A powerful memoir of a Congolese child-refugee who turns pain into purpose through resilience, faith and healing power of dance.
Also available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target
A powerful memoir of a Congolese child-refugee who turns pain into purpose through resilience, faith and healing power of dance.
Also available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target
In this powerful memoir of resilience, forgiveness, and a mothers’s “divine resourcefulness,” a Congolese child-refugee of war searches for belonging while seeking acceptance in diverse American communities. Through the creative and healing power of dance, Deo navigate past trauma and transform pain into purpose.
Firmly rooted in the rich heritage of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Deo Mwano begins his story with recollections of his hometown Mbanza Ngungu. This city was far from the Zairian capital of Kinshasa, where his father served as an officer aligned with the prominent Zairean General Dantien Mahele, a would-be peacemaker, before the fall of the Mobutu regime. Reflecting on the colonial legacy, the linguistic mélange, the abundant flavors, textures, and music of Zaire, Mwano takes readers on a journey through the conflicts that shaped his childhood, the political upheavals, and war that forcibly resettled his family thousands of miles from his birthplace.
In New Hampshire, new struggles emerge as his family works to build a life in America, never far from the memories of the violence they escaped. As Deo shoulders responsibilities beyond his years, he is thrust into early adulthood. Seeking community through faith, refuge in dance, and healing in sharing his story, he searches for a way forward. Anchoring him on this difficult path is his father’s lasting charge: “Take care of the people I love. Take care of your mother and your little brothers.”
About The Author
Deo Mwano is a nationally recognized speaker, storyteller, and organizational development consultant who uses the creative arts to inspire connection, engagement, and social change.
Through dance, music, short films, and spoken storytelling, he helps organizations, communities, and individuals explore purpose, motivation, and human potential.
Mwano holds a BA in international relations and an MBA in strategic leadership. He has worked for the State Department, nonprofits, NGOs, educational institutions, and tech startups. TheUnion Leader newspaper has recognized Mwano as an emerging leader in their 40 Under Forty list and he was named one of the top 200 business leaders in the state by the NH Business
Review. In 2016, Deo was named a Top 3 Storyteller in a national competition hosted by GCIR(funded by the MacArthur Foundation) and The Moth. In 2017, Penn State invited Mwano tospeak at their kickoff event for their All In campaign, and in 2023, he received the University of
New Hampshire Granite State Award for positive social impact. His story has reached millions worldwide, including at TEDx, Q Ideas, and a nationally acclaimed performance on Dancing with the Stars, where he honored his mother with an original dance piece.
Deo Mwano lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. The Request is his first book.
Editorial Review
"In The Request, Deo Mwano delivers more than a memoir, he delivers a deeply human testament to the power of resilience, faith, family, and transformation. With honesty, vulnerability, and remarkable emotional depth, Deo takes readers from the heart of the Congo through the devastation of war, displacement, and the search for identity in America, all while carrying the weight of responsibility far beyond his years.
"What makes this story so powerful is not just the pain Deo endured, but the purpose he forged from it. Through faith, storytelling, and the healing art of dance, he transforms trauma into hope and suffering into strength. His journey is both intensely personal and universally relatable. A story about belonging, legacy, sacrifice, and the enduring promise to protect the people we love.
"The Request is a moving reminder that even in the aftermath of conflict and loss, healing is possible, identity can be reclaimed, and purpose can rise from the deepest wounds. This book will inspire readers from all walks of life."—Remi Adeleke, author of Chameleon and Transformed: A Navy SEAL's Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds
“At a time when refugees and immigrants are being scapegoated and persecuted, Deo’s story reminds us of the trauma and desperation that fuels their journey, the strength and resilience they bring to our society, and the hope to be found in loved ones, in art, and the process of rebuilding a life. It is, in so many ways, a quintessentially American story, told at a time when we seemed to have lost our way.”
—Paul leBlanc, Visiting Scholar and Special Advisor, Harvard University Graduate School of Education
“In my decades working alongside refugees across the world, Deo Mwano’s story stands out for its power and meaning. It speaks to courage, resilience, identity, and the transformative power of the arts. The Request is a 21st-century Horatio Alger story for America’s 250th, showing us what it means to go ‘from refugee to American.’ Read it. You will be inspired.”
—Sasha Chanoff, Founder and CEO, RefugePoint; Co-author, From Crisis to Calling: Finding Your Moral Center in the Toughest Decisions