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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
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Wow. A powerful memoir that makes you think beyond "survivor" or "victim" and ponder how we each have something to give as well as receive. Loved this.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Rape, Grief, War
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
A very well-written book about the Rwandan genocide from the perspective of a woman who managed to escape with her sister and eventually go to the United States. By mixing the past and the present, it avoids “trauma porn” which is seen in many books or films depicting extreme versions of violence for the entertainment of the audience. I’d love to read her other book as well.
4.5 stars
Memoir of a woman who escaped the Rwandan genocide at 6 with just her 14 year old sister and their survival - across refugee camps, across countries, and how to overcome these scars that last forever. They were so young and it’s heartbreaking to hear this loss of childhood and family. But it’s an important listen/read.
Memoir of a woman who escaped the Rwandan genocide at 6 with just her 14 year old sister and their survival - across refugee camps, across countries, and how to overcome these scars that last forever. They were so young and it’s heartbreaking to hear this loss of childhood and family. But it’s an important listen/read.
A+ Car listen. Highly recommend as audiobook. Book itself is longish and slowed considerably down by the end, so it might not grab your reluctant 8th grade memoir readers, but it should still stay on the list for local appeal.
I’ve read a lot of books about refugees from all over Africa. Each is unique, each is powerful, and each makes me think. I can tell that Clemantine is still trying to heal and by heart breaks for her because the process is so long. But I am appreciative of the stories she shared with me.
A heart-wrenching memoir about the genocide in Rwanda. It follows Clementine and Claire, two sisters who escaped and endured terrible conditions in various refugee camps for years. This book captures everything from the horrors of war to the struggle of what comes after.
