Review: "Running the Rift" by Naomi Benaron

Date read - October 11th, 2013

Date published - January 3rd, 2012 - Algonquin Books

Source - Public Library

 

 

 Since he was a boy, Jean Patrick Nkuba wants more than anything to become Rwanda's first Olympic medal winner for track. As the years pass, Jean Patrick runs when he can, the dream of Olympic glory as strong as his legs can carry. But as he becomes older, the fault lines of Rwanda are slowly exposed. The racial tension between the Hutus and Tutsis simmer as Jean Patrick moves closer to his dream. In the fateful year of 1994, Jean Patrick will have to confront the horror that unravels before his eyes and the possibility of losing everything he loves dear.

For over seven years, I have done extensive research about Rwanda and the genocide in 1994, in where a little over a million Rwandans (mostly Tutsis) were killed in three months. When one reads about the genocide, you descend into the catacombs for evil, horror, and brutality. Naomi Benaron has done plenty of research for the novel, which is very accurate. The story begins slowly, but the momentum builds up. At one point, I couldn’t put the book down and I could feel my whole body tense up, the fear roaring through me knowing of the incoming horror that is about to befall on Rwanda. That being said, I couldn’t help but fall head over heels in love for Jean Patrick and the rest of his huge family and friends. It seems as they were real people, which shows to me the author’s devotion to each of them. By the end, I was in tears. When I first heard about the book and checked it out, I had a very good feeling that this was going to be a book that I would love. My instincts were on the dot.

  “Running the Rift” is filled with horror and terror, but also tenderness and hope. It is a loving tribute to the people of Rwanda, not just to the dead, but for the survivors whom refuse to give in to the painful past, and in doing so carrying the nation forward towards a better tomorrow. The resilience and determination of Jean Patrick will resonate with readers, just like it did with me.  A valuable addition to the literature of Rwanda, Naomi Benaron has done justice for the people of Rwanda and of our common humanity.

 

Naomi wrote an excellent essay on the evolution of "Running the Rift" and the duty of telling the stories in regards to social justice. Read here.

Bookaversary: A tribute

I see it's worn spine and the urge to flip through the pages is almost impossible. Tired and true, it has withstood the test of time- five years-and continues to be an important place in both my bookshelf and heart.

"Shake Hands with the Devil" is the horrifying true story of one of the worst and bloodiest genocides in history and the man in the middle of the horror. Canadian General Romeo Dallaire was sent to Rwanda in 1993 as head of the U.N. Peacekeeping mission. In a little as a few months later, he and his small band of peacekeepers would be witnesses to cold-blooded massacres and the betrayal of the entire world. Receiving an order to get out, he refused, writing that it would be immoral to withdraw when thousands of lives were at stake. One million deaths and one hundred days later, Gen. Dallaire would go back home a broken man in search of death: to rid himself of the guilt, pain, and sorrow of what he had seen.

On that Sunday morning in March of '06, my dad and I walked out of the mall with that wonderful treasure (I also purchased Samantha Power's "A Problem from Hell"). Weeks later, I would weep for the millions killed, for the indifference of the U.N., and overall for Gen. Dallaire. Yes, I will admit it has taken on something within me and replaced with both hope and strength. Hope that goodness can prevail and strength it takes to make it through the darkest of hours.

After all these years, I will always carry this important piece literature within the walls of my heart. It has shattered my heart but made me whole. The subject is tragic and heartbreaking yes, however it is an important example of courage, compassion, and hope through the darkest hours of humanity.

Review: "Extraordinary Evil" by Barbara Coloroso

 Date Finished- Jan 17, 2011

For years, I have read a plethora of books on the ever present tragedy of genocide. Now, a renouned author and expert on bullying, Barbara Coloroso switches gears with "Extraordinary Evil". This groundbreaking and brilliant book highlights three major genocides (Armenia, Holocaust, and Rwanda) and how and why they occurred. One of the reasons why this book is unique is because Ms. Coloroso uses the fundamentals of bullying in explaining genocide. However brief, "Extraordinary Evil" has left a firm impression within my heart (I actually wept at the end). I urge everyone to read this heartbreaking and refreshingly human book!

http://www.kidsareworthit.com/