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chillcox15's review against another edition
4.0
In turn a memoir of the author memories of her mother and a more ethnographic depiction of life in communities of displaced Tutsis. Mukasonga's authorial voice is excellent, weaving together different aspects of the feminine life that her mother, along with the other women in her community, navigated on a daily basis. I do think we lose her mother a bit as the book goes on, leaning more into the communal in place of the specific, but I acknowledge that may be my own societal expectation of individuality bearing some weight.
jessianekelly_'s review against another edition
5.0
Que livro bom!! Me faz lembrar o quanto a Literatura e a memória são formas de resistência diante de contextos tão difíceis quanto o de guerra e de genocídio. Conhecer os costumes culturais, a percepção de tempo, as histórias e as crenças dos tutsis me trouxe um encanto e autocrítica de uma forma inesperada. Por que eu não leio com frequência autores africanos? Como eu ainda não tinha lido nada da Scholastique Mukasonga?
pearloz's review against another edition
4.0
Less than the description suggests "moving, unforgettable tribute to a Tutsi woman who did everything to protect her children from the Rwandan genocide" or "story of the author's mother, a fierce, loving woman who for years protected her family from the violence encroaching upon them in pre-genocide Rwanda." It felt more like a first-hand sociological breakdown of a forming society within a refugee camp. Everything is described--from matchmaking to pooping, rituals, rites, curses, cures, are all explored with an almost detached eye. And maybe, I'll concede, that detached eye is allowed to be observant and detached because of the safety suggested by the books description. To me, it felt like the book was about continuing traditions in the face of adversity, in a new home, new space, about trying to retain your customs and traditions in the face of a coming tragedy.
shannon97's review against another edition
5.0
“Mama, I wasn’t there to cover your body, and all I have left is words - words in a language you didn’t understand - to do as you asked. And I’m all alone with my feeble words, and on the pages of my notebook, over and over, my sentences weave a shroud for your missing body.”
This book is a beautiful, loving tribute to the author’s mother, the Tutsi people and the traditions and way of life that exile and genocide tried so hard to erase. Mukasonga describes the way her mother - and so many other Tutsi women - worked so hard to hold together a community exiled from their home and facing an ever-present threat of violence. Her prose is both heartbreaking and beautiful.
This book is a beautiful, loving tribute to the author’s mother, the Tutsi people and the traditions and way of life that exile and genocide tried so hard to erase. Mukasonga describes the way her mother - and so many other Tutsi women - worked so hard to hold together a community exiled from their home and facing an ever-present threat of violence. Her prose is both heartbreaking and beautiful.
anushka_adishka_diaries's review against another edition
4.0
3.5⭐ rounded to 4⭐
“But this time solidarity and pity were stronger than tradition.”
“But this time solidarity and pity were stronger than tradition.”
catandherbooks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Blood and Rape