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briannethebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
In this memoir, Clemantine Wamaryia shares her story of escaping the Rwanda genocide with her sister. Told in chapters alternating between her childhood, her teen/college years, and adulthood, Clemantine details how her and her sister Claire did whatever it took to be safe, even when it meant leaving their family behind. Her reflection about what she endured and how she now feels about it is terrifying yet candid.
What I really liked about Clemantine is that she looked up to Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and author of Night, and she brings up his own story throughout hers. Though the telling of her own story lacks the emotion that you might expect, I admired Clemantine because of how willing she was to be honest about her detached tone and what she really thinks. Clemantine isn’t your typical survivor; she doesn’t talk about closure or forgetting the past, and she doesn’t necessarily tell her story for the purpose of inspiring others. While it didn’t really evoke emotion from me, I enjoyed reading it because her story was honest, atypical, and important.
What I really liked about Clemantine is that she looked up to Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and author of Night, and she brings up his own story throughout hers. Though the telling of her own story lacks the emotion that you might expect, I admired Clemantine because of how willing she was to be honest about her detached tone and what she really thinks. Clemantine isn’t your typical survivor; she doesn’t talk about closure or forgetting the past, and she doesn’t necessarily tell her story for the purpose of inspiring others. While it didn’t really evoke emotion from me, I enjoyed reading it because her story was honest, atypical, and important.
k_paul's review against another edition
5.0
I decided to read this book next because we are going over it in class this week. The title of the book wasn't very compelling to me, but once I started reading and learned where it came from, it grew on me.
I would teach this book in schools. It gives a raw perspective of what it is like to experience trauma and how it can be nearly impossible to separate ourselves from that experience. It is not just a simple 'I'm safe now' instead, it takes time to heal and even then there is still a small part that feels like it can never be healed. This book doesn't shy away from the details that are in most lessons regarding genocide. I think this would be a good way for students to understand why it is so horrific and why we can't let it happen.
Warnings: sex (rape, brothels), R&R (mentions of Holocaust and WWII, brief mention of a speech impediment, strictly patriarchal society, play pretend war, mention of funeral, war, the Rwandan genocide, refugees, dehumanizing, 9/11, disease, racism, white privilege/ignorance, Civil War, Vietnam War, child soldiers, depression, infidelity, discrimination, identity crisis, separation of families, disconnect with assimilating into a new culture, an eight-year-old acting as a mother), language (very brief swearing - only mentioned three to four times), violence (Holocaust, cruel and unusual punishments, beatings, guns, bombings, grenades, rape, genocide, cutting, abusive husband,)
I would teach this book in schools. It gives a raw perspective of what it is like to experience trauma and how it can be nearly impossible to separate ourselves from that experience. It is not just a simple 'I'm safe now' instead, it takes time to heal and even then there is still a small part that feels like it can never be healed. This book doesn't shy away from the details that are in most lessons regarding genocide. I think this would be a good way for students to understand why it is so horrific and why we can't let it happen.
Warnings: sex (rape, brothels), R&R (mentions of Holocaust and WWII, brief mention of a speech impediment, strictly patriarchal society, play pretend war, mention of funeral, war, the Rwandan genocide, refugees, dehumanizing, 9/11, disease, racism, white privilege/ignorance, Civil War, Vietnam War, child soldiers, depression, infidelity, discrimination, identity crisis, separation of families, disconnect with assimilating into a new culture, an eight-year-old acting as a mother), language (very brief swearing - only mentioned three to four times), violence (Holocaust, cruel and unusual punishments, beatings, guns, bombings, grenades, rape, genocide, cutting, abusive husband,)
jiao_li's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Genocide
Minor: Domestic abuse
oliviacsykes's review against another edition
4.0
sometimes i wonder if i put all the money i use to buy coffee towards something objectively better for society would it make a difference? i don’t know, maybe not, but at least people are writing books that do something and i can read them and yell at the sky.
macattack616's review against another edition
5.0
Such a compelling, heartbreaking story of survival! I wish I could give more than 5 stars to this story. Clemantine tells her story about being a refugee and a woman in such an honest way that it brought me to tears. One of my favorite reads of 2018!
agrayreads's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful story and memoir. Thankful this story was told.
alyssatuininga's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
mpanac's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0