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trixie_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the book, though it was confusing because it jumped around in time quite a bit.
she_reads_truth_365's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
habeels's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book during a Goodreads giveaway and so am giving this review because I received a copy. The story is a heartbreaking one of a Rwandan refugee child fleeing from one refugee camp to another with her older sister. It also details her life in America. This book is mainly one of suffering, struggles, and coping. It was some details of hope though which made it worth the read. It's hard to imagine all that the country of Rwanda went through during this war but this one glimpse of this girl's struggle helps to show the pain and suffering so many people had to endure. And how some got out and continued to live. I highly recommend reading this book.
sonj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Following the Rwandan Genocide, a young girl and her siblings are displaced and must fight for their right to live in a world that will never understand them. Without community, family, or earthly belongings, the siblings make allies throughout African refugee camps and become tokenized in American media. The emotional struggle of the (understandably) unreliable narrator is both funny and ruthless and makes this book a heartbreaking triumph.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
shaniquekee's review against another edition
5.0
Every human life is equally valuable. Each person's story is vital. This is just one.
What a memoir! Clemantine tells her story unapologetically, as it is. She does not try to make heroes or villains out of herself or anyone: people are people, capable of good and terrible evil, of compassion and pain. That she survived every step of the way is a remarkable indicator of her fortitude and persistence. Her story is a hard one, but it needs to be told, to be heard, not as the voice of the Rwandan genocide, but as a single voice among the millions of voices of those affected and afflicted by the violence.
What a memoir! Clemantine tells her story unapologetically, as it is. She does not try to make heroes or villains out of herself or anyone: people are people, capable of good and terrible evil, of compassion and pain. That she survived every step of the way is a remarkable indicator of her fortitude and persistence. Her story is a hard one, but it needs to be told, to be heard, not as the voice of the Rwandan genocide, but as a single voice among the millions of voices of those affected and afflicted by the violence.
psunyi's review against another edition
5.0
This book was exceptional. It was so heart wrenching, thought provoking and beautifully written. It's an important read because it will illuminate the struggles and hardships refugees go through, not just while they're abroad but even once they're settled in the U.S.
ppmarkgraf's review against another edition
4.0
4.5...Wow!! What a magnificently, powerful and emotionally raw memoir. This greatly impacted my entire being--down to the most basic fiber. Additionally, I was surprised at how effectively it humbled me--making me aware of my ignorance and my sheltered experiences. I now realize that US refugee status does not necessarily aid in the healing of life's horror-filled transgressions--that perhaps, there is no correct formula for healing.
I was sent this ARC with the understanding that I would provide an honest review (To be released to the general public in April of 2018). Thank you, so very much for providing me with this masterful story.
I was sent this ARC with the understanding that I would provide an honest review (To be released to the general public in April of 2018). Thank you, so very much for providing me with this masterful story.
boipoka's review against another edition
4.5
This book will stay with me for a long time. It was a strange and unforgettable feeling, reading this book.
I had kind of gone in expecting a refugee memoir that'll set a broader context. I know nothing about the Rwandan genocide - and expected to learn something about that event and it's aftermath. But this wasn't that kind of book - Clemantine takes strong exception to generalizing her experience, and she (rightly) believes the onus of educating us is not on her. This book is a deeply personal, and _individual_ memoir - tightly focused on one child's experience of fleeing the Rwandan genocide, her thoughts and struggles.
This is a messy and untidy book. Not much is explained about the context of the genocide - there's one short paragraph where she covers Belgian colonization and the Huti/Tutsi division, and another where she says that's the neat story the modern Rwandan government has created. It's never really clear where she stands on this - whom, if anybody, she blames for this. There's a lot of rage about how the aftermath of the genocide was handled, esp. the "forgive and forget" approach to moving on - but the author seems as incapable as anybody else of coming up with a way forward. A lot is unclear in this book, lots of questions unanswered (I was most curious about her current relationship with her faith and god) and the whole story is extremely fragmented. All this would have likely annoyed the crap out of me in fiction - but it somehow worked here. The fragmented story felt realistic - a stressed child isn't likely to have formed very many coherent memories after all. And the "modern" chapters, reflecting on the past and giving us some updates, did help clarify some things at least.
It helpt that the writing is really great, and Clemantine's raw emotions bleed though the narrative. I really appreciated it. I came away with very complex feelings about the author - while I have a lot of sympathy for what she had to go through, and the utter destruction of her childhood, I also don't _like_ her very much. And honestly I think that's the great success of this book - it made me think of her as a complete human being, rather than a victim of circumstances who is to be pitied and coddled.
I had kind of gone in expecting a refugee memoir that'll set a broader context. I know nothing about the Rwandan genocide - and expected to learn something about that event and it's aftermath. But this wasn't that kind of book - Clemantine takes strong exception to generalizing her experience, and she (rightly) believes the onus of educating us is not on her. This book is a deeply personal, and _individual_ memoir - tightly focused on one child's experience of fleeing the Rwandan genocide, her thoughts and struggles.
This is a messy and untidy book. Not much is explained about the context of the genocide - there's one short paragraph where she covers Belgian colonization and the Huti/Tutsi division, and another where she says that's the neat story the modern Rwandan government has created. It's never really clear where she stands on this - whom, if anybody, she blames for this. There's a lot of rage about how the aftermath of the genocide was handled, esp. the "forgive and forget" approach to moving on - but the author seems as incapable as anybody else of coming up with a way forward. A lot is unclear in this book, lots of questions unanswered (I was most curious about her current relationship with her faith and god) and the whole story is extremely fragmented. All this would have likely annoyed the crap out of me in fiction - but it somehow worked here. The fragmented story felt realistic - a stressed child isn't likely to have formed very many coherent memories after all. And the "modern" chapters, reflecting on the past and giving us some updates, did help clarify some things at least.
It helpt that the writing is really great, and Clemantine's raw emotions bleed though the narrative. I really appreciated it. I came away with very complex feelings about the author - while I have a lot of sympathy for what she had to go through, and the utter destruction of her childhood, I also don't _like_ her very much. And honestly I think that's the great success of this book - it made me think of her as a complete human being, rather than a victim of circumstances who is to be pitied and coddled.
100booksyearly's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
Raw, urgent, yet disarmingly beautiful, The Girl Who Smiled Beads captures the
true costs and aftershocks of
RWANDAN GENOCIDE.
One of the best trauma memoirs I’ve read.
I so appreciated how Wamaria insist on
telling her story on her terms:
telling us what she wanted to share,
keeping back what’s hers, and not worrying about pissing off anyone to tell her truth.