Reviews

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Only show reviews with written explanations

cornmaven's review against another edition

3.0

Nice memoir of a woman's experience as a survivor of a refugee camp and an immigrant in America.
I especially liked her discussions of learning American culture, coming to understand the issue of race in America, as well as her estrangement with her mother when she begins to have flashbacks from the event. It's a relatively fast read given the absence of any difficult language. I appreciated her commitment to making the world better for those who continue to live in refugee camps.

lesserjoke's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

A harrowing account of author Sandra Uwiringiyimana's early life during the Second Congo War, in which she was forced to flee her childhood home, witnessed the murder of her younger sister in an armed massacre at their settlement camp, and was sexually assaulted by a trusted relative -- all before she was twelve years old. Emigrating to the United States saved the family from immediate danger, but did little to resolve the lingering trauma that the writer continues to navigate as an adult. As she transitions into a career as a humanitarian activist, this memoir provides a valuable firsthand look at the horrors of ethnic cleansing, the refugee experience in America, and the difficulties of understanding local race relations as an outsider.

Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter

abigail_reading's review

Go to review page

inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Incredibly moving and heartbreaking

_cataluminium_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

Such a powerful, heartbreaking, eye-opening book about the author's experiences before, during, and after the Gatumba massacre. Several large-scale, systemic issues are talked about with brutal and refreshing honesty, something that is much-needed in literature.

_fia_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional inspiring slow-paced

5.0

bookishrealm's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I was approved for this book for review. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a powerful book! I loved it, I mean I really loved it! To hear what Sandra has been through was heart breaking, but it also opened up my eyes to other atrocities that plague the world and how they go unnoticed or forgotten by the public. Sandra reminds us that although it may not be happening to us it definitely is happening all over the world. This is such an inspiring story that I want to read more about young adults like her as well as adults who have grown up in war torn countries.