I had never heard of Annalena Tonelli before hearing about this book. As I am involved in cross-cultural work, living as an expat across the ocean from my country of birth, I was very interested to read about this woman. Her choices and perspectives have challenged and inspired me, whether I agree with all of them or not. There is no denying she was the hands and feet of Jesus, showing love to those who needed it in a tangible way, making a difference here and now. It is often a struggle to know how best to help people that have enormous physical needs, when we are also concerned for their spiritual lives. One cannot trump the other, can it?
I don't think this book seeks to give all the answers - or even any answers - but rather, it tells a very important story of a woman doing very important work.

This was a powerful memoir, sure to move your heart with the story of a wonderful woman who did her best to change the world for the better. I think one of the things that really stuck out to me is Annalena went to Africa with one purpose in mind - to eradicate TB, without the backing of an organization or the intent to convert people to her own religion. She was truly a kind and caring soul, as evidenced by what those around her had to say about her and her own actions. If you're looking for a heart-warming biography, you've found your next read!

The subtitle says it all: How Annalena Tonelli Defied Terror and Tuberculosis in the Horn of Africa. The death of Tonelli in 2003 was one of the triggers that led to Jones and her family having to leave Somaliland, so the author wanted to learn more about this fascinating, enigmatic woman. Jones has done detailed research on Tonelli herself, tuberculosis, and the various religious and socio-political forces that eventually led to Tonelli's death, but she doesn't attempt to write academically or dispassionately. Jones is wrestling with the truths mixed with the myths of Tonelli's life and what they mean for her personally as she and her family live and work in the horn of Africa. Tonelli has been compared to Mother Theresa, a comparison she denied, yet her story is fascinating and her work impacted so many. A nuanced, thought-provoking biography.

A beautiful and inspiring biography. A view into a health issue and culture unfamiliar to me, so loved the way Rachel took the reader with her into the huts, the dusty streets and life changing work that is happening in a world that isn't even watching the Horn of Africa.

I struggled with a number of things in the book. That doesn't mean it is a bad thing.

Is loving Jesus enough? The theme seemed to be that loving Jesus was what Annalena did and implied that is enough. Yes, we need to love Jesus and from that love flows are actions and our words.

She encouraged the teaching of the Qua'rn in the schools she established. She had a Hindu burial.

I felt the book dragged on and on.

Thanks to netgalley for this book. The review and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this, Annalena Tonelli is a really interesting person to read about. I'm glad to read this as I never heard about her before, I appreciated learning about her and what she's done. It was a feel good book and I'm glad her stories being told.

Annalena Tonelli was a remarkable woman and yet it appears that very few people have heard of her. It is to be hoped that this excellent account of her life will bring her to wider renown, as she certainly deserves to be better known and acknowledged for her selfless devotion to the poor and sick of Somalia, particularly those suffering from TB. She spent over 30 years serving the disadvantaged, and was fearless and determined to do what she considered right. Her faith informed her life and work but she was never pious or evangelical. What seemed to be her overriding motive was simply love for her fellow man, unconditional and selfless love. This is a well-researched and balanced biography. Given the author’s obvious reverence and affection for Tonelli it could so easily have turned into a hagiography, but it fortunately avoids this. It’s also an important book and should be required reading for anyone interested in or involved in aid work, as it has much to say about how such aid work should be approached. It’s not enough to just go into a trouble spot and hand out food and medication, but what’s needed are people willing to embed themselves into the society and culture without judgement or preconceived ideas. It’s a really fascinating account of a woman dedicated to helping others and I found it a deeply compelling read.

The life of Annalena Tonelli is remarkable. She was a woman who was brave and compassionate, carrying a servant's heart, willing to suffer and persevere in the midst of chaos.

"Stronger Than Death" is a biography of her life, through her journey serving the poor in northern Kenya, Somalia and Somaliland. Her primary effort was treating tuberculosis among the nomadic people living in the horn of Africa, which is a highly difficult thing to do, given the infectiousness of the disease. She developed the Direct Observed Therapy method of treating tuberculosis among this nomadic population, which proved highly successful and was eventually adopted by the World Health Organization as standard treatment.

Annalena navigated the immense stigma that a TB diagnosis brought for the nomads by creating a compound where people were patients could live and work, while receiving treatment for their TB. This gave them a place of purpose and belonging. She considered their culture, and their needs and melded a way to provide treatment in a way that was culturally appropriate for the people.

She endured a lot of chaos, as civil wars broke out; being a young white woman, in a primarily Muslim nation also brought it's own threats. Yet she persevered in her service to the poor and destitute, caring for all their needs. Tragically, her life was ended by a fatal gunshot wound, targeted by a terrorist organization who sought to gain momentum on a global scale.

The author, Rachel Pieh Jones, lived in Somaliland, near the compound where Annalena worked when she died, so she writes this story from her own perspective as well, as she reflects on the day she died, their evacuation and the impact it would have on her life.

I appreciated meeting Annalena through the pages of this book, learning about her life, and the culture she served in. These were 3 lessons I drew out:

1. A Deep Love for the Poor
Annalena once said, "you cannot love the poor without wanting to be like them." This is a hard statement to understand, yet through the pages of this book I saw how Annalena's life defended her conviction. She didn't seek more for herself. She didn't seek renown. She sought, instead, to care for others in the most humble ways. It brought me to wonder, how deeply have I loved others?

2. A Sharp Cultural Awareness
It takes a gift to understand a new culture and to figure out ways to solve challenges in a culturally appropriate way. The infectious nature of tuberculosis requires diagnosis and treatment, something nomads were not keen to seek because of the stigma related to the disease and the transient nature of their livelihood. Her keen awareness and courage to meet their cultural needs, while also treating the disease, caused me to feel an awe for her talent and perseverance.

3. Courage in the Midst of Chaos
She faced threats, some verbal and some physical, yet she didn't shy away from serving. Counting the costs, she knew it was possible she would experience her last days in the horn of Africa. It seemed to be her great delight, serving the people until her last breath. I have experienced times of chaos in my life, and I know that my first response wasn't always to keep serving, it was often a retreat inward. Courage in chaos is a big step out of our comfort zone and yet scripture reminds me time and again that the life of Jesus was one lived one then fringes of normal.

Reading the testimony of Annalena's life, through the eyes of one who serves overseas, reminded me, again, of the rich perspective of circumstances cross-cultural workers face. Her story and the lessons I learned from it, challenged my thinking, how much "simpler" it seemed, to live a life of service overseas, when the desperate needs of people face you every. single. day.

If I'm honest, coming back to live in Canada, I've struggled to serve others in the same way. There are many reasons, but in the developed world, people don't come to my doorstep every morning with their physical needs. I feel convicted because I have become lazy. I've not looked with open eyes, to the people around me, or the needs before me. Perhaps lost in the busyness of life, or just plain old distracted. With open eyes, may I see people in a new light, with a new heart, to bring hope and healing to those whom God puts on my path. Annalena poured out her heart to the people who needed her, can I do the same for those around me?

How do you care for the needs of those around you?


Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book, and the opportunity to post an honest review!

#StrongerThanDeath #Netgalley #bookreview #bibliophile

After reading an excerpt of this book in Plough Magazine, I knew I had learn more about this extraordinary woman’s story. She devoted her life to nursing ostracized Somalians who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS, and was assassinated in her own hospital by Islamic extremists after three decades of serving in Somaliland. It wasn’t the first time she had faced down a gun. The author, Rachel Pieh Jones, was living in Somaliland at the time of Tonelli’s death and shares an intimate knowledge of the history, context, and geography of Tonelli’s story. Her storytelling is captivating, going from Tonelli's own writings, conversations with people who worked alongside her, as well as Jones' own reflection on her role as an American abroad trying to do good in light of what we learn from Tonelli's radical love for the poor. Jones does not sugarcoat some of the more problematic decisions Tonelli made in her quest to be accepted by the Somali people, while still shining a light on a remarkable woman and the people she lived with and loved. As someone who has worked in international development, I read keenly Jones' insights about humanitarian work in light of what she learned from Tonelli's story. This is an excellent read.

Top quality reading for mature Christians and someone considering possibly being a true missionary in the furthest reaches of the world. I loved it@

As an avid reader and former ex-pat myself, I was completely surprised to have never heard the moving account of Annalena Tonelli's life and work in Somalia. Journey with writer Rachel Pieh Jones as she weaves her own story of living in Djibouti with Annalena's story. At times I was encouraged. At times I was shocked. And at times I was amazed. This is the incredible account of one woman's desire to live out her convictions and love for mankind. It was so inspiring to read of her life and dedication. As a reader of Rachel Pieh Jones' blog, I really enjoyed her story intertwined with Annalena's. I recommend this book for any one of the following (or all of them!) groups of people: enjoy memoirs, have lived overseas, Christians, public health advocates, or read cross-cultural stories. This is not a light and easy read, but there is such depth in the story of Annalena Tonelli. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.

I'd never heard of Annalenna before I picked up this book, but she sounded interesting. Inspiring may have been a better word, though - what she achieved was amazing, her work ethic was incredible, and the conditions in which she lived horrific. Having said that, she couldn't have been easy to live with, for those very reasons. Well, this book brought all that out in a way that felt informative and interesting, but as much as possible unbiased. The author is careful to give the sources of her information and has clearly done lots and lots of research, but without feeling like it's all being shoved down one's throat. All in all, it's not the sort of book that I would want to read all the time, and can lead to feelings of personal inadequacy, but is well written, informative and inspiring.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

This is a story of amazing courage, strong women, people who were willing to sacrifice their lives to help others. I can't stress enough that this book is a must read for anyone who wants to serve as a missionary, or helper with UNICEF or something like that overseas in 3rd world countries. It's one of those books that you won't put down, that you won't want to stop reading and might stay up all night reading! (That's what I did!). I actually purchased this book before finding in on NetGalley, so I'm super excited to get to leave this review for the author and I hope you, the reader, will want to read this too!

Stronger Than Death by Rachel Pieh Jones is a compelling read about a figure that could be called so many things, yet would prefer none of them. I learned so much while reading this book and cannot believe that I had not heard of Annalena Tonelli before this book. Annalena was what many wanted to be but most will never achieve. She defied the many dangers of Somalia to do what she felt called to do without being held back by governments and NGOs. This account tells of the many things she achieved throughout her life but also shows that she was still human with her own flaws. I recommend this read because I think a lot more people need to know about Annalena Tonelli but I do feel that the telling itself had some flaws. It felt choppy and disorganized many times throughout the book, which always pulled me out of my reading mood.

"Stronger than Death" by Rachel Pieh Jones

Annalena Tonelli grew up in Italy idolizing Gandhi and his philosophy towards the poor. She didn't believe it was enough to care for the poor, she believed she needed to live with them and live like them to truly show love. As an adult, she traveled to Somalia, where she spent the rest of her life administering to those with tuberculosis.

I found Annalena to be an interesting, determined, and courageous woman. She lived to serve others, often in horrible and terrifying situations. My only criticism of this book is that the author continually inserted herself into the story. I didn't care what the author felt about Annalena, and grew tired of her reflections and interpretations. Rather than interpreting Annalena for me, the author should have let Annalena's story speak for herself. Because of this, I can only rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

You will not want to miss this well-researched story of an Italian missionary to Africa. Jones paints a portrait of a modern-day saint whose quiet life of service profoundly affected all who met her. After reading this book, you will want to know more about Annalena.

Maybe you've never heard of Annalena Tonelli. I know I hadn't before I picked up Rachel Pieh Jones's Stronger Than Death: How Annalena Tonelli Defied Terror and Tuberculosis in the Horn of Africa. But that's exactly how Annalena would want it. She served humbly yet heroically among poor Africans for decades, and never sought or desired any recognition she received.



Annalena was not a doctor or a nurse, but she functioned the way these roles would function. She was drawn to poor, nomadic people who are prone to get tuberculosis but whose nomadic lifestyles precluded treatment. She developed and promoted DOTS (directly observed therapy short-course) and set up a means by which people could erect their own huts on the clinic grounds so that they could stay close and get the medication and treatment they needed while maintaining a semblance of the lifestyle to which they are accustomed. She wasn't a medical professional, but her love for these poor, nomadic people led her to find means to serve and treat them and had an outsized impact on the treatment of TB among the poor.



Annalena was not a nun or a missionary, but her Italian Catholic upbringing informed and inspired her work among the poor. Although her roots were Christian, and she remained an observant Catholic throughout her life, her theological statements and lifestyle had plenty of ambiguity. For her, "God and the poor became one thing. For her to help people meant to help God, in the flesh of the poor." But working among Muslims in a Muslim nation, she kept her faith to herself. "She didn't want to convert anyone. . . . She said, "What's the difference?" She established Muslim schools for kids undergoing treatment so they could be trained in their faith. She explicitly avoided trying to teach Christianity or displace Muslim faith and traditions, even going so far as to enable and promote female genital mutilation. (She later advocated for its elimination.)



So her motives were and activities were not exactly evangelistic in the traditional sense of the word, but there is little question that she lived her faith and exemplified service in and to Christ. "Her motivation flowed out of the conviction that in the actual act of service she . . . revealed God and his love to a broken world. Through living in poverty, she would enter authentic and mutual relationship with the poor and through those relationships, she would experience Jesus." Would that more Christians lived with this perspective and commitment.



Rachel Pieh Jones is an American writer and expatriate who lived near Annalena in Somaliland. She didn't get to know Annalena well; she was assassinated not long after they met. But with access to Annalena's personal records and effects, she puts together a complete, moving account of Annalena's admirable, sacrificial life. Hagiography? To be sure; she's obviously a huge admirer. Will the Catholic church agree and make her a saint? As admirable as her life and works were, I don't know that she would meet the Church's level of orthodoxy. Nevertheless, her life, her commitment to serve and identify with the poor, and her willingness to sacrifice everything for those she's serving, make her an example all Christians--for that matter, all people--can seek to emulate.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Deeply moving and challenging

Raw and honest. What makes this book so remarkable is that while Anna Tonelli achieves incredible things, she is always portrayed a real human being. She does not fit any convenient mould and thankfully Rachel Pieh Jones does not try and make her either. Anna’s life, her dedication to the poor are utterly inspiring and deeply challenging. She displays unbelievable courage and determination in fighting disease in a very hostile environment, while genuinely loving and honouring people. Jones does not feel the need to sugar coat some of Anna’s more difficult decisions but rather allows questions to remain open. As they often tend to do in real life.
Anna Tonelli’s story will stay with me for a long time, and I very much appreciate the way Rachel Pieh Jones tells it.

With two little kids in my life, I often slowly chip away at books, stealing moments to read in-between snack-times, field-trips, and other daily activities. But reading Stronger Than Death was not like that. I could not stop reading, and found myself reading evening after evening once my kids were asleep- finishing the book in a week. I had never heard of Annalena before. Reading about her life, her years of service in Africa, and ultimately her death struck me deeply. The author Rachel Jones writes how Annalena’s life touched her own and changed her. Through reading Jones’ account, the reader also gets the honor of meeting a remarkable woman, who followed Jesus in a remarkable way. I felt challenged and blessed by learning about Annalena’s life.

As Jones writes, “Service ultimately comes down to love, and love is as simple and as distressing as holding a dying person’s hand or bringing a cup of cold water to a tuberculosis patient. Simple, because anyone can do it. Distressing, because most of us wish we could do so much more. We want to be world changers and it is hard to admit we are weak, only strong enough to love one person at a time. Annalena proves that love in action is simple, yes. But it is also profound enough to truly change the world.”

I am always looking for books that show how ordinary people overcome odds that are against them at every turn. Annaleana Tonelli, a young girl who serves and treats tribesmen in Somalia, concentrating on TB when almost everyone said it was an impossible task. She proved that with the right plan and mindset, the impossible can be accomplished. Acting as a representative or no group, religion, or faction, she assimilated into the Somalian people, lived as they did, and by doing so, so found herself in the hearts of the people she was treating.

While other more wealthy and well-formed groups attempted to do the same thing she was accomplishing, she proved that her way was the only way it worked. This major fact put at odds with powerful people and the warlords of fighting tribes.

Annaleana never gave up, continually believing that she could and was making a difference.