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A review by alykat_reads
How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
fast-paced
5.0
It really speaks to the absolute privilege (and ignorance) us Americans have that these atrocities are happening around the world, many of them funded and fueled by the USA itself, and we are blatantly unaware. I've learned more in the last 6 months than I have in the first 32 years of my life. We are purposely kept in the dark about all of these things, and waking up to that has been absolutely rage inducing. It has utterly changed my life and I am forever grateful for that because I refuse to bury my head in the sand any longer and pretend like the atrocities around the world have nothing to do with me and the culture I live in.
This was beautifully written, and listening to Sandra narrating it herself on audio made it all that much better. The emotions really came through and it really added to an already powerful narrative. The horrors she faced as a ten year old, and subsequently written about in such a mature (not the word I'm looking for here, but can't quite come up with the one I want) way 15 years later, it really shows the perseverance and grit of the Congolese people. It also really highlights how it's not like these places are "undeveloped" like they try to market to us - these are cities where people are established and have histories. The "western standard" aka imperial, capitalistic standard is not the end all be all. It's all I kept thinking throughout this - we do not have 'the best' way of life - unless we are talking about the way that destroys the planet and exploits people.
Free Congo
This was beautifully written, and listening to Sandra narrating it herself on audio made it all that much better. The emotions really came through and it really added to an already powerful narrative. The horrors she faced as a ten year old, and subsequently written about in such a mature (not the word I'm looking for here, but can't quite come up with the one I want) way 15 years later, it really shows the perseverance and grit of the Congolese people. It also really highlights how it's not like these places are "undeveloped" like they try to market to us - these are cities where people are established and have histories. The "western standard" aka imperial, capitalistic standard is not the end all be all. It's all I kept thinking throughout this - we do not have 'the best' way of life - unless we are talking about the way that destroys the planet and exploits people.
Free Congo