Publishers Weekly Review
In this gripping and timely memoir, Uwiringiyimana, a member of the Banyamulenge (a minority tribe in the Democratic Republic of Congo), recounts a childhood shaped by experiences as a refugee in Africa and the United States. Memories of her younger sister, Deborah, who died at age six when their tribe was attacked in a refugee camp, bookend the narrative. While the trauma of surviving the massacre reverberates throughout the story, the author also shares how multiple incidents of being treated as an outsider contributed to her nuanced sense of identity. As a child, "[the Congolese kids] would say I wasn't truly Congolese." After the massacre, when Sandra's family participated in a resettlement program and moved to Rochester, N.Y., she entered "a different kind of war zone" in which she was defined by her skin color. With compassion and perspicacity, Uwiringiyimana shares the journey through which she became a courageous advocate for her tribe and refugees everywhere: "This is my story.... I must keep telling it, until the international community proves.... that my family and all others are not disposable." Ages 13-up. Agent: Jess Regel, Foundry Literary + Media. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. |
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-The greatest storytellers connect with readers through universal truths, and Uwiringiyimana tells her own profound story with clarity and honesty. After a heart-pounding cliff-hanger opening, Uwiringiyimana goes back in time to revisit her childhood in Uvira, a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although occasionally interrupted by bouts of war and subsequent migration, her childhood was rich and fulfilling. However, everything changed during a stay at a refugee camp. The camp at Gatumba was attacked by the Forces for National Liberation, a militant rebel group-a deadly event that would forever alter Uwiringiyimana and her family. The resulting narrative is a powerful look at the family's move to the United States, the challenges of adjusting to a different culture, Uwiringiyimana's painful recognition of her trauma from the massacre, and, finally, the healing she experienced as she took ownership of her emotional needs. Throughout, readers will be able to relate to Uwiringiyimana's adolescent struggles of fitting in and her relationship with her parents as a new adult. The title is a critical piece of literature, contributing to the larger refugee narrative in a way that is complex and nuanced but still accessible for a YA audience. VERDICT This poignant memoir is a must-have for teen collections.-Hannah Ralston, Webster Public Library, NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |