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A review by leeannette09
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya
4.0
lol ok I’m embarrassed at how long I took to finish this book… but it’s just because I was in a real reading rut and not a reflection on this book.
overall, a very good read! I didn’t know much/anything about the Rwandan genocide prior to reading this, so it was a real eye-opener for me. makes me really analyze my privileged life and be grateful for the things I have and take for granted on a day-to-day basis.
I really appreciated Clemantine’s recounting of her experiences not only as someone had suffered when she was young, but also how her past has affected her present; how she carries the identity of being an immigrant, a refugee, and a Black woman. “but I was still a character out of their imagination, a prisoner of their assumptions. I was not their equal” (241) - this quote really stuck with me and helped me to understand, as much as I can, her experience and the burdens she carries, just simply because of who she is and her story.
would recommend this to anyone who likes memoirs or is interested in learning more about the history of Rwanda!
overall, a very good read! I didn’t know much/anything about the Rwandan genocide prior to reading this, so it was a real eye-opener for me. makes me really analyze my privileged life and be grateful for the things I have and take for granted on a day-to-day basis.
I really appreciated Clemantine’s recounting of her experiences not only as someone had suffered when she was young, but also how her past has affected her present; how she carries the identity of being an immigrant, a refugee, and a Black woman. “but I was still a character out of their imagination, a prisoner of their assumptions. I was not their equal” (241) - this quote really stuck with me and helped me to understand, as much as I can, her experience and the burdens she carries, just simply because of who she is and her story.
would recommend this to anyone who likes memoirs or is interested in learning more about the history of Rwanda!