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A review by briannethebookworm
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya
4.0
In this memoir, Clemantine Wamaryia shares her story of escaping the Rwanda genocide with her sister. Told in chapters alternating between her childhood, her teen/college years, and adulthood, Clemantine details how her and her sister Claire did whatever it took to be safe, even when it meant leaving their family behind. Her reflection about what she endured and how she now feels about it is terrifying yet candid.
What I really liked about Clemantine is that she looked up to Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and author of Night, and she brings up his own story throughout hers. Though the telling of her own story lacks the emotion that you might expect, I admired Clemantine because of how willing she was to be honest about her detached tone and what she really thinks. Clemantine isn’t your typical survivor; she doesn’t talk about closure or forgetting the past, and she doesn’t necessarily tell her story for the purpose of inspiring others. While it didn’t really evoke emotion from me, I enjoyed reading it because her story was honest, atypical, and important.
What I really liked about Clemantine is that she looked up to Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and author of Night, and she brings up his own story throughout hers. Though the telling of her own story lacks the emotion that you might expect, I admired Clemantine because of how willing she was to be honest about her detached tone and what she really thinks. Clemantine isn’t your typical survivor; she doesn’t talk about closure or forgetting the past, and she doesn’t necessarily tell her story for the purpose of inspiring others. While it didn’t really evoke emotion from me, I enjoyed reading it because her story was honest, atypical, and important.