Published by Baker Books on August 1, 2022
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life, Memoir
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At age ten, Peter Mutabazi ran away from home in rural Uganda to escape his abusive father. For five years Peter survived on the streets of Kampala, a city of 1.5 million, until one man saw potential in him. This one person not only supported Peter through school but altered Peter's outlook on life in every possible way. Since then, Peter has served as a relief coordinator during the Rwandan genocide, worked for the International Committee of Red Cross during the Sudan conflict, emigrated to the United States, fostered countless children, and become a single foster and adoptive parent. He speaks seven languages and has traveled to more than 100 countries as an international advocate for vulnerable children.
Now I Am Known is Peter's inspiring true story. In it he reveals the transformational power of taking risks, learning to forgive, overcoming self-doubt, breaking negative patterns, and believing in a better future. He becomes a friend in this must-read, encouraging you to propel forward into a purpose-driven life marked by hope and meaning.
This powerful true story is hard to put down. Peter Mutabazi shares about his childhood suffering from his father’s abuse, his years living on the street in his home country of Uganda, and the powerful transformation that took place in his life after a man paid for him to attend school. Mutabazi writes in a very honest, raw way about the effects of his trauma and how difficult it was for him to learn how to trust people, and he shows how he has used his terrible experiences to help him sympathize with others, including the children in his current adoptive and foster family.
Because Mutabazi is so honest and forthright about the horrors he experienced growing up, this book warrants a trigger warning for others who have experienced trauma. The book depicts scenes of personal and community violence, including the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide, which Mutabazi witnessed as an aid worker. However, even though people should go into this book with accurate expectations so that they’re not caught off guard, the story is filled with hope, redemption, and healing. Mutabazi’s testimony of faith in God and gradual healing from trauma are incredibly meaningful.
Now I Am Known: How a Street Kid Turned Foster Dad Found Acceptance and True Worth is a wonderful book for people who want to better understand and sympathize with trauma survivors, and for people who have been through similar things and are in a stable enough place to process Mutabazi’s story. I am thankful for his courage in laying so many difficult aspects of his life bare, and am inspired by his ministry and his desire to reach out to others. This would be an excellent book for individual reading and for book clubs, and for church ministry groups to read together.
