Reviews

The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya

christinavarela's review against another edition

3.0

FW 18. This was a hard read. Genocide & what comes after through the eyes of a child.

lopster9's review against another edition

5.0

An intense memoir on the genocide in Rwanda that switches back and forth between her harrowing experience in Africa to her home in America, where she was granted refugee status. Clemantine's story forces the reader to really think about the power of words, truth, and the desire to live in the moment.

abergland7's review against another edition

5.0

Really loved this book from beginning to end. Such a powerful story.

angiew23's review against another edition

5.0

This book was my pick for my book club and I’m so glad I read it. I was worried a book about genocide would be too heavy for a book club, but it had just the right amount of detail without being graphic or too much to handle (speaking as an average person who has not experienced immense trauma - If you have experienced refugee-like experiences, this book may be triggering).

I did not have a lot of background knowledge about the Rwandan Genocide prior to reading and now I feel like I know some but am eager to find other books to continue learning. Even more than the genocide, my eyes were truly opened to the terrible conditions of refugee camps. I definitely have a different image in my mind than I did before.

The timeline of this book can be confusing at times, but I believe it is related to the process of dealing with trauma, that it is not linear, and PTSD causes flashbacks and forgotten moments.

I commend Clementine for her bravery, her strength and her drive to not only survive but succeed. Thank you for sharing your story, as painful as it may have been, I hope you experienced some healing as a result of the process.

amn028's review against another edition

5.0

This book gripped me right from the start. The author is so open and honest about her feelings and thoughts escaping genocide and the lasting psychological effects. It is a hard, painful read at times. I feel like there are no words to describe just how stellar this novel was.

daniellearider's review against another edition

This book is impossible to review--unsettling, questioning, painful memoir of growing up and fighting for survival during the Rwandan Civil War. A must read for everyone.

bibliobethica's review against another edition

4.0

A remarkable story of survival told with pain, joy, and laughter. Clemantine Wamariya shares intimate details of her life in a way that lets the reader into her world. The life of a refuge is not one that I can imagine, but this novel gave me some idea of what it must be like.

terrimarshall's review against another edition

4.0

I didn’t know much about the genocide in Rwanda, so I picked up this book. Like other memoirs by immigrants/refugees, I learn a lot when I read about their experiences. This author struggled a lot with adapting to life after her refugee experience, and it was eye-opening for me hear her story.

evanvlack's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

This book makes you think about how we view war and those who have suffered through war in the 21st century. Clemantine’s anger is hard to sit with. You want to wrap it all up with a ribbon and say it’s all good, but her wiring helps you realize it doesn’t work that way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and War

noelles's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75