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The Rosary: The Prayer That Saved My Life
Immaculée Ilibagiza believes that praying the rosary spared her from being slaughtered during the horrific 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which her family and more than a million other innocent men, women, and children were brutally murdered. Nearly two decades later, Immaculée continues to pray the rosary every day and marvels at how she is constantly renewed and richly rewarded by rejoicing in this glorious prayer. It has helped her in every aspect of her life, from literally saving her life to strengthening her faith, easing sorrows, changing heartache into happiness, healing illnesses in herself and others, solving family problems, landing a dream job, finding long-lost friends, and even locating lost keys! She received so many blessings from the rosary, in fact, that she decided to study its history and origins. She soon discovered that it was not just meant for Catholics, but that the Virgin Mary promised a life filled with blessings to everyone from any religion who faithfully recited the rosary daily . . . and this was such wonderful news that she vowed to share it with as many people as she could. In The Rosary: The Prayer That Saved My Life, Immaculée reveals how the rosary’s many blessings can be reaped by each and every one of us. In this moving and uplifting book, the New York Times bestselling author recounts her personal experience of discovering the power and the beauty of the ancient beads—and shows all of us how to enrich our own lives by exploring and embracing the mysteries, secrets, and promises of the prayer that became her “lifeline to heaven.”
265 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
About the author
Immaculée Ilibagiza
26 books511 followersToday Immaculée is regarded as one of world's leading speakers on peace, faith, and forgiveness. She has shared her universal message with world dignitaries, school children, multinational corporations, churches, and at many conferences. Immaculée works hard to spread her message and to raise money for her Left to Tell Charitable Fund which directly benefits the children orphaned by the genocide.
Immaculée Ilibagiza is a living example of faith put into action. Immaculée's life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan genocide where she and seven other women spent 91 days huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's house. Immaculée entered the bathroom a vibrant, 115-pound university student with a loving family - she emerged weighing just 65 pounds to find her entire family had been brutally murdered (with the exception of one brother who had been studying out of the country).
Immaculée Ilibagiza is a living example of faith put into action. Immaculée's life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan genocide where she and seven other women spent 91 days huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's house. Immaculée entered the bathroom a vibrant, 115-pound university student with a loving family - she emerged weighing just 65 pounds to find her entire family had been brutally murdered (with the exception of one brother who had been studying out of the country).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 12, 2018
I finally got to meet the author, Immaculée Ilibagiza, in person! Way back in 2009, I first met Immaculée through her book, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, shortly after hearing of the 1994 massacre of over a million men, women and children. Learning she had survived by hiding 91 days in a 3 x 4 foot bathroom with 7 other women, Immaculée became my heroine; so enamored, I used her name for a long time as a password, hoping to meet her someday.
I bought tickets to the OKC Catholic Women’s Conference (March 10, 2018) for myself, my two daughters and a very good friend. It was worth every penny! We each bought different books, plus the two I already have and now are going to share them around. You might think as a lifelong pray-er of the rosary I wouldn’t need yet another book on the Rosary. What else is there to know/learn?
A great deal! Her talk of an hour and 45 minutes, with no break, held us all spellbound even though we knew the outcome. She was eminently kind, fascinating, compassionate, gentle and self-effacing; alternately encouraging, humorous, instructive, cautioning, and outright hilarious! She stole the conference and I would recommend her as a speaker for any forum. Her main themes are God, Forgiveness, Love, Hope, Prayer, and Family.
In Rwanda, young people are given—or were anyway—oral exams on their faith along with all the rest of their studies. And the whole village, children, parents, extended family, really care(d) about the results, even/especially for religion. Parents worked hard for the betterment of their children and believed in learning and doing your best. And there was even a specific test on the Rosary.
Immaculeé describes her earliest memories of praying with her family, how she learned to memorize the order of the Mysteries, her test experience, the 15 promises associated with the Rosary, and eventually how it was put to the REAL test during the genocide. Then it was not Immaculée’s knowledge that passed, but her Faith in God. She saw the Truth of all she had been taught.
The book concludes with Immaculée’s reflections on the 20 Mysteries of Rosary, which I do not plan to read, but to pray.
This is not ‘just another Rosary book’, nor is the Rosary ‘just for Catholics’ as Immaculée likes to say! It is a prayer about the life of Jesus and it brings peace to all who say it.
Although technically I’m not finished with this book—and suspect I never will be—I’m not sure what else I could add except, ‘Read/pray it!’
*This makes three deeply admired Catholic authors I have met in person—Thomas Dubay, Jacques Philippe and Immaculeé—each time fearing I might be disappointed and each time walking away in a sense of awe. My somewhat laconic 26-year old daughter said this is the first time she felt like she’d met a living saint. Not the first time for me, but concur about the saint part.
I bought tickets to the OKC Catholic Women’s Conference (March 10, 2018) for myself, my two daughters and a very good friend. It was worth every penny! We each bought different books, plus the two I already have and now are going to share them around. You might think as a lifelong pray-er of the rosary I wouldn’t need yet another book on the Rosary. What else is there to know/learn?
A great deal! Her talk of an hour and 45 minutes, with no break, held us all spellbound even though we knew the outcome. She was eminently kind, fascinating, compassionate, gentle and self-effacing; alternately encouraging, humorous, instructive, cautioning, and outright hilarious! She stole the conference and I would recommend her as a speaker for any forum. Her main themes are God, Forgiveness, Love, Hope, Prayer, and Family.
In Rwanda, young people are given—or were anyway—oral exams on their faith along with all the rest of their studies. And the whole village, children, parents, extended family, really care(d) about the results, even/especially for religion. Parents worked hard for the betterment of their children and believed in learning and doing your best. And there was even a specific test on the Rosary.
Immaculeé describes her earliest memories of praying with her family, how she learned to memorize the order of the Mysteries, her test experience, the 15 promises associated with the Rosary, and eventually how it was put to the REAL test during the genocide. Then it was not Immaculée’s knowledge that passed, but her Faith in God. She saw the Truth of all she had been taught.
The book concludes with Immaculée’s reflections on the 20 Mysteries of Rosary, which I do not plan to read, but to pray.
This is not ‘just another Rosary book’, nor is the Rosary ‘just for Catholics’ as Immaculée likes to say! It is a prayer about the life of Jesus and it brings peace to all who say it.
Although technically I’m not finished with this book—and suspect I never will be—I’m not sure what else I could add except, ‘Read/pray it!’
*This makes three deeply admired Catholic authors I have met in person—Thomas Dubay, Jacques Philippe and Immaculeé—each time fearing I might be disappointed and each time walking away in a sense of awe. My somewhat laconic 26-year old daughter said this is the first time she felt like she’d met a living saint. Not the first time for me, but concur about the saint part.
October 20, 2013
What a powerful and inspirational book.
Being a Catholic myself, I found it easy to identify with the author's love of her faith and religion. I have always had a special interest and love for Mary, but never could quite get into praying the Rosary, no matter how many times I tried. But after reading just the first few pages of this book, I decided to pick up my Rosary beads and give it another try. Why? Because the author inspired me. She inspired me with her story of praying the Rosary each day as she sat in a tiny bathroom in Rwanda just hoping to stay alive. Her faith brought tears to my eyes as I imagined what that experience must have been like for her. Her situation was extreme and terrible and almost impossible to imagine, but I think many of us have had some life experience that has either caused us to move closer to or farther away from God. Rather than believe that God had abandoned her in that bathroom, she picked up her beads and prayed with all her might. In spite of everything awful going on around her, she decided to dig her heels in and draw strength from her source. That is what inspired me.
Before reading this book, the mysteries of the Rosary intimidated me because I didn't really take the time to understand each one and meditate on them. In the book, the author explains an easier way to remember each mystery as one is praying the Rosary and I found that to be incredibly helpful. While praying the Rosary, I struggled less with the "rules" of how to say the Rosary and could focus more on the meaning of the words I was praying. There was a sense of calm and serenity that descended on me as I finished, and it was then that I understood the words the author had written early in the book. The author states that the Rosary has "enormous power", enough to change the world and bring lasting peace to our hearts. I can honestly say that I feel more peaceful after saying the Rosary, and I have only been saying it for about four days now. I felt more peaceful, thus I went out to face my day in a state of peace, hopefully bringing and spreading peace throughout my day. From that I understand the other part of what the author said, that it has enough power to change the world. Imagine if more people prayed this powerful prayer instead of watching the disturbing news headlines before going out into the world each day. As Gandhi said, we have to be the change we want to see. If we want more peace, we have to be more peaceful ourselves. I think the Rosary is a wonderful first step to making that happen.
There was another description that the author gave that will stay with me for a long time. She referred to Rosary beads as a rope hanging down from Heaven. It's comforting to think that there is something right there for us to grab onto that will strengthen our connection to the source that created us.
Many people today are moving away from God, are not into prayer, and have let go of religion. Yet, the world is in such a state of chaos and disrepair. Something from the book that resonated with me is that prayer is so powerful because our minds latch onto the words that we repeatedly say and we begin to believe those words. If that is true, and I believe that it is, why wouldn't someone want to say this prayer of beautiful words? Thoughts and words have the power to transform lives, so why not choose the words we say and think more carefully?
I am sincerely glad that the author chose to write this book because it has a powerful message that is capable of transforming hearts and lives, and that can only be good.
Thank you, Immaculee Ilibagiza, for sharing this book with all of us.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.
Being a Catholic myself, I found it easy to identify with the author's love of her faith and religion. I have always had a special interest and love for Mary, but never could quite get into praying the Rosary, no matter how many times I tried. But after reading just the first few pages of this book, I decided to pick up my Rosary beads and give it another try. Why? Because the author inspired me. She inspired me with her story of praying the Rosary each day as she sat in a tiny bathroom in Rwanda just hoping to stay alive. Her faith brought tears to my eyes as I imagined what that experience must have been like for her. Her situation was extreme and terrible and almost impossible to imagine, but I think many of us have had some life experience that has either caused us to move closer to or farther away from God. Rather than believe that God had abandoned her in that bathroom, she picked up her beads and prayed with all her might. In spite of everything awful going on around her, she decided to dig her heels in and draw strength from her source. That is what inspired me.
Before reading this book, the mysteries of the Rosary intimidated me because I didn't really take the time to understand each one and meditate on them. In the book, the author explains an easier way to remember each mystery as one is praying the Rosary and I found that to be incredibly helpful. While praying the Rosary, I struggled less with the "rules" of how to say the Rosary and could focus more on the meaning of the words I was praying. There was a sense of calm and serenity that descended on me as I finished, and it was then that I understood the words the author had written early in the book. The author states that the Rosary has "enormous power", enough to change the world and bring lasting peace to our hearts. I can honestly say that I feel more peaceful after saying the Rosary, and I have only been saying it for about four days now. I felt more peaceful, thus I went out to face my day in a state of peace, hopefully bringing and spreading peace throughout my day. From that I understand the other part of what the author said, that it has enough power to change the world. Imagine if more people prayed this powerful prayer instead of watching the disturbing news headlines before going out into the world each day. As Gandhi said, we have to be the change we want to see. If we want more peace, we have to be more peaceful ourselves. I think the Rosary is a wonderful first step to making that happen.
There was another description that the author gave that will stay with me for a long time. She referred to Rosary beads as a rope hanging down from Heaven. It's comforting to think that there is something right there for us to grab onto that will strengthen our connection to the source that created us.
Many people today are moving away from God, are not into prayer, and have let go of religion. Yet, the world is in such a state of chaos and disrepair. Something from the book that resonated with me is that prayer is so powerful because our minds latch onto the words that we repeatedly say and we begin to believe those words. If that is true, and I believe that it is, why wouldn't someone want to say this prayer of beautiful words? Thoughts and words have the power to transform lives, so why not choose the words we say and think more carefully?
I am sincerely glad that the author chose to write this book because it has a powerful message that is capable of transforming hearts and lives, and that can only be good.
Thank you, Immaculee Ilibagiza, for sharing this book with all of us.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.
September 16, 2015
This book is a companion piece to the two books Ilibagiza has written about her survival during 1994 Rwanda genocide when Hutus went after Tutsis (her family among the latter), and she survived only because she was hidden for months in a small bathroom of a priest along with a couple of other women.
This book focuses on how the rosary helped her, and was also part of her life before and after this gruesome time. It saved her life and soul, kept from suicidal thoughts, fear, despair and anger - and gave her inner peace, greater love for the rosary and the ability to forgive and move on once she was free again.
Before, it was a part of her life from birth, since her family practiced rosary prayer daily. We get to learn how rosary works as she describes how she learnt to pray it for her confirmation. It also gave her confidence at school and helped to secure a place in further education.
During the hiding-memories part, we learn about the mysteries more, and how Ilibagiza sensed Mary's presence as she prayed and imagined each mystery scene. She also tells us what each mystery meant to her - you really get close to how she was feeling back then. Luminous Mysteries weren't established yet at that time, but they are included in this book with great comments from her.
Finally there's a short description of her life after, with some experiences on rosary from other people. You get to see how it made her find a way to continue living, and made her survive mentally, make her much more at peace, a better believeer.
So if you've already read many rosary-instruction books, this is still something that might add more to it, add more motivation. And even if you haven't read much books on the rosary, this is a nice introduction. It was a really good and worth readying kind of a read. :)
Note: On the few times she mentions 'racism', this is what Wiki says:
(Early 20th Century,) both the Germans and the Belgians promoted Tutsi supremacy, considering the Hutu and Tutsi different races.
(that is, they considered the Tutsis as 'European' despite having the same skin color and origin as the Hutus, and gave them more rights) This favoritism from these Europeans is what really got Tutsis in trouble later: the genocide of 1994 was not the first time Hutus had stated killing Tutsis.
This book focuses on how the rosary helped her, and was also part of her life before and after this gruesome time. It saved her life and soul, kept from suicidal thoughts, fear, despair and anger - and gave her inner peace, greater love for the rosary and the ability to forgive and move on once she was free again.
Before, it was a part of her life from birth, since her family practiced rosary prayer daily. We get to learn how rosary works as she describes how she learnt to pray it for her confirmation. It also gave her confidence at school and helped to secure a place in further education.
During the hiding-memories part, we learn about the mysteries more, and how Ilibagiza sensed Mary's presence as she prayed and imagined each mystery scene. She also tells us what each mystery meant to her - you really get close to how she was feeling back then. Luminous Mysteries weren't established yet at that time, but they are included in this book with great comments from her.
Finally there's a short description of her life after, with some experiences on rosary from other people. You get to see how it made her find a way to continue living, and made her survive mentally, make her much more at peace, a better believeer.
So if you've already read many rosary-instruction books, this is still something that might add more to it, add more motivation. And even if you haven't read much books on the rosary, this is a nice introduction. It was a really good and worth readying kind of a read. :)
Note: On the few times she mentions 'racism', this is what Wiki says:
(Early 20th Century,) both the Germans and the Belgians promoted Tutsi supremacy, considering the Hutu and Tutsi different races.
(that is, they considered the Tutsis as 'European' despite having the same skin color and origin as the Hutus, and gave them more rights) This favoritism from these Europeans is what really got Tutsis in trouble later: the genocide of 1994 was not the first time Hutus had stated killing Tutsis.
October 23, 2013
I have read other books by Immaculee ("Left to Tell" and "Our Lady of Kibeho"), and stand in awe of her strength in both surviving the Rwandan holocaust and forgiving those who murdered her family and subjected her to such suffering. I expected this book to be excellent, but even so I was unprepared for the power and beauty of her reflections on the rosary. She takes an Ignatian approach in putting herself (and the reader) in the moment of each mystery, and her reflections and prayers for each mystery are brimming with honesty and poignant insight. I am a Catholic who prays the rosary daily, but I don't think you need to be Catholic to read and benefit from this book. Highly recommended.
June 8, 2021
Ever since my conversion to Christianity and Catholicism in my 20's, I have tried to make the Rosary a part of my daily life. Testimonies by people like Saint Pope John Paul II, and Pope Francis, who both pray(ed) the Rosary daily were great influences on my taking up this prayer.
After reading Ilibagiza's story in "Left to Tell", I finally read this book, which focuses more intensely on her personal relationship of the Rosary, and how it reached Ms. Ilibagiza in her and her country's darkest time. All I can say is that it is an incredible testimony. I tried to read it slowly to really appreciate it and absorb it. I know I will be re-reading it many times.
After reading Ilibagiza's story in "Left to Tell", I finally read this book, which focuses more intensely on her personal relationship of the Rosary, and how it reached Ms. Ilibagiza in her and her country's darkest time. All I can say is that it is an incredible testimony. I tried to read it slowly to really appreciate it and absorb it. I know I will be re-reading it many times.
September 13, 2013
As a practicing Catholic who prays the rosary this book has opened my eyes and heart to a new found love. I am now inspired to pray my rosary daily and have a better understanding of the powers of the rosary and the love of the blessed mother towards us. I would recommend this book 100% to anyone who wants to get closer to the blessed mother and have a deeper understanding of the mysteries.
October 16, 2015
Great read, a great and down to earth walk through of how to pray the rosary and with a good and well structured walk through of the many mysteries. It's actually a manual and guide for praying the rosary and understand the mysteries for meditation purposes. Highly recommended read.
June 17, 2013
One of the another set of books that reminded me that I just go back to basics - The Rosary.
October 1, 2013
This book about the rosary is beautifully written, inspiring, and filled with faith. I am so impressed with this author and her life story. She is a wonderful example to all Catholics.
August 22, 2014
Inspirational. This book led me to the daily practice of saying the Rosary.
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September 29, 2024A prayer that contains all of life. It opens life up to you. It reveals to me who I am most fundamentally: a beloved child of Almighty God. It fills you with His love. It gives you courage to face impossible situations. You gain the strength to endure. You grow in virtue and life begins to take on a new hue and colour. A beautiful prayer. A prayer to be cherished. A prayer which unites and binds. It brings people together, bound together by bonds of love streaming down from the Father. A prayer to change a person’s life. A simple payer. A prayer to accompany you on the way, in the truth, to new life, even life “to the full”. A new vision. A new beginning. A new start, leaving behind all that was rotten and out of use. A way to receive. A way to deeper prayer. The best description I have ever heard of the rosary is that it is a way to prayer, not the end in itself. It opens doors within you. It tears down walls. It lets the love in. You should try it sometime. God bless you.
April 27, 2026
Left to Tell will always be her most powerful book. But I appreciated how this book expanded upon how the rosary saved her life during the genocide, and the spiritual insights she meditated upon with each mystery. It was a beautiful book, and great companion to Left to Tell.
August 8, 2019
Her story is a testimony to miracles of faith, prayer and the rosary!
December 16, 2013
Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and inspirational, show how prayer really works., December 18, 2013
By
Andrea B. "Andy"
This review is from: The Rosary: The Prayer That Saved My Life (Hardcover)
Nothing more adequate than a wonderful book exalting the power of prayer during this special time of year. And that's what this is, a powerful, compelling testimony of a strong human being, one that has lived through unimaginable suffering and horrors during the Rwandan genocide. I became aware of Immaculle Ilibagiza years ago when I was watching a PBS Wayne Dyer special. He introduced her to the audience and talked about the book she had just then launched, which told of the amazing ordeal she went through to survive the genocide, against all odds. I remember her immense faith when she related how she clutched to her rosary, the last and only belonging she had left, during those 3 months of agonizing imprisonment, believing in a miracle, believing in forgiveness, believing in salvation. And it came. And she credited it all to her faithful praying of the rosary.
With great satisfaction I found out she had written this book, describing in more detail her intimate relationship with praying the rosary, and how it continues to make a tremendous difference in her life. From her teenager years before the genocide, during and after her ordeal, and how it still has a great impact in strengthening her faith and easing her sorrows, it is truly amazing to read the testimony of this special person, and how she humbly devotes herself to this glorious prayer. This uplifting story, that describes her own personal experience, is a powerful motivational book that shows how prayer is still the best answer to our questions.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.
4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and inspirational, show how prayer really works., December 18, 2013
By
Andrea B. "Andy"
This review is from: The Rosary: The Prayer That Saved My Life (Hardcover)
Nothing more adequate than a wonderful book exalting the power of prayer during this special time of year. And that's what this is, a powerful, compelling testimony of a strong human being, one that has lived through unimaginable suffering and horrors during the Rwandan genocide. I became aware of Immaculle Ilibagiza years ago when I was watching a PBS Wayne Dyer special. He introduced her to the audience and talked about the book she had just then launched, which told of the amazing ordeal she went through to survive the genocide, against all odds. I remember her immense faith when she related how she clutched to her rosary, the last and only belonging she had left, during those 3 months of agonizing imprisonment, believing in a miracle, believing in forgiveness, believing in salvation. And it came. And she credited it all to her faithful praying of the rosary.
With great satisfaction I found out she had written this book, describing in more detail her intimate relationship with praying the rosary, and how it continues to make a tremendous difference in her life. From her teenager years before the genocide, during and after her ordeal, and how it still has a great impact in strengthening her faith and easing her sorrows, it is truly amazing to read the testimony of this special person, and how she humbly devotes herself to this glorious prayer. This uplifting story, that describes her own personal experience, is a powerful motivational book that shows how prayer is still the best answer to our questions.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.
December 23, 2014
Immaculee huddled in a tiny bathroom with several other women listening to the screams of the victims of the Rwandan genocide outside. Terrified, she prayed the Rosary and read the Bible. Her fear enabled her to pray with a new depth, and she also thought about the Mysteries and actually imagined herself walking in Mary's footsteps as she cared for her son. Immaculee credits the Rosary with saving her life, and even giving her the spiritual strength to forgive the murderers, even though almost every member of her immediate family was killed, and many of her friends were also slaughtered. Forgiveness does bring freedom, and the Rosary helped her to find this true freedom. (I have trouble forgiving small hurts!)
This is a harrowing book to read, but Immaculee's story of courage and faith in terrible times is certainly inspirational. It helps readers to see minor worries in a new light!
Immaculee's enthusiasm about the "most beautiful and richest of all prayers to [Mary]" is contagious, and she explains the rather complicated system of prayers simply and clearly. She tells how she learned the prayers and Mysteries, and she includes the new Luminious Mysteries. As Immaculee writes, this isn't just a book for Catholics. Any Christian can learn the Rosary, and many have been helped by these lovely prayers.
This is recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the Rosary.
This is a harrowing book to read, but Immaculee's story of courage and faith in terrible times is certainly inspirational. It helps readers to see minor worries in a new light!
Immaculee's enthusiasm about the "most beautiful and richest of all prayers to [Mary]" is contagious, and she explains the rather complicated system of prayers simply and clearly. She tells how she learned the prayers and Mysteries, and she includes the new Luminious Mysteries. As Immaculee writes, this isn't just a book for Catholics. Any Christian can learn the Rosary, and many have been helped by these lovely prayers.
This is recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the Rosary.
January 21, 2017
I bought this book after attending a talk given by the author at the Catholic University of America. Immaculée Ilibagiza is one of those rare, extraordinary people who leaves a lasting impression long after meeting her. Her talk on the Rwandan genocide is perhaps one of the best talks I have ever experienced. Her genuine love and tenderness born of the intense prayer life she led while hiding away in the cauldron of death that was Rwanda during 1994 spills over into her writing, and due credit must go to Steve Erwin, the ghostwriter, for capturing that aspect of her personality.
This book is an exploration of the mysteries of the Rosary as the foundation for her faith in God that ultimately got her through the genocide and helped rebuild her life afterward. Highly recommended.
This book is an exploration of the mysteries of the Rosary as the foundation for her faith in God that ultimately got her through the genocide and helped rebuild her life afterward. Highly recommended.
April 26, 2016
This book is another piece of the story of Immaculee's life as told in LEFT TO TELL; the account of how she survived the Rawandan massacre by hiding in a small bathroom for 3 months. When I think of the beatitude "Blessed are the pure of heart..." I now have a face to give it. Her meditations of the rosary mysteries while in that hiding place are truly inspirational and her belief is that praying the rosary and meditating on the mysteries saved her life and sanity during her time of captivity and throughout her life. She truly had a relationship with Mary. I very much enjoyed this book and was moved by her inner spiritual beauty.
July 25, 2013
The author of this book, Immaculée Ilibagiza was a child in Rwanda during the genocide. She survived because a Protestant pastor hid her and some others in his bathroom. She remained there for months and during that time her prayers included the Rosary. She takes us through each mystery and tells us about the images she saw as she prayed those mysteries while hiding and about how she related what she imagined to her current situation.http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2013...
May 17, 2014
This is the story of how saying the rosary while in hiding, helped Immacule Ilibagiza keep her sanity and save her life during the Rwandan genocide. Left to Tell, her first book tells the story in greater detail, and sometimes the references she made to her other books was annoying. So much so, in fact that I put this book down so that I could read Left to Tell and learn what was being left out. Despite that, and whether or not you believe everything Immacule says, it is a powerful example of how to pray the rosary and the benefits that come from the practice.
June 8, 2014
What an incredibly powerful book. I highly recommend this book not only to any fellow Catholics but anyone who is looking to heighten their prayer life. I pray the rosary multiple times each week and this book has helped me immensely to better understand the mysteries of the rosary. I now have a better grasp of my meditations of the mysteries rather than just saying the prayers. The way Immacule explains her own meditations is so comforting that I feel at peace even reading it. I will continue to use this book when I feel I need a little boost of understanding of the mysteries.
May 11, 2018
A book that touches you
I bought this book after having read a couple of books from Inmaculee Ilgabiza. In Our Lady of Kibeho I got very interested in the figure of Mary. Then I decided I needed to learn jow to pray the Rosary to communicate with God and feel His presence within mu soul and my life. The book teaches you jow to do this in a very simpme way. Now I have started to play the Rosary meditating and OMG ! It does make such a big dfference. I must say big Thank You to Inmaculee for having taught me to pray in a way that give me joy and peace everyday
I bought this book after having read a couple of books from Inmaculee Ilgabiza. In Our Lady of Kibeho I got very interested in the figure of Mary. Then I decided I needed to learn jow to pray the Rosary to communicate with God and feel His presence within mu soul and my life. The book teaches you jow to do this in a very simpme way. Now I have started to play the Rosary meditating and OMG ! It does make such a big dfference. I must say big Thank You to Inmaculee for having taught me to pray in a way that give me joy and peace everyday
July 13, 2019
If you haven't read Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, there are enough bits of her life in this book, to keep this in context. Immaculee survived those 90 days in a small bathroom with seven other women by praying the rosary. She gives background on how to pray the rosary. The real gem here is the way she meditates on each mystery as she prayed it.
I prayed through the rosary using her powerful reflections and it was a rich experience. I will likely remember and this will enrich my own meditations as I pray.
I prayed through the rosary using her powerful reflections and it was a rich experience. I will likely remember and this will enrich my own meditations as I pray.
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October 31, 2016The Rosary was such an eye-opening book! It brought a new meaning to my life. Immaculee's story touched my heart and will touch everyone else who reads it. Throughout the book Immaculee teaches us and describes how she overcame all the struggles in life with the power of the rosary! She describes the mystery's of the rosary and their meaning.
If this book interested you then 33 Days to Morning Glory by Micheal Gaitley who suit you well!
If this book interested you then 33 Days to Morning Glory by Micheal Gaitley who suit you well!
September 20, 2018
very helpful for really "feeling" the mysteries... It's easy to read them and understand what they are, but I feel as though reading Immaculée's descriptions of her meditations really brought into my heart the meanings of these mysteries.
There were several moments I'd found myself crying while reading this book.
There were several moments I'd found myself crying while reading this book.
August 22, 2013
I think she does a wonderful job at showing how the point of it is to meditate on the life of Christ. It isn't just rote prayer as some people seem to think. That being said, this is probably my least favorite of her books.
May 20, 2014
Extremely powerful and enlightening read. I would highly recommend this to anyone curious about Catholic faith, namely the power of the rosary, or to Catholics like myself seeking a phenomenal read.
July 29, 2015
Of the 3 books that I have read by this author, I thought this was the best. Scripturally and spiritually it was amazing to hear her story of how praying the rosary and visualizing the biblical stories with each decade helped her during a very difficult time in her life.
May 1, 2016
It took me a while to get through this book because I was super busy, but I really liked it and I feel like it changed the way I think about the rosary and made me think about it in a much deeper way.
June 9, 2014
Loved it!
January 19, 2015
As a child, living in Quebec, I went to french Catholic school....and practicing the Catholic religion faithfully. ...This has reminded me that faith is important, I picked up my rosary today.....
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