An Ordinary Man

The author of An Ordinary Man, Paul is a hotel manager who shelters 1,268 displaced people in a hotel during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. 

At a young age, Paul learns the ideal of caring for others from his father, who protects refugees during the Hutu Revolution of 1959. Using this example, during the genocide, Paul opens the Hotel Milles Collines to Tutsis fleeing slaughter and moderate Hutus who don’t to be forced to join the militias.

Paul uses his skills as a consummate service professional to keep his guests safe and the Hutu militias at bay. As manager of the Belgian-owned Mille Collines, a luxury hotel in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, he knows when to slip a bottle of Scotch to corrupt army colonels to keep them happy and satiated. These acts of bribery, flattery, and his relationships with the important people in Rwanda—city officials, army officers, top businessmen, and foreign visitors—allow Paul to talk the militias into leaving the hotel and its occupants alone.

Paul is naturally cautious and unassuming. However, when hundreds of people seek shelter in his hotel, Paul’s number one priority becomes the safety of his guests. This signifies a significant evolution of his character. Despite his bravery and willingness to risk his own life, Paul does not present himself as an idealistic or extraordinary man.