Does a text written this way allow readers to become complacent because it does not push hard enough? These are serious questions to consider when reading a book that treats a subject as serious as genocide.
Let it not be said that Hari's attitude is all sweetness and light when it comes to aid efforts. His description of a refugee camp is harsh; our narrator sees all its flaws, from the impractical and faulty tents to the paper that gives children something to do: namely, draw the images that have traumatized them. He speculates, in a powerful statement, that "perhaps the wealthy nations had finally blown themselves away and were no longer availabe to send their usual token remedies for the problems that their thirst for resources has always brought to people such as these . . . (72-3). Hari becomes ambiguous again, though, when he states that the US government does not help much but that he has faith in the US populace (85). Is that a direct appeal to the audience? Most readers will not have done anything about the situation in Darfur; is this his hint that they should? After all, it is the government here who insituted Guantanamo, which Hari says gives "permission to be crazy" when it comes to torture.
There are some disturbing scenes of slaughter in the book, as one might expect. Hari recounts what he sees but also admits that "the sights and smeels of death [he] cannot properly put down here, nor would I want to" (89. His descriptions of young rebel soldiers are harrowing, though, as is the graphic post-attack scence described in "A Strange Forest." In fact, Hari does, throughout, describe torture, attacks, and suffering of all kinds. It is true that he does not go into explicit and gory detail, but he is not a shrinking violet, either.
My primary problem with this book was the narrative voice: I could never be sure of its position. I could never tell if I was experiencing deep irony or just a passing comment that was meant to draw the reader closer to Hari's world. This was exceptionally frustrating for me. Perhaps the "as told to" aspect of this book has something to do with that, but I feel that the problem is more intrinsic to the question of what Hari wants his book to accomplish and how it is best to "wake people up" to accomplish it.
I have a similar problem with his critiques. I was very impressed when he spoke up and said that the UN's aid was misplaced, that the US essentially looks out for #1, and that it is often the smaller organizations that are most helpful. We can't all go to Darfur, but we can lend financial support, and that's something to take away from these critiques. The criticisms are jarring because they seem out of place in Hari's gentle style, but again we come to the question of whether this is intentional or simply a fracture in the narrative. This time, either way it works as a call to attention about what is currently being done (and not done) in Darfur. An appendix addressing the reader with the question "What Can You Do?" would have been immensely helpful. A strong call to arms is needed. It ends: "What can one person do? You make friends, of course, and do what you can." There is so much more! Without changing the end of his book, if this is how he wishes to end, an appendix of resources or one that-- from his hands-on point of view-- does the right thing would have been tremendously helpful.
When I finish a book like this, I usually expect to jump off the seat with a call to arms, so to speak. This book was so quiet, so subtle (if we assume it was being subtle in parts and not just trying to establish reader-to-writer connection), and only wrenching in discussions of the dead that I felt unmoved to take action beyond what I was already doing. Furthermore, I did not learn any more action steps I could take. I was interested in humanitarian efforts in Darfur before, and I tried to contribute where I could and write when necessary, but I do not feel that the book has given me anything else to put into my arsenal (new resources, new outlets, new material for letters).
Hari is a very brave individual who has come through a lot. His desire to share his story is noteworthy.
From the beginning, Hari attempts to establish
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a connection-- a rapport-- with the reader. He stresses his own modesty, tells us a few pieces of history and some antecdotes, and then appeals to "you, my friend, my reader" (xii). Even the first line of chapter one is, "I am sure you know how hard it is to get a good phone signal" (3). The gently-implied irony here is that the situation for Hari and his crew is life-or-death, and that's certainly rarely the case for daily cell phone calls in the United States. I find Hari's tone throughout hard to discern: are we meant to read this irony as harsh critique all the way through, or does Hari truly mean to be gentle? In my view, that ambigious voice makes a lot difference in this particular type of book: because we readers are so blind to the situation, we need a firm, clear hand guiding us.The least strong points in the book were, for me, when we are told "you should always do what y ou need to do to be helpful" (68). Absolutely true, but it's unlikely to set a fire under readers. Perhaps Hari wants to plant a seed here; however, should one spend the whole text wondering what the author is getting at? Does a text written this way allow readers to become complacent because it does not push hard enough? These are serious questions to consider when reading a book that treats a subject as serious as genocide.
Let it not be said that Hari's attitude is all sweetness and light when it comes to aid efforts. His description of a refugee camp is harsh; our narrator sees all its flaws, from the impractical and faulty tents to the paper that gives children something to do: namely, draw the images that have traumatized them. He speculates, in a powerful statement, that "perhaps the wealthy nations had finally blown themselves away and were no longer availabe to send their usual token remedies for the problems that their thirst for resources has always brought to people such as these . . . (72-3). Hari becomes ambiguous again, though, when he states that the US government does not help much but that he has faith in the US populace (85). Is that a direct appeal to the audience? Most readers will not have done anything about the situation in Darfur; is this his hint that they should? After all, it is the government here who insituted Guantanamo, which Hari says gives "permission to be crazy" when it comes to torture.
There are some disturbing scenes of slaughter in the book, as one might expect. Hari recounts what he sees but also admits that "the sights and smeels of death [he] cannot properly put down here, nor would I want to" (89. His descriptions of young rebel soldiers are harrowing, though, as is the graphic post-attack scence described in "A Strange Forest." In fact, Hari does, throughout, describe torture, attacks, and suffering of all kinds. It is true that he does not go into explicit and gory detail, but he is not a shrinking violet, either.
My primary problem with this book was the narrative voice: I could never be sure of its position. I could never tell if I was experiencing deep irony or just a passing comment that was meant to draw the reader closer to Hari's world. This was exceptionally frustrating for me. Perhaps the "as told to" aspect of this book has something to do with that, but I feel that the problem is more intrinsic to the question of what Hari wants his book to accomplish and how it is best to "wake people up" to accomplish it.
I have a similar problem with his critiques. I was very impressed when he spoke up and said that the UN's aid was misplaced, that the US essentially looks out for #1, and that it is often the smaller organizations that are most helpful. We can't all go to Darfur, but we can lend financial support, and that's something to take away from these critiques. The criticisms are jarring because they seem out of place in Hari's gentle style, but again we come to the question of whether this is intentional or simply a fracture in the narrative. This time, either way it works as a call to attention about what is currently being done (and not done) in Darfur. An appendix addressing the reader with the question "What Can You Do?" would have been immensely helpful. A strong call to arms is needed. It ends: "What can one person do? You make friends, of course, and do what you can." There is so much more! Without changing the end of his book, if this is how he wishes to end, an appendix of resources or one that-- from his hands-on point of view-- does the right thing would have been tremendously helpful.
When I finish a book like this, I usually expect to jump off the seat with a call to arms, so to speak. This book was so quiet, so subtle (if we assume it was being subtle in parts and not just trying to establish reader-to-writer connection), and only wrenching in discussions of the dead that I felt unmoved to take action beyond what I was already doing. Furthermore, I did not learn any more action steps I could take. I was interested in humanitarian efforts in Darfur before, and I tried to contribute where I could and write when necessary, but I do not feel that the book has given me anything else to put into my arsenal (new resources, new outlets, new material for letters).
Hari is a very brave individual who has come through a lot. His desire to share his story is noteworthy.
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LibraryThing member waitingtoderail
This is an excellent book, and I would like to thank Random House for giving us, and me in particular, the opportunity to read this before publication. I have one criticism. The book is very short and it could have used some more in-depth descriptions of Daoud's life before the war, and more about
This is an important book, and should be read by everyone, especially those who have influence on government policies towards the Sudan. It is one thing to understand abstractly what is going on there, it is another entirely to hear one person's story. Hopefully more will follow. One cannot hear the stories of Daoud's beatings and torture at the hands of the government of the Sudan and not be outraged and moved.
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the work he was doing. I was left wanting more about Daoud's story in particular, he seems to be a fascinating fellow.This is an important book, and should be read by everyone, especially those who have influence on government policies towards the Sudan. It is one thing to understand abstractly what is going on there, it is another entirely to hear one person's story. Hopefully more will follow. One cannot hear the stories of Daoud's beatings and torture at the hands of the government of the Sudan and not be outraged and moved.
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LibraryThing member piefuchs
It is always difficult to speak ill of memoirs that describe intense personal tragedy. Fortunately, it is an issue that one doesn't need to worry about in the case of Daoud Hari's short and powerful memoir of Dafur, The Translator. Hari describes the situation in Darfur, including the devastating
Dari left his tribal village in Darfur at a young age to become educated. By necessity, Hari became fluent in Arabic; by choice, he developed a love of English literature. He traveled through countries of the Middle East, using his linguistic skills to find work, illegally, as a waiter. Due to his lack of a proper work visa, he ended up in jail in Egypt, and eventually chose to go home. Going home for Hari, meant entering a region devastated by civil war. After witnessing the harrowing effects of the situation on his family, Hari decided the best way for him to help his family was to start to act as a translator. Leaving his name at the US and UK embassies he found journalists and UN workers needing someone to translate – for interviewing militias on both sides, for talking to refugees, for negotiating travel arrangements.
His work as a translator is intense. The memories he needs to reiterate to the UN workers are devastating. The travels with the journalists are dangerous and unpredictable. The scenes he factually describes in minimal prose are difficult to read. At one point after leading a group from the BBC into the remnant of past horror, 3 of the journalists need to be hospitalized for physical problems from witnessing what remains. For his work, he ends up as a target of the rebels. While he obviously survives to tell the tale, his unlikely, and lucky, escape serves as the-can’t-put-it-down climax of the book.
The Translator is a short book, and a very quick, but highly powerful read. Seldom, in so few pages, do you manage to experience the depth of the human condition from unspeakable evil to inspiring sacrifice for the sake of another being.
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effect of the genocide on his immediate family, with remarkable elegance and grace. He describes the complexity, the mere grayness, of the events in a manner that is simple to grasp and yet truly sophisticated. In these times, when people are used to an us versus them mentality, when all action against the sainted us is supposed to be retaliated with more power against an evil them, Dari presents a depth of humanity that is rarely witnessed. Dari left his tribal village in Darfur at a young age to become educated. By necessity, Hari became fluent in Arabic; by choice, he developed a love of English literature. He traveled through countries of the Middle East, using his linguistic skills to find work, illegally, as a waiter. Due to his lack of a proper work visa, he ended up in jail in Egypt, and eventually chose to go home. Going home for Hari, meant entering a region devastated by civil war. After witnessing the harrowing effects of the situation on his family, Hari decided the best way for him to help his family was to start to act as a translator. Leaving his name at the US and UK embassies he found journalists and UN workers needing someone to translate – for interviewing militias on both sides, for talking to refugees, for negotiating travel arrangements.
His work as a translator is intense. The memories he needs to reiterate to the UN workers are devastating. The travels with the journalists are dangerous and unpredictable. The scenes he factually describes in minimal prose are difficult to read. At one point after leading a group from the BBC into the remnant of past horror, 3 of the journalists need to be hospitalized for physical problems from witnessing what remains. For his work, he ends up as a target of the rebels. While he obviously survives to tell the tale, his unlikely, and lucky, escape serves as the-can’t-put-it-down climax of the book.
The Translator is a short book, and a very quick, but highly powerful read. Seldom, in so few pages, do you manage to experience the depth of the human condition from unspeakable evil to inspiring sacrifice for the sake of another being.
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LibraryThing member mrstreme
Daoud Hari, as a translator of many languages, knows how important words can be. During his entire life, Hari followed the "pen is mightier than the sword" philosophy by providing translation services to journalists writing about the genocide and the horrible circumstances of his homeland, Darfur,
Let every reader of this little book be warned: Hari's memoir is powerful, impactful and heart-breaking. He spares nothing when describing how his fellow countrymen and women (including children) are being slaughtered in Darfur. Entire villages are being gunned down by helicopters, men and women are burned alive in their huts, children are killed by the sharp tip of the bayonet. During most of this book, I could only read a couple of chapters at a time because the descriptions were so hard to read. But Hari's plea to his reader - to read and learn more - echoed in my head , and I pressed on until I finished the last word.
I have no regrets reading this memoir. And I ask that all of you read it too. By talking about this book, I hope to spread the mighty written word of Daoud Hari to you, and together, we can be more aware of the situation in Sudan and Chad. Won't you join me?
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Sudan. His adventures and reflections came to life in his memoir, The Translator: The Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur.Let every reader of this little book be warned: Hari's memoir is powerful, impactful and heart-breaking. He spares nothing when describing how his fellow countrymen and women (including children) are being slaughtered in Darfur. Entire villages are being gunned down by helicopters, men and women are burned alive in their huts, children are killed by the sharp tip of the bayonet. During most of this book, I could only read a couple of chapters at a time because the descriptions were so hard to read. But Hari's plea to his reader - to read and learn more - echoed in my head , and I pressed on until I finished the last word.
I have no regrets reading this memoir. And I ask that all of you read it too. By talking about this book, I hope to spread the mighty written word of Daoud Hari to you, and together, we can be more aware of the situation in Sudan and Chad. Won't you join me?
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LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
This is one of those few books which I can honestly say I feel all people should read--at least those who live in countries like the U.S., where it's easy to forget how lucky we are. I expected this book to be overly sentimental, or else so fact-heavy that it would be difficult to read. Instead, it
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turned out to be a beautiful and wise read that is more touching for the simplicity and honestly of Hari's voice. I feel wiser for having read the book, and not simply in relation to current affairs in Darfur. I've never read a book where the character of the speaker came across so clearly, and was so touching and simple in its portrayal. Hari does not go overboard trying to give you politics or trying to "pull at your heartstrings". He brings you along on his journeys in and out of Darfur, he brings you into his encounters with all those he meets, and he makes you feel as if you know him personally, and are a better person for the experience. If you can get your hands on this book, you should. It is not as difficult a read as you'd expect, and you'll feel wiser in the end for having seen Hari's travels. Show Less
LibraryThing member troysworktable
"But for now it was ashes and graves. This had been a good village."
—page 60, The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
The Translator traverses familiar terrain. True, we may not have visited Darfur before. True, Daoud Hari was certainly not our guide. But, we have visited
Yet, this is new territory as well. The Translator is a slender and sparse volume. It lacks much of the research, historical detail, and knowledge of local and international politics that fill the other three books. Its primary strength, however, lies in the oral history of its storyteller, Daoud Hari. His words, as related to Dennis Burke and Megan McKenna, relate his story in a humble manner, which focuses on family, village, and community. His heart truly grieves for his people.
---
"We walked through a strange world of occasionally falling human limbs and heads. A leg fell near me. A head thumped to the ground farther away. Horrible smells filled the grove like poison gas that even hurts the eyes. And yet this was but the welcome to what we would eventually see: eighty-one men and boys fallen across one another, hacked and stabbed to death in that same attack."
—page 112, The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
Another strength of Hari's memoir is that he presents us with the violence, horror, and carnage of Darfur without resorting to cinematic violence. The above passage is as graphic as it gets. It would have filled pages in the books by Gourevitch, Eggers, and Beah. Instead, Hari brings us to the violence and laments and mourns. He is asking us to do the same.
He is part of a group of Zaghawa survivors who interview their fellow survivors under the auspices of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations in the refugee camps of N'Djamena, Chad. He only presents a few of the 1,134 stories that his group collected during their interviews. He only needs to present a few because the rape, torture, slaughter, and decimation of those few are representative of the whole.
After this, he places his own life in jeopardy, once again highlighting the community over the individual, by acting as a translator and guide for foreign journalists who are trying to make the international community aware of the genocide. After reading the final chapters of his story, it is amazing that he cares about anyone at all. His spirit shines through in the final paragraphs, in the final sentences. It is still vibrant and strong, even amidst its experienced brokenness and loss. He asks, "What can one person do?" The answer—if we can use his own life, his own story, as example—is that there is plenty that one person can do: live life fully, love those around you, and act in justice and mercy.
—page 60, The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
The Translator traverses familiar terrain. True, we may not have visited Darfur before. True, Daoud Hari was certainly not our guide. But, we have visited
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similar places. We have visited the killing fields of Rwanda in Philip Gourevitch's We Wish To Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, we have heard tales of terror, rescue, and redemption from Valentino Achak Deng in Southern Sudan in Dave Egger's What is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, and we have experienced firsthand the roles of victim and perpetrator of violence in Liberia in Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.Yet, this is new territory as well. The Translator is a slender and sparse volume. It lacks much of the research, historical detail, and knowledge of local and international politics that fill the other three books. Its primary strength, however, lies in the oral history of its storyteller, Daoud Hari. His words, as related to Dennis Burke and Megan McKenna, relate his story in a humble manner, which focuses on family, village, and community. His heart truly grieves for his people.
---
"We walked through a strange world of occasionally falling human limbs and heads. A leg fell near me. A head thumped to the ground farther away. Horrible smells filled the grove like poison gas that even hurts the eyes. And yet this was but the welcome to what we would eventually see: eighty-one men and boys fallen across one another, hacked and stabbed to death in that same attack."
—page 112, The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
Another strength of Hari's memoir is that he presents us with the violence, horror, and carnage of Darfur without resorting to cinematic violence. The above passage is as graphic as it gets. It would have filled pages in the books by Gourevitch, Eggers, and Beah. Instead, Hari brings us to the violence and laments and mourns. He is asking us to do the same.
He is part of a group of Zaghawa survivors who interview their fellow survivors under the auspices of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations in the refugee camps of N'Djamena, Chad. He only presents a few of the 1,134 stories that his group collected during their interviews. He only needs to present a few because the rape, torture, slaughter, and decimation of those few are representative of the whole.
After this, he places his own life in jeopardy, once again highlighting the community over the individual, by acting as a translator and guide for foreign journalists who are trying to make the international community aware of the genocide. After reading the final chapters of his story, it is amazing that he cares about anyone at all. His spirit shines through in the final paragraphs, in the final sentences. It is still vibrant and strong, even amidst its experienced brokenness and loss. He asks, "What can one person do?" The answer—if we can use his own life, his own story, as example—is that there is plenty that one person can do: live life fully, love those around you, and act in justice and mercy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cms519
The Translator is a beautifully written account of Daoud Hari's life in Darfur and years as a translator for journalists and foreign officials. Hari's story is both horrible and compelling. He is able to put the current Darfur situation in a historical context while still making the book about
The account of Hari's detainment in Darfur while on a translating trip was harrowing but skillfully handled. Everytime Hari bargained for a cigarette, I chuckled at his determination in such horrible circumstances.
This was a great book to read after recently reading Dave Eggers What is the What which gave a great context to the war in the Southern Sudan through the 1980s.
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indvidual stories of how the attacks have affected families. The account of Hari's detainment in Darfur while on a translating trip was harrowing but skillfully handled. Everytime Hari bargained for a cigarette, I chuckled at his determination in such horrible circumstances.
This was a great book to read after recently reading Dave Eggers What is the What which gave a great context to the war in the Southern Sudan through the 1980s.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Longlist — Nonfiction — 2009)
Language
Original publication date
2008-03-18
Physical description
xii, 204 p.; 21.6 cm
ISBN
9781400067442