A review by litgirlliv
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya

4.0

A survivor of the Rwandan genocide commits to detailing the many consequences of trauma. This memoir is rich in emotion, growth, and history. It presents critical conversations about privilege, religion, and cultural difference. And it pushes thought-provoking reflections on recovery and identity. Im appreciative of the author’s ability to illustrate terror and desperation without facilitating voyeurism. The book’s organization is strategic, engrossing the reader in the plot while also structuring pointed critique and conversation. Above all, I appreciate the author‘s depiction of hopelessly flawed but unquestionably strong familial relationships.