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jrjackson 's review for:
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
by Clemantine Wamariya
One of my @bookofthemonth picks for this month was “The Girl Who Smiled Beads,” by Clemantine Wamariya. I previously mentioned how I feel like this is more than a war memoir, but also a coming of age story. I’m reminded of Anne Frank’s experience, how she was ultimately just a girl trying to find her way amidst unthinkable circumstances. While Clemantine’s story is obviously very unique, heartbreaking, and exceptional, her struggles are also universal. This is what, in part, makes this memoir so beautiful- that Clemantine relates her tragic experiences in a way that readers can relate to, though obviously in very different, less extreme ways. The themes of finding belonging and purpose, of trying to piece one’s story together to make sense- lots of people can understand this. While I in no way can really understand what she has been through, I know a little bit what it feels like to search for identity and figure out the broken pieces, and so I can go from there.
That was def a little long-winded, but I loved this memoir for those universal themes! Overall, this was at times beautifully written and insightful. It was a small lesson on postcolonial Africa and the Rwanda genocide. It was raw and emotional, and it loses a star partly for this reason. At times, this felt like it could be a little more concise. It felt like a catharsis of sorts, for Clemantine. Fueled by anger and emotions, which is beautiful in its own right, but still knocked it down a bit for me.
That was def a little long-winded, but I loved this memoir for those universal themes! Overall, this was at times beautifully written and insightful. It was a small lesson on postcolonial Africa and the Rwanda genocide. It was raw and emotional, and it loses a star partly for this reason. At times, this felt like it could be a little more concise. It felt like a catharsis of sorts, for Clemantine. Fueled by anger and emotions, which is beautiful in its own right, but still knocked it down a bit for me.