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ricksilva's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Immaculée Ilibagiza gives her harrowing account of surviving the Rwandan genocide of 1994. This wasn't an area of history that I knew much about, and although the author chooses to focus on the personal aspects of the story, she still does an excellent job of setting the stage and giving sufficient background for me to get an idea of the historical context.
The story itself is intense, as the author describes her time hiding in a tiny cramped room while mass-murderers repeatedly searched for her and the other Tutsi women who had joined her in seeking refuge under the protection of a local pastor. There is no shying away from the horrors unfolding around their refuge, sometimes happening at their very doorstep.
While the author, a devout Catholic, is clear in crediting her faith in getting her through the horrors of the killings, as well as helping her to find inner peace and a life beyond the war, her voice never comes off as preachy. She takes comfort in her own path, and works through the process of survival, grief, and finally forgiveness.
This is a powerful piece of writing on an important and dark chapter of history.
The story itself is intense, as the author describes her time hiding in a tiny cramped room while mass-murderers repeatedly searched for her and the other Tutsi women who had joined her in seeking refuge under the protection of a local pastor. There is no shying away from the horrors unfolding around their refuge, sometimes happening at their very doorstep.
While the author, a devout Catholic, is clear in crediting her faith in getting her through the horrors of the killings, as well as helping her to find inner peace and a life beyond the war, her voice never comes off as preachy. She takes comfort in her own path, and works through the process of survival, grief, and finally forgiveness.
This is a powerful piece of writing on an important and dark chapter of history.
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Genocide, Death, Gore, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
lucychafia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Very inspiring!
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence
remie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry
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