--- product_id: 13441598 title: "The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas" brand: "anand giridharadas" price: "S$35" currency: SGD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/13441598-the-true-american-murder-and-mercy-in-texas store_origin: SG region: Singapore --- # The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas **Brand:** anand giridharadas **Price:** S$35 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas by anand giridharadas - **How much does it cost?** S$35 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/13441598-the-true-american-murder-and-mercy-in-texas) ## Best For - anand giridharadas enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted anand giridharadas brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Winner of the NYPL Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism Named a Best Book of the Year by the New York Times , the Boston Globe , NPR, and Publishers Weekly "Haunting.…[A]mong the most riveting nonfiction I have read in a long time.… The True American gives you new eyes on your nation, makes you wonder about both the recent South Asian immigrant behind the counter at the food mart and the tattooed white man behind you in line." ―Eboo Patel, Washington Post 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 more victims, at other gas stations, die instantly. 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, profoundly moving exploration of the American dream in its many dimensions. It helps us to consider our love-hate relationship with immigrants, the underpinnings of domestic terrorism, and how―or whether―we choose what we become. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Dimensions | 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | Isbn 10 | 0393350797 | | Isbn 13 | 978-0393350791 | | Item Weight | 10.2 ounces | | Language | English | | Print Length | 336 pages | | Publication Date | April 6, 2015 | | Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company | ## Images ![The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61DTnx88brL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Who is 'The True American' in this outstanding book? *by on Reviewed in the United States September 30, 2014* "The True American" is a superb account by Anand Giridharadas of a homicide/hate crime that transpired in Dallas, TX and how that event crystallized the "cycle of revenge" that - in the words of the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board - "doesn't stop until someone has the courage to say enough." That someone is Rais Bhuiyan, that crime's victim and, ultimately, this story's hero, a man who rose from near death, willed himself to a successful life here in Dallas and offered forgiveness and compassion to his would-be killer.The twist of the book is that the killer, Mark Stroman, had his own moral awakening, brought about, said Ilan Ziv (a documentary filmmaker), "[N]ot because we did anything, but because of who we were. His old world betrayed him, and a new group of people who was more loyal to him than his own family introduced him to our world." It's to the author's extreme credit that you're never entirely sure to which of the two protagonists 'The True American' title applies.I paid special attention to this book because events played out very close to my home here in Dallas. As a northerner with decades living here, I related to this excellent passage describing Dallas' unique and often hard-to-explain charm ("we killed Kennedy," after all -- we're still living that down 50 years on). Of Dallas, Giridharadas says:-----To the outside eye, especially the northern eye, [Dallas] could be dismissed as a gussied-up, diverse, but ultimately narrow backwater...To see Dallas in this way, however, was to bring to it a view that many of its own immigrants, including Rais, didn't share. Enormous numbers of them genuinely loved it, and they continued to arrive by the planeload. They loved, for starters, the sky and the roads and the low taxes that had brought Rais to the city long ago. But it was more than that. A newcomer like Rais could find in Dallas a kind of acceptance that New York or Washington or Los Angeles didn't give...It was a city without elusive codes. You didn't have to wonder how to dress in public, for almost any semi-respectable way of dressing would put you above average; or what knife to use with which course, because that wasn't really how they ate down here; or what subway carried you where, since most people had their own bubble of a car. What many immigrants found in Dallas was a dimension of America's tolerance that was the tolerance of casualness and convenience more than of open-mindedness: an ease of living that became its own kind of welcome.-----I can't tell you how just how trenchantly well-observed that passage is. It speaks volumes as to why such large, vibrant immigrant communities flourish here. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Redemption in Post-9/11 America *by on Reviewed in the United States October 2, 2014* The story of Rais Bhuiyan's life, from humble Bengali beginnings, to post-9/11 casualty, redemption and outspoken advocate against violence and the roots of post-9/11 hate in America, is nothing short of extraordinary. For this alone, I give Anand Giridharadas's True American a solid 5 stars.And while I applaud Giridharadas's courage in telling the story of a Muslim who defies the stereotypes and generalities of today's 'War on Terrorism' world, and his attempt to uncover and help his readers understand the roots of the prejudice, frustration and hatred that led Mark Stroman to murder 2 innocent immigrants and seriously injure another shortly after 9/11, for much of True American, particularly the latter half, I felt like I was somewhere between a docudrama and high level social study. For this I give True American 4 stars, and 4 stars overall.True American is an important and revealing book, however, especially if you've never been exposed to the underbelly of today's meth-addicted, transient social stratum. Following Mark Storman's execution (another form of violence explored in the book), Giridharadas takes his readers on a journey through the lives of Stroman's children as they deal with the horror and guilt of their father's racism and violent actions, while concurrently struggling to free themselves from the vicious cycle of poverty, addiction and extreme disfunction they were brought up in. The same roots that led Stroman to murder and his ultimate fate.There are many valuable topics and messages in True American. Skipping through the lessor details, it is definitely worth a read and follow up discussion. Hope that you find the same. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The author did a fantastic job of weaving so many elements into a moving ... *by on Reviewed in the United States September 11, 2014* All Americans in this country are immigrants, unless you are among native Americans who inhabited this land before the Europeans arrived. The title of this book is an appropriate one to tell a gripping story of how an immigrant not only assimilates himself to become a true American but also, in the process, affects many others' lives in a positive way. In the wake of the 9/11 tragedy, many ugly incidents, such as burning of mosques and attacking of minorities perceived to be from the Middle East, unfortunately occurred due to ignorant racial stereotyping. The author did a fantastic job of weaving so many elements into a moving story: an immigrant's aspiration to always strive to better himself, a criminal's transformation from a cold-blooded murderer to face his conscience in the end, the unbelievable kindness and compassion shown by the victim of this horrendous crime not only to try to help his killer but the perpetrator's family and his efforts to teach others the true meaning of forgiveness; and in the process touches on many social factors that contribute to economic inequity, social obstacles, the seemingly endless cycle of poverty, etc. The telling of the story from many angles provides a context that helps readers to appreciate the wholeness of this incredible story that moved me to tears many times while reading it. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sg/products/13441598-the-true-american-murder-and-mercy-in-texas](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/13441598-the-true-american-murder-and-mercy-in-texas) --- *Product available on Desertcart Singapore* *Store origin: SG* *Last updated: 2026-10-26*