The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas

by Anand Giridharadas

The True American tells the story of Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladesh Air Force officer who dreams of immigrating to America and working in technology. But days after 9/11, an avowed "American terrorist" named Mark Stroman, seeking revenge, walks into the Dallas minimart where Bhuiyan has found temporary work and shoots him, maiming and nearly killing him. Two other victims, at other gas stations, aren’t so lucky, dying at once.
The True American traces the making of these two men, Stroman and Bhuiyan, and of their fateful encounter. It follows them as they rebuild shattered lives—one striving on Death Row to become a better man, the other to heal and pull himself up from the lowest rung on the ladder of an unfamiliar country.


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


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

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Politics, Biography, Crime, Book Club

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2014

About the author

Anand Giridharadas is the author of the THE PERSUADERS (2022), the international bestseller WINNERS TAKE ALL (2018), THE TRUE AMERICAN (2014), and INDIA CALLING (2011). A former foreign correspondent and columnist for The New York Times for more than a decade, he has also written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Time, and is the publisher of the newsletter The.Ink. He is an on-air political analyst for MSNBC. He has received the Radcliffe Fellowship, the Porchlight Business Book of the Year Award, Harvard University’s Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award for Humanism in Culture, and the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, Priya Parker, and their two children.

Reviews

[Jessica Leight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book and well-worth reading, though it did have some notable flaws. First, the writing is often overwrought. Giridharadas is telling a fascinating story about two men whose lives intersect in tragedy, and he should know that that is enough. Instead, he often seems determined to prompt the reader exactly what to conclude. Second, the final third of the book seems oddly unfocused. Initially, the story reads as a double profile of Bhuiyan, the victim, and Stroman, the perpetrator. Toward the conclusion, however, the narrative lurches into a mini-legal drama centering around the campaign to spare Stroman from execution, and then a detailed exploration of the dysfunctional lives of Stroman's children. This final chapter is particularly hard to comprehend; it seems initially that we are meant to interpret Bhuiyan's continued charity toward his assailant's children as further evident of the value of mercy, but the story vaguely suggests that he is being manipulated, and then drifts off into a lengthy and unfocused discussion of the family's myriad problems. This is a valuable narrative, but would have benefited from tighter editing and more restrained prose.

[Kkraemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is the "true American?" Is it the immigrant who comes from Bangladesh, having studied engineering and served as a fighter pilot, only to work in a gas station and be shot by an American who hates "Arabs?" Is it the American whose parents fight drug use and distractions and make him hate anyone who's different from him? Is it the law professor committed to ending the death penalty? Is it the children of the murderer, who are also victims of the family plagues? Is it the victim of a murder attempt who wants to show that the Muslim and Christian faiths are derived from Abraham and should, therefore, mend the rifts that have split the world?

These are the true Americans that Giridharadas writes about as he chronicles the histories and stories of two men who met in a gas station soon after 911. One recovers from his gunshot wounds and becomes "successful:" good job, nice home, friends, family, a life filled with hope. The other is sent to death row.

By looking at these two men and their stories, Giridharadas outlines so much that is true about Americans these days, and leaves the reader to ponder the interplay of fate and opportunity. He's a fabulous writer. He lets these various people talk for themselves, not adding his judgement but rather leaving the reader to decide what, really, the phrase "true American" means.

If there were 6 stars, I'd use all 6. Only Behind the Beautiful Forevers is in the same league as this nonfiction account.

[Leanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It's a story about an immigrant from Bangladesh who comes to America for the promise of a better life, like so many before and after him, and he ends up becoming the victim of a hate crime in Dallas after 9-11.

The author did a great job with the juxtaposition of the stories of these two men. I think it was so interesting to me because it didn't just focus on the facts of the story, but of the characters of the two men from many different perspectives as well as how they grew and changed over time. He doesn't show the characters as good and bad, but as human beings who have good parts and bad parts.

I think I also liked it because it does make you think about the phrase, "The True American" and what that means. Does the American Dream still exist? Or has it failed? Or are Americans just failing to access it? It also makes you think about religion and what it means to be a Christian or a Muslim and what motivation or comfort should you/can you derive from your religion.

It also made me want to start eating at McDonald's.

Anyway, it's hard for me to articulate why I liked it, but I did. Four stars!

[Robert Butson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a remarkable story and one well worth reading and understanding, but to my mind the comparisons to Capote's "In Cold Blood" go too far. The writing came across as odd and unsettling to me, at once spare and verbose. It seemed like at several times in the book the same detail would be repeated 2 or 3 times within a few paragraphs, not adding to the point, but coming off as just careless or clumsy. Also, if you're a nonreligious person like me expecting to read a good story about compassion, among other things, be forewarned that at times the book comes off as a sales pitch for Islam, not just a disambiguation for people who perceive Islam as inherently violent.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to hear a fascinating story, explore the world of a modern first generation immigrant, and be reminded of human compassion that seems at times quite rare. The author certainly deserves commendation for sharing this important tale, but be warned that the style and quality of writing here do not come near that of Capote, despite the frequent comparisons.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly depressing and uplifting book about America as told to us through the eyes of two Americans. One is a native of Texas, hard on his luck, a drug user and criminal who decides to kill Arabs after 9/11. The other is a Bangladeshi immigrant who, mistaken for Arab, is shot by the first. As the story progresses we see America as place where opportunity is dead and as a place where reinvention becomes opportunity. Memorable.

Observation by the author: “The low rungs on the career ladder that had allowed him to build his American life were disappearing, and what good was a ladder with rungs only at the top?” Perhaps others have made a similar observation but this may well summarize what is happening America today.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book and was disappointed.
It only scratched the surface as to why many immigrants are able to succeed in the US while those born here often do not.
The stilted language used for the main guy felt unnatural as it was not intended to be direct quotes (I don't think).
Don't get me started on the messages being received from God by all parties. Forgiveness for the murderer, a mission to forgive for the victim (why was he spared if not for such a mission?)... Blah, blah, blah.
The last part about the murderer's white trash family left me absolutely not giving a hoot. Sorry.

[Jackaline Rutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book had me thinking. I got mad at myself for being emotional at times. Makes you question your beliefs. Great read!

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing on many levels. First, I found none of the characters in this story to be appealing. Perhaps in the hands of a better writer, Rais (the victim) might have been portrayed better. As it was, I failed to understand his motivations for so publicly and relentlessly pursuing forgiveness and amnesty for this total scumbag who murdered two people and tried to murder him. I did not buy his forgiveness of Stroman at all. Nor did I feel he was in anyway entitled to seek a stay of Stroman's execution, seeing as he was not the victim for whom Stroman was sentenced to die for and seeing as he survived and thrived after his unfortunate encounter with Stroman, unlike the two men who died, leaving behind devastated wives and children. Rais came off as a publicity seeker and a fanatic, frankly. Perhaps if I listened to him speak versus reading the quotations in Giridharadas' book, I'd feel differently, I don't know. As far as Stroman - I couldn't have cared less about his BS redemption story. On multiple days, this man woke up, took out a gun and murdered two (tried for three) men based solely on the color of their skin - he didn't even get their countries of origin right - hoping to murder Middle Easterners but murdering South Asians instead. He was a horrible father and husband, a useless person, and a complete waste of space (and his children were hardly redeeming either). That he became some poster child for anti-death penalty activists is absurd. I oppose the death penalty because it cannot be administered fairly and one person wrongly executed by the state is one too many. But Stroman wasn't the hill to die on for this cause and I think it's too bad so much energy was wasted on him - I believe it gave him a sense of glory and purpose he didn't deserve. Repeatedly, he stated his life was saved by murdering two innocents. That's sickening.

And beyond the irredeemable characters, Giridharadas is just not a good writer in this genre. I thought based on what I knew of him and the fact that he is a journalist for the NYT that he would be a good writer. That was not the case. He was a poor storyteller, the book was badly constructed, and his style was awkward, all over the place, and just not at all the treatment this story deserved. I say this because I do believe the story is interesting and that it could have been told in a better fashion, even with the unlikable protagonists. The frequent quotations with grammatical and spelling errors (left from the original) and the odd descriptive sections just didn't work. Honestly, this book was a mess. It needed focus. Was it true crime? Sociological study of immigrants? Sociological study of poverty in America? Drugs in America? Racism? Religious intolerance? Pick a lane.

The only thing I found thought-provoking was the concept Girdiharadas explores a little (in a meandering fashion) that immigrants work harder and take advantage of opportunities more than Americans born into poverty. I guess I knew that but never gave it a lot of thought. Rais went from a gas station clerk to an Olive Garden waiter to a respected IT professional and now a human rights activist (not to mention doing all this after suffering a lost eye and permanent physical injuries due to Stroman's attack). I wonder if Stroman's daughter got past junior manager at McDonald's (and this isn't a dig - that's what she was doing and actually doing well at by the book's end), or off her 6-pack of beer a day habit. Did his son get out of prison and does he still hate Muslims like dad? Did other daughter and ex-wife get off the meth and get the kid back? What a pack of garbage.

This one is a no from me.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title seems to say it all-The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas, by Anand Giridharadas. The story should have been easy- bad racist white guy kills poor brown immigrants; survivor immigrant forgives and tries to save his attacker and bad guy repents- end of story. But, this story is so much more. First, these are real people so no one is an absolute representative of their demographics or labels- Muslim, Christian, white, poor, American, immigrant..... It would be a disservice to villainize or heroize an entire group of people based on the actions of any one of these individuals. It is a book that will make you uncomfortable, because it will challenge your beliefs of the death penalty, addiction, immigration, poverty, how your circumstances form your reaction to the world, religion- Islam, Christianity, Judaism, - and the American Dream.
The American Dream comes under question. The American Dream is to strive for a better standard of living for yourself and your family, but the American Dream becomes tarnished when a person thinks that the purpose of life is a self-centered entitlement for comfort and material things. Then when entitlement is paired with economic hopelessness from generational and persistent poverty, it becomes a very dangerous and combustible combination that breeds hatred, addiction, and violence. It is not the desire for a better life that is corrupt, but rather the view that the material things are the trophy of a better life and that the trophy is a birthright.
Why do some people rise above their circumstances and others instead succumb to them and blame others? It would be easy to polarize that the bad guy in this story is Christian and American and the good guy is Muslim and immigrant, so Islamic ethics are more righteous than Christian ethics. But, that would be incorrect and missing the point. It is not that Islam is better than Christianity (or vice versa). Humanity needs to live for more than the self. Religion, family, community, and serving others create dependency, support and relationships that keep people from becoming hopeless in their circumstances. Raisuddin Bhuiyan speaks of the strength people get from community and family despite the systemic poverty in India. When Mark Stroman’s daughters started bonding and living together instead of separate isolated lives, is how they had the strength to move past addiction, get good jobs and have hope for the future.
The secondary characters are also as interesting and can challenge your world view. Ziv, a documentary film producer, is the son of a concentration camp survivor, born in Tel Aviv and a former soldier in the Israeli army. Ziv befriends Mark Stroman while Mark is in prison, and much of the material for this book comes from him. Ziv, also an immigrant that has achieved the American Dream, offers insights about his culture that are not what you might assume they would be.
I recommend this book because Anand Giridharadas finds a redemption story and manages to make it complicated with the realities of life. These are real people living their lives imperfectly, so there are lessons to be learned, but it would be a mistake to think of this book drawing the equations that if you are poor then you will become and addict and you will murder people. Instead, I found that in this story I was challenged to examine my perceptions and convictions.

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's moving speech at a recent conference inspired me to read this book.

Giridharadas' setting the stage throughout his telling of this amazing story helps to give significant contextual meaning beyond the people directly involved. It really speaks to so many of the issues America faces today. From the fateful meeting of the innocent American immigrant Muslim victim and the bigoted angry white American male murderer comes a story that gives hope for a future of understanding.

Giridharadas helps the reader to see the complexities of the angry white male's failed life, for which failure he is not alone responsible. His family and probably society at large have neglected to instill in him the principles, traits and values that work to assure life's success. In his failed condition, the muderer's involvement in drugs, sexual exploits and rampant irresponsibility permit the pursuit of racism and other wrong-headed notions to prevail in his life.

As contrast, the immigrant seeking America's dream of opportunity and advancement applies the principles of family, love, humility and personal drive to overcome all of life's challenges and in the end prevails and achieves the dream. Even in spite of (or perhaps because of) the severity of his plight, the Muslim immigrant comes to full understanding of life and his mission in it and forgives his assailant and attempts to support the assailant's family as best he can.

The story as told by the author at the conference captivated me and reading the book did not let me down! It is highly recommended reading!

[autumn]

read for school - to briefly summarize the essay i just wrote, this book shows the 'forgiving an oppressor' narrative in a way that is accessible to me for the first time, in part because it actually happened. i went into it having no idea how someone like Raisuddin Bhuiyan could possibly in a million years forgive someone like Mark Stroman, but his earnest reasoning did make sense to me. really interesting!

from a pure entertainment standpoint, Anand Giridharadas's writing is enjoyable and very readable. when he writes pages and pages about a minor character (like Stroman's one-time boss??), it's at least interesting! the ending somewhat weakened the rest of the book, though - Giridharadas didn't pick one strong event to end on (like Stroman's execution for example), but rather let the story peter out on its own by absent-mindedly following random events in various people's lives, which have no satisfying resolution because it's real life. maybe i'm treating it too much like a novel because i almost never read nonfiction, but i think it would have been stronger if there was some semblance of closure at the end

overall, i thought this book was interesting and i'm glad i read it!

[Jack Swanzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an important story for our time. It’s uplifting and heart wrenching at the same time.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immigration Story

This is an interesting book. It tells the story of a Pakistani man who immigrated to this country and was shot shortly after September 11. He later attempted to show mercy to his attacker who had been sentenced to death for his crimes. It is an important book for this time, when immigrants are under appreciated.

[Aqshems Meten Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent portrait of the opacity of the American dream.

This was an interesting read about a story many may have not heard about. It showed with excellent detail the struggles that many Americans face as they strive to make it...or survive in America. The author showed how there is not clear definition of what the American dream truly is. The overbearing concept will be interpreted differently by different people, as it was by different characters of varying backgrounds in the story.

In addition, the story also highlighted the socially dark times for Muslim Americans in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The author clearly painted a picture of how the faith of many was blamed for the mistakes of few, regardless of the circumstances. This was an interesting theme in the book. The author's alacrity in approaching this theme is heartening because it is a subject that treads many geographical, cultural, and social boundaries.

Overall, the book was an excellent read. I knock it down a star because some of Rais's monologues were quite repetitive. I felt like they could have been trimmed a bit.

I am looking forward to Kathryn Bigelow's film adaptation of this book. I feel like this movie will contend got awards based solely on the power of the source material and the Bigelow's masterful directing skills, which were glaringly evident in her last film, Zero Dark Thirty; a movie that should have won her an Oscar for Best Director.

[Holly]

Though I admire the project behind examining this hate-crime incident, I cannot tolerate the writing and am stopping around page 50. To wit: paragraphs that appear in arbitrary order or that fall out of logical order (see pages 34-35); repetitions and oversimplified syntax ("[He] was driving home to pick up a refrigerator to bring back to A Paint and Body Shop. This was the name of the paint and body shop he owned [...]"; and stilted, disingenuous language that may be a result of trying to maintain fidelity to an interviewee's words but that causes me distress to read.

"Mark was bubbly and energetic, with a drive that Tom had always found missing from the industry. He had smoldering red hair and energetic eyes and ruddy, protruding cheeks and an easy, goofy charisma ..."

- The word energetic twice, and bubbly??? goofy??? The violent drug-addled racist sicko who screams epithets out car windows and smashes ashtrays in people's faces? - I learned of these traits in the first 40 pages so why should I believe anything "Tom" thinks about the guy? The author's window-of-opportunity had closed.

[Lilly Povey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed what this book had to say about cycles and trying to break old habits. A lot of the book focuses on the cycle of poverty Mark Stroman and his family is stuck in, where parents have a kid and then they can't take care of the child and the grandparents take the child in. I like that Rais really tries to help Amber and the whole Stroman family to get out of that cycle and to leave that whole dynamic. Rais managed to leave the debt he accumulated from his injury and worked his way up and he found a great way to give back: by getting others out of the cycle of poverty they are stuck in. Without help from friends, Rais wouldn't have been able to get back on his feet nearly as quickly as he did, which was not quick to begin with. Getting out of debt is hard enough when you're from America; when you're not from here, I imagine it would be much harder to deal with due to a lack of immediate family and close friends, and also a lot of cultural differences to get used to.

All in all, it was a crazy story. I enjoyed it.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best written and reported stories of crime, redemption, and forgiveness I've ever read. Comparisons to "In Cold Blood" have been made, and, in its prose and its reporting the comparison is fair. But this story reaches beyond "In Cold Blood's" grasp to tell an even greater story of our country, its place in the world, and how we define ourselves as its citizens, as well as themes of hate and bigotry, religion, poverty, duty, generational change, and more.

It's rare for a story so full of characters and complex themes to read as easily and comfortably as a popular novel. This could easily fit into any high school English curriculum, but I could imagine it as required reading for almost any field. Easily the best book I've read in a long time.

[Rhonda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book club choice.
I only gave it two stars due to the fact that the author is not a very good writer and he kept repeating himself way to often.
But the true story is interesting and brought up a lot of discussion topics in the group. Which also lead to the discussion on how the media is so horrible about what it decides to show to the public and how we as Americans view our own "natives" or "Americans" and how we do not call them "terrorist", but throw the word around a lot for people in other countries.
The book should make you really think about where you stand in your beliefs about immigration and for those looking for the American dream,and the fact that many Americans really do not understand what freedom and the fight for the American dream really is.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had so much potential, but was really disappointing. Based on the story of a hate crime after 9-11 in which the Bangladeshi victim forgives the Texas shooter and advocates for a revocation of his death penalty, the story promised to be along the lines of Just Mercy or Hillbilly Elegy. But it was unevenly written--from NY Times syntax/diction to everyday conversation to sentences that were hard to follow because of their awkward phrasing. The quotes he included didn't use "sic" to show spelling and grammar errors, which was jarring, and the book tried to do way too much, ultimately not fully developing the major theme of compassion and forgiveness in the face of hate. A tighter, cleaner version of this story would have been riveting.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but rounded up to 4. This book was well written and documents a fascinating and poignant true story. It also points out serious issues with our juvenile detention system, criminal justice system, healthcare, etc. However, for me, impossible not to compare to the incomparable unbroken (Laura hillenbrand).
Which was an extraordinary story and extraordinarily told/researched. I was very interested, but felt like not enough was resolved , perhaps waiting awhile and seeing where the stories ended up in another few years would have helpless

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly a book we all need to read. Hate born of ignorance meets forgiveness and redemption. An amazing true tale reads nearly like a novel, hard too put down. The repercussions of 9/11 and the unflattering light it has shone on our nation. It takes the resolve of a new immigrant, victim of a violent crime, to show us who we could be if we choose to rise above our misconceptions of ourselves and others.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard about this book, the story intrigued me but I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed it once I actually read it. It's an interesting story about 2 sides to a particular event as well as 2 views about "America". Rais is incredible in his will, determination & courage. It was interesting to hear views from him & Mark Stroman. I also appreciated the way the entire book was written, from a neutral third-person tone. The story is engaging & gives a lot to think about.

[sleeping panda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone please give this book to Donald Trump. It flies in the face of everything he says and all the stereotypes he believes.

A foreigner who tries to stop American jobs from being outsourced.

A Muslim who fights for his attacker's life.

A red-neck who uses guns to kill others, not to defend himself.

The list goes on. Have you found more? Please post them in the comments thread. Not read the book yet,

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

My university recently chose this as the 2016-7 Freshman Reader. It outlines from multiple perspectives the murders, attempted murder, and aftermath of the acts of "Arab Slayer" Mark Stroman shortly after 9/11. It touches on poverty, the death penalty, morality, religion, race, outsourcing, drugs, criminal justice, and a variety of other themes. Definitely a deep and worthwhile read.

[Nette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and well-written, all I could think of while reading this book was "Man, this would make a great movie." And lo and behold, it's going to be a movie, by the great Katherine Bigelow! With Tom Hardy! Yay!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sits at the intersection of several of my interest - criminal justice and the death penalty (especially in TX), Muslims in America post 9/11, forgiveness and redemption. A compelling true story. Would be good for book clubs, including faith-based clubs.

[Trina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astounding read. Juxtaposes two men - victim and victimizer - who uphold different ideas of what it means to be a "true" American. Brilliant, profound, powerful.

[Abhijit Khanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to give it a 4, b/c I liked it better than others in my book club and they gave it a 3. But I think, as one person put it, a more apt rating would be a strong 3 (or a 3.5).

[Jaime Yeager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of dry but great story about forgiveness

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting comparison between the shooter and his victim and the aftermath of his actions.