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923 reviews for:
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
Clemantine Wamariya, Elizabeth Weil
4.25 AVERAGE
923 reviews for:
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
Clemantine Wamariya, Elizabeth Weil
4.25 AVERAGE
I loved the balance between the war and her life now. It was such a raw and real portrayal of how trauma impacts people.
This was my second book for the Read More Diverse Non-fiction
2024 challenge and it was so much more than I anticipated. This is a heartbreaking story of a young girl whose life was torn apart by wer and genoc!de and her strength and resiliance. Some of the writing flow and stylistic choices didnt entirely resonate with me but the story itself is so important and relevent.
I have read a couple of books about the genocide in Rwanda, but I have never read one with such a unique perspective into the refugee experience. Clemantine allows you to enter into her inner thoughts and experiences and reading this book felt like an intimate experience. I feel like I'm leaving this book having a far more nuanced understanding of the mental/emotional refugee experience and how that impacts the way she (and other refugees) perceive and interact with the world.
The Girl Who Smiled Beads is the next, Escape from Camp 14! You don't want to miss this book. A truly must read.
Instantly, I was hooked by Clemantine's voice. Her story is a strong one. Yet, it is not without sorrow. Imagine being in a refugee camp and being thankful for "flour". A simple ingredient but it can be used to help make so many foods or once a month getting half a vitamin or a dried biscuit. If you have food and a home; then, you are "rich" in abundance.
However, this book is not about sorrow or even triumph. It is about being a survivor. Back to Clemantine. Her voice really resonated with me. Thus, the reason I enjoyed this book.
Instantly, I was hooked by Clemantine's voice. Her story is a strong one. Yet, it is not without sorrow. Imagine being in a refugee camp and being thankful for "flour". A simple ingredient but it can be used to help make so many foods or once a month getting half a vitamin or a dried biscuit. If you have food and a home; then, you are "rich" in abundance.
However, this book is not about sorrow or even triumph. It is about being a survivor. Back to Clemantine. Her voice really resonated with me. Thus, the reason I enjoyed this book.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Rwanda genocide survivor story. African refugee story. Coming of age without parents story.
4.5 (I really need to tell Goodreads to add that 1/2 star as an option!). As my son said when he told me to read this, it’s a horrific story, told in heartbreaking language that doesn’t crush you. This is a must read.
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Read for work. A compelling story which outlines the refugee and displacement experience, and the trauma, brilliantly.