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

4.0

In the last 1990s, I was a wee bit obsessed with the story of the Rawandan genocide. I'm not sure how my background knowledge of the event filled in some gaps that were not fully explored (as seen at the time through the eyes of a five year old.) This memoir, written by a survivor who escaped with her sister to spend years bouncing among refugee camps before ending up in the USA by middle school, is about her personal aftermath and her life that can never be righted. Although it was a bit disjointed at times, bouncing around in time, which is always a touch problematic for me as a reader, I was glued to this book. It's a very accessible read about an historical horror.