Land of Second Chances: The Impossible Rise of Rwanda's Cycling Team
In 1994, a boy named Adrien Niyonshuti escaped the Rwandan genocide that claimed the lives of one-tenth of the small African nation’s population. In 2012, he became the first Rwandan to race in the men’s mountain-bike event at the Olympics. Observer writer Lewis details what it took to get there in this thorough account. Wide-ranging stories converge along the way, including those of a mountain-bike pioneer in the midst of a midlife crisis and a coach dogged by his sex-offense conviction. Lewis notes the fascinating details of Rwanda’s resurgence after tragedy, unpacking the ­single-minded quest of President Paul Kagame to build up the nation. Well sourced, with encyclopedic references to those in the cycling world, the book is set on the cusp of an extraordinary moment in the sport, with Africa poised to start producing contenders. Lewis avoids falling into the trap of making this a ­Hollywood-friendly sports-comeback tale. It’s infinitely more interesting than that, with its many setbacks, personality clashes, and disappointments. Like Rwanda itself, it’s complex, and the story is not over yet. --Bridget Thoreson