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Broken Memory: A Novel of Rwanda
IRA Notable Books for a Global Society selection
Hiding behind an armchair, five-year-old Emma does not witness the murder of her mother, but she hears everything. And when the assassins finally leave, the young Tutsi girl somehow manages to stumble away from the scene, motivated only by the memory of her mother's last words: "You must not die, Emma!"
Eventually Emma is taken in by an old Hutu woman who risks her own life to hide the child. Emma stays with the old woman and a quiet bond forms between the two, but long after the war ends, the young girl is still haunted by nightmares.
When the country establishes courts to allow victims to face their tormenters in their villages, Emma is uneasy and afraid. But through her growing friendship with a young torture victim and the gentle encouragement of an old man charged with helping child survivors, Emma finds the courage to return to the house where her mother was killed and begin the journey to healing.
149 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
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June 23, 2018
In this brief, restrained novel, Elisabeth Combres, a former French journalist who worked in Latin America and Africa, introduces the topic of the 1994 Rwandan genocide to older children and younger teens. The book focuses on Emma, a Tutsi orphan, who—at the age of five—was directed by her mother to hide against the wall of her family home when the genocidaires banged at the door. Traumatized by her mother’s death, Emma had wandered for some time. Then, after watching a gentle, elderly Hutu peasant woman moving about on her land, Emma had approached the woman’s door and asked for food. She ended up staying.
As BROKEN MEMORY opens, Emma has been living with Mukecuru, “Grandmother”, for nine years. Unable to understand a God who would allow people to be killed in places of worship, Emma does not attend church, but every Sunday after mass she does accompany the old woman to her husband's grave. Emma believes one of the reasons that Mukecuru can walk so calmly is that she is surrounded by the peaceful ghosts of her dead relatives, not the bad spirits of the unburied dead. As a result of the horror she experienced, Emma’s memory is broken. In particular, she cannot remember her mother's face. Combres documents the young girl’s efforts to restore her memory and to heal.
The author shows us a country still traumatized almost a decade after the genocide. Ndoli, a boy whose head is marked by a machete blow, wanders the area where Emma lives with Mukecuru. He, too, is haunted. In 1994, tortured by genocidaires who wanted information about the rebels of Bisesero (in Eastern Rwanda, not far from Lake Kivu) whom his family members had joined, he told what he knew. His entire family had been killed as a result. Now he frightens people: he wanders about and seems to be mad, especially during the first two weeks of April each year, the anniversary of the genocide.
However, Ndoli is not blind to the suffering of others. He watches over Emma when she faints one day after seeing a truck containing prisoners returning to their prefecture. She had recognized the voice of a man on the truck. Genocidaires are coming back to the area to undergo trial at gacacas (ga-cha-chas), traditional village courts. Survivors are expected to identify those who had inflicted the violence years before.
The climax of BROKEN MEMORY revolves around Emma’s return to her original home. She needs to obtain a document to prove that she is indeed of Tutsi heritage. The document will qualify her to receive funds so that she can attend school and to get on with life. The ending of the book is hopeful.
In BROKEN MEMORY, Combres takes a difficult topic and presents it sensitively and accessibly for young people. The book appears to have been ably and naturally translated by Shelley Tanaka, a well-known Canadian editor of children’s literature and writer of children’s nonfiction. It is hard to know how young children got along after the genocide. I am not aware of books, fiction or nonfiction (adult or juvenile), which make this their sole focus. Most of Emma’s feelings and actions seem credible, though I was not fully convinced that a young girl would be unwilling to attend church with her elderly guardian or would be grappling with questions about God. I’m not sure how Rwanda, a once very religious country, has in fact coped with God and the Catholic church after the horrors that occurred there almost two and a half decades ago.
This is a simple narrative told in very simple language. It is blessedly not at all sensational. While I generally admire what Combres was able to do here, I do have a few reservations about the book. First of all, it seemed odd to me that Mukecuru would not be concerned when Emma, who has lived with her for nearly a decade, does not return home one night. It also seemed strange that the old woman would be willing to allow a 14-year-old girl to travel 60 km on her own to her home village. Rwanda was, and continues to be, a country plagued by sexual violence. Do Rwandans regard that violence as so much a fact of life that a young girl's solitary journey would not be worried about?
BROKEN MEMORY is an important contribution to children's literature, largely because there is so very little written for kids about the Rwandan genocide. (Compare this to the ample offerings--fictional and autobiographical-- for young people about the Holocaust.) Given that children's background knowledge about Rwanda is likely to be sparse, however, the book would have benefited from the inclusion of a glossary and a map. There is an author's note, but it isn't quite enough.
Recommended with some reservations.
As BROKEN MEMORY opens, Emma has been living with Mukecuru, “Grandmother”, for nine years. Unable to understand a God who would allow people to be killed in places of worship, Emma does not attend church, but every Sunday after mass she does accompany the old woman to her husband's grave. Emma believes one of the reasons that Mukecuru can walk so calmly is that she is surrounded by the peaceful ghosts of her dead relatives, not the bad spirits of the unburied dead. As a result of the horror she experienced, Emma’s memory is broken. In particular, she cannot remember her mother's face. Combres documents the young girl’s efforts to restore her memory and to heal.
The author shows us a country still traumatized almost a decade after the genocide. Ndoli, a boy whose head is marked by a machete blow, wanders the area where Emma lives with Mukecuru. He, too, is haunted. In 1994, tortured by genocidaires who wanted information about the rebels of Bisesero (in Eastern Rwanda, not far from Lake Kivu) whom his family members had joined, he told what he knew. His entire family had been killed as a result. Now he frightens people: he wanders about and seems to be mad, especially during the first two weeks of April each year, the anniversary of the genocide.
However, Ndoli is not blind to the suffering of others. He watches over Emma when she faints one day after seeing a truck containing prisoners returning to their prefecture. She had recognized the voice of a man on the truck. Genocidaires are coming back to the area to undergo trial at gacacas (ga-cha-chas), traditional village courts. Survivors are expected to identify those who had inflicted the violence years before.
The climax of BROKEN MEMORY revolves around Emma’s return to her original home. She needs to obtain a document to prove that she is indeed of Tutsi heritage. The document will qualify her to receive funds so that she can attend school and to get on with life. The ending of the book is hopeful.
In BROKEN MEMORY, Combres takes a difficult topic and presents it sensitively and accessibly for young people. The book appears to have been ably and naturally translated by Shelley Tanaka, a well-known Canadian editor of children’s literature and writer of children’s nonfiction. It is hard to know how young children got along after the genocide. I am not aware of books, fiction or nonfiction (adult or juvenile), which make this their sole focus. Most of Emma’s feelings and actions seem credible, though I was not fully convinced that a young girl would be unwilling to attend church with her elderly guardian or would be grappling with questions about God. I’m not sure how Rwanda, a once very religious country, has in fact coped with God and the Catholic church after the horrors that occurred there almost two and a half decades ago.
This is a simple narrative told in very simple language. It is blessedly not at all sensational. While I generally admire what Combres was able to do here, I do have a few reservations about the book. First of all, it seemed odd to me that Mukecuru would not be concerned when Emma, who has lived with her for nearly a decade, does not return home one night. It also seemed strange that the old woman would be willing to allow a 14-year-old girl to travel 60 km on her own to her home village. Rwanda was, and continues to be, a country plagued by sexual violence. Do Rwandans regard that violence as so much a fact of life that a young girl's solitary journey would not be worried about?
BROKEN MEMORY is an important contribution to children's literature, largely because there is so very little written for kids about the Rwandan genocide. (Compare this to the ample offerings--fictional and autobiographical-- for young people about the Holocaust.) Given that children's background knowledge about Rwanda is likely to be sparse, however, the book would have benefited from the inclusion of a glossary and a map. There is an author's note, but it isn't quite enough.
Recommended with some reservations.
October 16, 2009
Emma’s mother is murdered practically in front of her when soldiers come to exterminate her people, the Tutsis. She finds refuge with an old Hutu woman, whom she calls Mukecuru (grandmother). Mukecuru makes sure Emma is safe, hiding her from patrolling soldiers, and raising her as if she were her own daughter. As she grows up, Emma meets others whose lives were forever altered by the war – a boy whose skull was crushed in by soldiers (who still suffers post traumatic stress disorder), and an older man who has survived several wars. These people help her to understand her own feelings and experiences and this understanding allows her to gradually find the strength to become a whole person again.
Although this book won an award in France (it was originally published in the French language, and won the Priz NRP – Novelle Revue Pédagogique), it wasn’t a very compelling read. Emma isn’t a very interesting character and her horrifying experiences are understated – to the point where it’s difficult to identify with her mental scarring. Her life after her mother is murdered is pretty quiet – not much happens. Even though this is a short book, it seems to take a long time for anything to happen. Although Emma is supposed to be Rwandan, there’s nothing that really distinguishes her from any other ethnicity; she could be anyone. It doesn’t help that her name is “Emma,” which leads one to believe that she’s British or American. There are a lot of memoirs being published now that tell the stories of the children and teens who have survived the wars that have torn apart their countries (Bite of the Mango, and A Long Way Gone – both relate the atrocities in Sierra Leone), and these first-person accounts are much more appealing than this fictionalized story.
Although this book won an award in France (it was originally published in the French language, and won the Priz NRP – Novelle Revue Pédagogique), it wasn’t a very compelling read. Emma isn’t a very interesting character and her horrifying experiences are understated – to the point where it’s difficult to identify with her mental scarring. Her life after her mother is murdered is pretty quiet – not much happens. Even though this is a short book, it seems to take a long time for anything to happen. Although Emma is supposed to be Rwandan, there’s nothing that really distinguishes her from any other ethnicity; she could be anyone. It doesn’t help that her name is “Emma,” which leads one to believe that she’s British or American. There are a lot of memoirs being published now that tell the stories of the children and teens who have survived the wars that have torn apart their countries (Bite of the Mango, and A Long Way Gone – both relate the atrocities in Sierra Leone), and these first-person accounts are much more appealing than this fictionalized story.
March 26, 2013
Emma, a young girl, sits hiding behind a chair, her legs tucked under her, not moving, or daring to make a sound. As she sits there, she is tormented by the all too realistic sounds of her mother being beaten to death by Hutu extremists. After it is all over and the men leave, young Emma is not motivated to move at all. She has nothing left, no family. She has nothing but her mother’s words, “You must not die Emma!”
As Emma tried to survive, she was forced to sleep in bushes, go for many days without food, and was forced to walk through the bodies of the Tutsi people who had been mercilessly and brutally slaughtered. Eventually, she finds comfort in a Hutu woman, willing to take her in.
Yes, Hutu.
As Emma grows older, although the woman does not speak often, she forms a more mother daughter bond with the woman, but there is just one problem. Her memories.
Emma is haunted by the screams and memories of her mother being beaten to death, and even after it is all over, they still come back to haunt her. As people, many do not have to go through anything like the Rwandan Genocide. We do not have to hear to memories of our family being killed by people we do not even know. And the fact that anyone would have to is beyond my worst imagination.
These memories only haunt her more when a group of Hutus being accused ride through town. So how does this affect her? Well, as she listens to them speaking, she recognizes the voice of one of the men. He was one of the men who had killed her mother. This story shows us just how strong a person can be, and that, through companionship and friends, you can learn to push through a disaster, and learn to heal.
Although this book is fiction, the author Elisabeth Combres, interviewed survivors and created Emma as a representation of them. The emotions and struggles that are portrayed through Emma, serve as a continued reminder of how the World could have, SHOULD have, done something, but did not.
I started this book as just another book that I would read for my research project, soon to be tossed into the return box in our school library. But as I read more, I found a new interest in the events of the Genocide, and just how badly it affected the survivors. Also, this book not only opened my eyes, but also changed my biased opinion that all Hutus had participated. I am happy that I read this book, and give it a five out of five for not only sparking my newfound interest, but for showing me the deep emotional and mental problems a survivor will go through. Cheers.
July 29, 2016
This novel about the genocide of the Tutsi people in Rwanda centers around Emma, who is 4 when she hears, while hiding, her mother being murdered. She manages to escape and walks until she finds refuge with an old Hutu woman, with whom she then lives. The story focuses on how the killings affected the survivors, and it's vividly portrayed by Combres. Emma's fears and psychological problems are not the only ones addressed, however. Another character, Ndoli, is far more traumatized, as he was forced to betray his parents, who were then killed, and then left for dead himself. It amazed me how these characters slowly overcame post-traumatic stress disorder, through the distancing of time, professional counseling, public confrontation with the killers, and support from each other. Such strength. Don't know if I'd have it. I recommend this book, with caution because of the grisly scenes, to anyone who would like to know more about this terrible event.
January 11, 2015
When I started this book I had very little background knowledge of the Rwanda Genocide and chose it to help me learn. This book tells the story of Emma who has survived the genocide but lost her mother. Her life and fears after the event are interesting but I found that I didn't get a good feel for her before her mother was killed.
I will recommend this book to students who have a background knowledge and are looking for a nice easy read.
I will recommend this book to students who have a background knowledge and are looking for a nice easy read.
November 1, 2014
LA MÉMOIRE TROUÉE
Élisabeth Combres
„La mémoire trouée“ est un roman d’Élisabeth Combres. La thématique du roman est la situation du peuple du Rwanda après le génocide. L’histoire est basée sur des faits historiques réels. Les personnages, en revanche, ont été inventés par l’auteure, et sont donc fictifs.
Résumé
En avril 1994 au Rwanda, lorsque la guerre civile entre Tutsi et Hutu commence, Emma, une fille de cinq ans, assiste involontairement au meurtre de sa mère. Entendant les Tutsis arrivés, la maman ordonne à sa fille de se cacher, de se taire et de s’imaginer être ailleurs afin de lui permettre de survivre. Emma ne voit donc pas directement l’assassinat de sa mère de ses propres yeux, mais entend tout.
Après les massacres Emma, s’enfuie et trouve refuge chez une femme Hutu nommée Mukecuru. En la protégeant, cette femme encourt un énorme risque. Durant toutes ces années, Emma doit régulièrement se cacher dans des chants pour que personne ne découvre que Mukecuru s’occupe d’une Tutsi. En effet, cela mettrait un point final à leur vie.
Neuf ans plus tard, Emma, toujours traumatisée par ce grave incident, se réveille chaque nuit à cause d’un horrible cauchemar. Malgré cela, elle essaye de surpasser son passé et de vivre sa vie. Elle aide Mukecuru dans le ménage et la cuisine, l’accompagne à la tombe de son mari et vend des fruits au marché. Tout va relativement bien jusqu’au moment où les assassins sont jugés. Tous les souvenirs reviennent à la surface d’Emma, et celle-ci traverse une rude épreuve. Dans ces moments difficiles, Emma rencontre un jeune garçon, Ndoli, qui a traversé la même chose qu’elle, si ce n’est pire. Grâce à lui, Emma fait la connaissance d’un psychologue qui essaye de l’aider à tirer un trait sur son passé et à aller de l’avant. Pour cela, Emma se met à la recherche de son passé et retourne dans le village dans lequel elle a grandi.
Critique
« La mémoire trouée » est un roman très intéressant, informatif et dramatique.
Pour ce roman, Élisabeth Combres a choisi un vocabulaire descriptif, comme le démontre la phrase suivante: « Ndoli semblait avoir déserté son corps. Puis, sans prévenir, le jeune garçon baissa la tête, ou plutôt sa tête tomba, comme si le fil qui la maintenait droite s’était rompu d’un coup » (p. 49)
Le vocabulaire est plutôt difficile, c’est pour cela que le roman est accompagné d’un petit livret de vocabulaire, dans lequel les mots jugés trop compliqués pour les élèves, sont traduis. Les phrases sont plutôt longues, en raison des descriptions détaillées.
Le fait que le livre ne contienne ni d’images, ni d’illustration ne promeut pas la compréhension du texte.
Même si le style linguistique est plutôt exigeant, le roman vaut la peine d’être considéré comme une potentielle lecture de classe, car il contient beaucoup d’aspects utilisables pour approfondir différentes matières :
Pour comprendre le roman, il est important de connaître l’histoire du Rwanda. Le roman contient une introduction historique, « note de l’auteur », au début du livre, dans laquelle les aspects importants pour la compréhension du livre sont brièvement résumés. Celle-ci pourrait être approfondie avec plus d’informations sur la guerre civile tout au long de la lecture en classe, car le conflit entre Tutsi et Hutu paraît répétitivement dans le roman.
On pourrait également traiter l’aspect culturel, qui est évidemment présent dans le livre.
« La mémoire trouée » est aussi appropriée pour les cours de littératures. On pourrait traiter les différents points de vue narratifs, étant donné que le roman en contient deux, le narrateur omniscient et le narrateur-personnage.
Différents thèmes comme l’amitié, le traumatisme, les problèmes psychiques,… pourraient également être abordés dans les cours de « Lebenskunde ».
Pour toutes ces raisons, cette lecture serait absolument appropriée pour un enseignement EMIL. Le professeur pourrait lier les cours de français avec ceux d’histoire, de géographie, d’allemand (littérature),…
Elisabeth Combres utilise, comme déjà évoqué, un style linguistique exigeant. L’action, en revanche, est construite de manière simple. Pour la compréhension du roman, seuls quatre personnages sont d’importance primordiale. Le déroulement de l’action n’est pas complexe. Elle est séparée en trois parties ; l’assassinat de la mère d’Emma, sa vie neuf ans plus tard et sa vie dix-neuf ans plus tard.
Je pense que le roman serait une lecture idéale pour une classe de niveau secondaire II. Il faut dire que le roman est très long (120 pages) pour une lecture de classe en niveau secondaire I. C’est pour cela, que le livre pourrait faire partie d’un buffet littéraire dans le cadre d’un projet de lecture extensive, où il ne s’agirait pas de comprendre et d’analyser chaque détail du livre, mais plutôt d’élaborer une compréhension globale du texte et de motiver les élèves à lire dans une langue vivante (vgl. Kirchhoff, 2009, S. 4).
Extrait du livre p. 15
Emma se réveilla en sursaut, harassée par ce cauchemar qui revenait presque toutes les nuits depuis ce jour d’avril 1994 où ils avaient surgi dans la maison et assassiné sa mère. Elle n’avait pas assisté à la scène, mais elle l’avait entendue. Elle était alors recroquevillée derrière le vieux fauteuil, tremblante et terrifiée, se répétant, pour ne pas hurler, ce que sa mère lui avait ordonné quand le premier coup de gourdin s’était abattu sur la porte : « Faufile–toi là, ferme les yeux, mets tes mains sur tes oreilles, ne fais pas le moindre geste, pas le moindre bruit, et dis-toi que tu n’es pas dans cette pièce, tu ne vois rien, tu n’entends rien, bientôt tout sera fini. Tu ne dois pas mourir, Emma ! »
Tout fut vite fini ce jour-là comme le lui avait promis sa mère. Mais le cauchemar commençait à peine pour la fillette.
Bibliographie
Kirchhoff, P. (2009). Extensives Lesen in der Unterstufe des Gymnasiums. In : ForumSprache 2/2009. 4
Élisabeth Combres
„La mémoire trouée“ est un roman d’Élisabeth Combres. La thématique du roman est la situation du peuple du Rwanda après le génocide. L’histoire est basée sur des faits historiques réels. Les personnages, en revanche, ont été inventés par l’auteure, et sont donc fictifs.
Résumé
En avril 1994 au Rwanda, lorsque la guerre civile entre Tutsi et Hutu commence, Emma, une fille de cinq ans, assiste involontairement au meurtre de sa mère. Entendant les Tutsis arrivés, la maman ordonne à sa fille de se cacher, de se taire et de s’imaginer être ailleurs afin de lui permettre de survivre. Emma ne voit donc pas directement l’assassinat de sa mère de ses propres yeux, mais entend tout.
Après les massacres Emma, s’enfuie et trouve refuge chez une femme Hutu nommée Mukecuru. En la protégeant, cette femme encourt un énorme risque. Durant toutes ces années, Emma doit régulièrement se cacher dans des chants pour que personne ne découvre que Mukecuru s’occupe d’une Tutsi. En effet, cela mettrait un point final à leur vie.
Neuf ans plus tard, Emma, toujours traumatisée par ce grave incident, se réveille chaque nuit à cause d’un horrible cauchemar. Malgré cela, elle essaye de surpasser son passé et de vivre sa vie. Elle aide Mukecuru dans le ménage et la cuisine, l’accompagne à la tombe de son mari et vend des fruits au marché. Tout va relativement bien jusqu’au moment où les assassins sont jugés. Tous les souvenirs reviennent à la surface d’Emma, et celle-ci traverse une rude épreuve. Dans ces moments difficiles, Emma rencontre un jeune garçon, Ndoli, qui a traversé la même chose qu’elle, si ce n’est pire. Grâce à lui, Emma fait la connaissance d’un psychologue qui essaye de l’aider à tirer un trait sur son passé et à aller de l’avant. Pour cela, Emma se met à la recherche de son passé et retourne dans le village dans lequel elle a grandi.
Critique
« La mémoire trouée » est un roman très intéressant, informatif et dramatique.
Pour ce roman, Élisabeth Combres a choisi un vocabulaire descriptif, comme le démontre la phrase suivante: « Ndoli semblait avoir déserté son corps. Puis, sans prévenir, le jeune garçon baissa la tête, ou plutôt sa tête tomba, comme si le fil qui la maintenait droite s’était rompu d’un coup » (p. 49)
Le vocabulaire est plutôt difficile, c’est pour cela que le roman est accompagné d’un petit livret de vocabulaire, dans lequel les mots jugés trop compliqués pour les élèves, sont traduis. Les phrases sont plutôt longues, en raison des descriptions détaillées.
Le fait que le livre ne contienne ni d’images, ni d’illustration ne promeut pas la compréhension du texte.
Même si le style linguistique est plutôt exigeant, le roman vaut la peine d’être considéré comme une potentielle lecture de classe, car il contient beaucoup d’aspects utilisables pour approfondir différentes matières :
Pour comprendre le roman, il est important de connaître l’histoire du Rwanda. Le roman contient une introduction historique, « note de l’auteur », au début du livre, dans laquelle les aspects importants pour la compréhension du livre sont brièvement résumés. Celle-ci pourrait être approfondie avec plus d’informations sur la guerre civile tout au long de la lecture en classe, car le conflit entre Tutsi et Hutu paraît répétitivement dans le roman.
On pourrait également traiter l’aspect culturel, qui est évidemment présent dans le livre.
« La mémoire trouée » est aussi appropriée pour les cours de littératures. On pourrait traiter les différents points de vue narratifs, étant donné que le roman en contient deux, le narrateur omniscient et le narrateur-personnage.
Différents thèmes comme l’amitié, le traumatisme, les problèmes psychiques,… pourraient également être abordés dans les cours de « Lebenskunde ».
Pour toutes ces raisons, cette lecture serait absolument appropriée pour un enseignement EMIL. Le professeur pourrait lier les cours de français avec ceux d’histoire, de géographie, d’allemand (littérature),…
Elisabeth Combres utilise, comme déjà évoqué, un style linguistique exigeant. L’action, en revanche, est construite de manière simple. Pour la compréhension du roman, seuls quatre personnages sont d’importance primordiale. Le déroulement de l’action n’est pas complexe. Elle est séparée en trois parties ; l’assassinat de la mère d’Emma, sa vie neuf ans plus tard et sa vie dix-neuf ans plus tard.
Je pense que le roman serait une lecture idéale pour une classe de niveau secondaire II. Il faut dire que le roman est très long (120 pages) pour une lecture de classe en niveau secondaire I. C’est pour cela, que le livre pourrait faire partie d’un buffet littéraire dans le cadre d’un projet de lecture extensive, où il ne s’agirait pas de comprendre et d’analyser chaque détail du livre, mais plutôt d’élaborer une compréhension globale du texte et de motiver les élèves à lire dans une langue vivante (vgl. Kirchhoff, 2009, S. 4).
Extrait du livre p. 15
Emma se réveilla en sursaut, harassée par ce cauchemar qui revenait presque toutes les nuits depuis ce jour d’avril 1994 où ils avaient surgi dans la maison et assassiné sa mère. Elle n’avait pas assisté à la scène, mais elle l’avait entendue. Elle était alors recroquevillée derrière le vieux fauteuil, tremblante et terrifiée, se répétant, pour ne pas hurler, ce que sa mère lui avait ordonné quand le premier coup de gourdin s’était abattu sur la porte : « Faufile–toi là, ferme les yeux, mets tes mains sur tes oreilles, ne fais pas le moindre geste, pas le moindre bruit, et dis-toi que tu n’es pas dans cette pièce, tu ne vois rien, tu n’entends rien, bientôt tout sera fini. Tu ne dois pas mourir, Emma ! »
Tout fut vite fini ce jour-là comme le lui avait promis sa mère. Mais le cauchemar commençait à peine pour la fillette.
Bibliographie
Kirchhoff, P. (2009). Extensives Lesen in der Unterstufe des Gymnasiums. In : ForumSprache 2/2009. 4
February 25, 2017
Ceci était pour l'école, donc je devais le lire lentement, ce qui n'est pas si amusant. Néanmoins, je crois que ceci pouvait être meilleur. C'est un bon introduction du genocide qui est arrivé au Rwanda, mais les personnages ne sentaient pas 3 dimensionnel. C'était un peu confusant avec de l'écriture qui n'était pas bon, ce qui manquait de détails. Emma ressemble à un nom de quelqu'un britannique, pas d'un rwandais. Mukecuru était si gentille et Ndoli était mystérieux. Au total, je n'étais pas si investi dans l'histoire, malheureusement.
This was a book for school, thus I had to read it slowly, which was no too amusing. Nevertheless, I thought this could be better. It's a good introduction to the genocide that happened in Rwanda, but the characters didn't feel 3 dimensional. It was a little confusing with writing that wasn't too good, which lacked details. Emma seems like a British name, not Rwandan. Mukecuru was so kind and Ndoli was mysterious. All in all, I wasn't that invested in the story, sadly.
This was a book for school, thus I had to read it slowly, which was no too amusing. Nevertheless, I thought this could be better. It's a good introduction to the genocide that happened in Rwanda, but the characters didn't feel 3 dimensional. It was a little confusing with writing that wasn't too good, which lacked details. Emma seems like a British name, not Rwandan. Mukecuru was so kind and Ndoli was mysterious. All in all, I wasn't that invested in the story, sadly.
January 30, 2011
"Slide behind there, close your eyes, put your hands over your ears. Do not make the slightest move, not the slightest noise. Tell yourself that you are not in this room, that you see nothing, hear nothing, and that everything will soon be over. You must not die, Emma!"
Emma, a young Tutsi girl, was only five years old when she witnessed her mother being murdered during the genocidal war in Rwanda. This riveting novel reveals how Emma escaped, the nightmares that have haunted her both day and night, and how she eventually faced her fears and created a new life for herself.
Although the characters in this novel are fictional, the horrific events did actually take place in 1994. This novel is easy to read and provides accurate information about this time period. It would be an excellent tool to promote awareness on the topic and generate discussion about this tragic event in Rwanda's history
Emma, a young Tutsi girl, was only five years old when she witnessed her mother being murdered during the genocidal war in Rwanda. This riveting novel reveals how Emma escaped, the nightmares that have haunted her both day and night, and how she eventually faced her fears and created a new life for herself.
Although the characters in this novel are fictional, the horrific events did actually take place in 1994. This novel is easy to read and provides accurate information about this time period. It would be an excellent tool to promote awareness on the topic and generate discussion about this tragic event in Rwanda's history
March 4, 2010
As far as accounts of the Rwandan genocide go, this fictional novel seemed rather innocuous. I just didn't connect emotionally. I felt the book was a little too sparse to convey the depth of horror of these events.
November 21, 2013
my thoughts about this book are the same as what i hope to one day say about the suffering and the brokenness of our world: the ending was worth it
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May 28, 2014good
March 26, 2017
For Grade 9 Genocide Unit. An excellent easier text for ELL students or very low readers.
May 13, 2024
2.75
An important story.
An important story.
December 11, 2012
Its crazy how gifted most people in this world are. We all get what we want, whenever we want it. We are very fortunate to have a house and our own families to love. But some people aren’t as fortunate to have these things. Some people have no money, house or even families.
“Broken Memory” shows the dark side of some of the families in the world. Élisabeth Combres, author of this book, tells the story of a poor girl named Emma. She lives in the country of Rwanda, Africa where one of the worst genocides in history occurred. During this massacre, her mother died from Hutus invading their house. Emma was fortunate enough to be hiding under a couch while this happened. She may have survived this period, but the memories will always be there.
In Africa where the setting of the story is, there are a couple of tribes that hate each other there. They are the Tutsis and Hutus. Emma happens to be a Tutsi which means she wants to be killed by the majority of Hutus in Rwanda. This is what led to her mother’s death. Her house was also destroyed during this mess which meant for Emma for nowhere to go. She ends up at an older ladies house that will shelter her for the next few years of her life. While she lives with the women her life is still terrible. An example of this is when she goes out for a moment and some people see her. They seem like they wanted to kill her. But when she’s out there she sees a little boy that’s has dents and scars on his head. She ends up talking to this boy to learn he was part of the genocide. She says “Ndoli is beautiful.” They both go to this one man and draw him pictures or hear his stories to get this nightmare away from these kids. This leads to her nightmares of her mom. She always can picture that night, but not her mother’s face. But Emma still needs to find herself an education. As you can see there are many problems to her young life.
I liked this story because it always makes you curious what’s going to happen to Emma. It was very suspenseful and made you wonder what will happen next. It also show what lives are like for the less fortunate. I think it was pretty easy to read. I seemed to stay pretty focused and get through it quick. But at points I’d daydream because it would start to get boring. But I liked it for the most part. I’d say it’s more of a suspenseful, slow book. I say this because at times it makes me think a lot but it took a while to get to those parts. I think people that like wondering what’s next and like books about tragedies would love this book. You may need a little patience though because at points I found it boring. I think this book shows people the other side of life which I found very interesting.
“Broken Memory” shows the dark side of some of the families in the world. Élisabeth Combres, author of this book, tells the story of a poor girl named Emma. She lives in the country of Rwanda, Africa where one of the worst genocides in history occurred. During this massacre, her mother died from Hutus invading their house. Emma was fortunate enough to be hiding under a couch while this happened. She may have survived this period, but the memories will always be there.
In Africa where the setting of the story is, there are a couple of tribes that hate each other there. They are the Tutsis and Hutus. Emma happens to be a Tutsi which means she wants to be killed by the majority of Hutus in Rwanda. This is what led to her mother’s death. Her house was also destroyed during this mess which meant for Emma for nowhere to go. She ends up at an older ladies house that will shelter her for the next few years of her life. While she lives with the women her life is still terrible. An example of this is when she goes out for a moment and some people see her. They seem like they wanted to kill her. But when she’s out there she sees a little boy that’s has dents and scars on his head. She ends up talking to this boy to learn he was part of the genocide. She says “Ndoli is beautiful.” They both go to this one man and draw him pictures or hear his stories to get this nightmare away from these kids. This leads to her nightmares of her mom. She always can picture that night, but not her mother’s face. But Emma still needs to find herself an education. As you can see there are many problems to her young life.
I liked this story because it always makes you curious what’s going to happen to Emma. It was very suspenseful and made you wonder what will happen next. It also show what lives are like for the less fortunate. I think it was pretty easy to read. I seemed to stay pretty focused and get through it quick. But at points I’d daydream because it would start to get boring. But I liked it for the most part. I’d say it’s more of a suspenseful, slow book. I say this because at times it makes me think a lot but it took a while to get to those parts. I think people that like wondering what’s next and like books about tragedies would love this book. You may need a little patience though because at points I found it boring. I think this book shows people the other side of life which I found very interesting.
April 27, 2015
Emma is a five-year-old, Tutsi girl living with her mother at the time of a civil war in Rwanda. The genocide starts suddenly, and Emma and her mother are trapped when Hutus come to her door to kill them. She huddles behind a couch listening to grisly sounds of her mother being hacked to death with machetes. At first she is crippled with the hopelessness of not having anyone left in the world, total desolation. But she cannot betray her mother’s last request to her, “…you must not die Emma!” She wanders the country along with other refugees, just narrowly avoiding the bloodthirsty Hutus. After surviving near starvation and dehydration she is taken in by an elderly Hutu woman. Yes, Hutu.
Nine years later Emma has still not fully recovered from her experiences back in 1994. Her life has been on hold since the genocide because she cannot seem to make sense of this horrific event. Her nights are filled with nightmares of her mother’s death, and her last words. There is an agonizing amount of emotions like guilt, panicky terror, anger, loneliness, and confusion that overwhelm her when she tries to face her memories. So she chooses to just try to ignore them. However when the main culprits of the genocide are brought to justice, it becomes inescapable. Her mind attacks her with crippling flash backs that last for hours. It takes her nearly till the end of the book to accept that she couldn’t do much to help her mother or the millions of other victims.
With the help of Ndoli, a fellow survivor, and a man who councils child, genocide victims, she faces and sorts through her problems. Most of the story is bleak and heartbreaking, but the end gives a glimmer of hope. It is a good example of how things could always be worse, and that just because things are terrible in the present it doesn't mean that they always will be. It ends abruptly with her visiting the home her and her mother lived in during the genocide, but does give good closure to the story and the main character. Through Emma going back to the scene of the death she can release the hurt and finally move on.
Emma’s story is fictional but speaks truth that all survivors of this genocide can relate to. It’s an eye opener to anyone who doesn’t know the full extent of the events that occurred in April 1994, and allows us to feel and understand the emotions of the survivors. The book is itself a way of combating the prejudice the Hutus showed. Emma feels emotions that we all understand: hate, remorse, guilt, fear etc. People who read this book will come away more knowledgeable, and empathetic to all kinds of people, not just genocide survivors. Over all the writing was mediocre but the message and themes were strong, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Nine years later Emma has still not fully recovered from her experiences back in 1994. Her life has been on hold since the genocide because she cannot seem to make sense of this horrific event. Her nights are filled with nightmares of her mother’s death, and her last words. There is an agonizing amount of emotions like guilt, panicky terror, anger, loneliness, and confusion that overwhelm her when she tries to face her memories. So she chooses to just try to ignore them. However when the main culprits of the genocide are brought to justice, it becomes inescapable. Her mind attacks her with crippling flash backs that last for hours. It takes her nearly till the end of the book to accept that she couldn’t do much to help her mother or the millions of other victims.
With the help of Ndoli, a fellow survivor, and a man who councils child, genocide victims, she faces and sorts through her problems. Most of the story is bleak and heartbreaking, but the end gives a glimmer of hope. It is a good example of how things could always be worse, and that just because things are terrible in the present it doesn't mean that they always will be. It ends abruptly with her visiting the home her and her mother lived in during the genocide, but does give good closure to the story and the main character. Through Emma going back to the scene of the death she can release the hurt and finally move on.
Emma’s story is fictional but speaks truth that all survivors of this genocide can relate to. It’s an eye opener to anyone who doesn’t know the full extent of the events that occurred in April 1994, and allows us to feel and understand the emotions of the survivors. The book is itself a way of combating the prejudice the Hutus showed. Emma feels emotions that we all understand: hate, remorse, guilt, fear etc. People who read this book will come away more knowledgeable, and empathetic to all kinds of people, not just genocide survivors. Over all the writing was mediocre but the message and themes were strong, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
October 27, 2011
This book was extremely good.The title Broken Dreams pretty much summarizes the whole book. This young Tutsi Girl name Emma lived through the genocide in 1994. She was only 4 year old at the time. Her mother was murdered and she ran way and a Hutu elderly women took her in. 10 years later, she still haunted be memories of her mothers death. She didn't see it about heard every word, the screaming the murder laughing. She doesn't remember what her mother was like or the house she lived, which upsets her. A boy name Ndoli that lives in the village also a survivor of the genocide is even more haunted by the it. When the anniversary of the genocide Ndoli goes crazy. The two survivors become friends and help each other. Emma begins to see a doctor who is survivor and asks her to go to her home town and get proof that she is a Tutsi. She goes to her home town and to her old home which is in ruins. She finds a book in a pile of rubble. There was a picture of mother, which ultimately helps her. She started to remember what her whole house looked like. 10 years later she rebuilds her child home that her mother lived in. She found her mothers body and reburies it closer to her. She still see Ndoli. Ndoli she the doctor for help.
This was really good. I like that it was fiction but it felt realistic and actually these what survivors faced and had challenges after the genocide. The author's purpose for writing this book was to inform people what people faced during the genocide in Rwanda. The book gives us insight on what happen to them and the mental and emotional challenges they have to face. The theme of the book is mainly sadness and suffering. The examples are when Emma is going through break downs of hearing her mother die and tiring to remember.
This was really good. I like that it was fiction but it felt realistic and actually these what survivors faced and had challenges after the genocide. The author's purpose for writing this book was to inform people what people faced during the genocide in Rwanda. The book gives us insight on what happen to them and the mental and emotional challenges they have to face. The theme of the book is mainly sadness and suffering. The examples are when Emma is going through break downs of hearing her mother die and tiring to remember.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2017
The story in Broken Memory takes place in Rwanda, where a 5 year old girl named Emma is left traumatized after she heard her mother get murdered by assassins; the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan genocide was a mass slaughter of the Tutsi tribe by the Hutu (the majority government of Rwanda). Emma successfully evades the assassins after her mother is murdered, and lives on the streets for a while. But with the help of a lady named Mukecuru (who hides Emma from the assassins), she has to do her best to survive because that is her mother’s last wish to her before dying, “You must not die, Emma” (Combres 15).
This is where my social justice issue, child homelessness is most prominent because young Emma is struggling for survival on the streets. Eventhough in her case, what had happened was not in her control, she is still a child living on the streets without parents, which is what my social justice issue is all about. At such a young age of five, if Emma does not get any help from a kind stranger like Mukecuru on the streets, anything can happen to her. She can be found and killed by the assassins, or easily starve to death by living on the streets.
Mukecuru is an old widowed lady who lives alone with no kids. She finds Emma on the streets and decides to take her in because the murderers of her mother are looking for her to continue their massacre of the Tutsi’s (Emma’s people).
This is a great book for people who like learning about history. I recommend this book to all age groups because it is quite educating for young children and adults since it can teach them about the history of Rwanda (the genocide). This book’s vocabulary is not complex, which makes it easier for children to read easily.
This is where my social justice issue, child homelessness is most prominent because young Emma is struggling for survival on the streets. Eventhough in her case, what had happened was not in her control, she is still a child living on the streets without parents, which is what my social justice issue is all about. At such a young age of five, if Emma does not get any help from a kind stranger like Mukecuru on the streets, anything can happen to her. She can be found and killed by the assassins, or easily starve to death by living on the streets.
Mukecuru is an old widowed lady who lives alone with no kids. She finds Emma on the streets and decides to take her in because the murderers of her mother are looking for her to continue their massacre of the Tutsi’s (Emma’s people).
This is a great book for people who like learning about history. I recommend this book to all age groups because it is quite educating for young children and adults since it can teach them about the history of Rwanda (the genocide). This book’s vocabulary is not complex, which makes it easier for children to read easily.
August 27, 2013
April 1994. Rwanda is at war with itself. The Hutus and the Tutsi's. On April 6th, after the assassination of the Rwandan president, the Rawandan army begins massacring the Tutsi population. Almost one million Tutsi citizens are killed. Emma's mother is one of them.
Emma is five years old when her mother is brutally murdered by Hutu rebels. When they arrive at her house, Emma's mother hides her behind the sofa telling her "you must not die, Emma!" These last words stay in Emma's mind and make her determined to survive, no matter what the odds. After her mother's death she finds herself swept along in a sea of refugees - ending up at the door of an old woman who takes her in.
Mukecuru becomes Emma's substitute grandmother and gives her a sense of family. Slowly Emma begins to reach out to others, especially a boy named Ndoli, who has also lost everything and was horribly injured during the massacre. Ndoli befriends and old man and eventually so does Emma. The Old Man is someone who has been sent to Rwanda to help refugee children return home and begin healing the injuries of the past.
After a long time, he takes Emma home, where she sifts through what is left of her burned down house. As she sifts through the rubble, she picks up some of her mother's possessions and turns them over in her hands. This triggers memories from her past that had been buried for a long time. She begins to remember her mother's face, which had faded in her mind, and she breaks down amongst the rubble. This is a turning point for Emma. Her life will never be the same.
Recommended for ages 12 and up
Emma is five years old when her mother is brutally murdered by Hutu rebels. When they arrive at her house, Emma's mother hides her behind the sofa telling her "you must not die, Emma!" These last words stay in Emma's mind and make her determined to survive, no matter what the odds. After her mother's death she finds herself swept along in a sea of refugees - ending up at the door of an old woman who takes her in.
Mukecuru becomes Emma's substitute grandmother and gives her a sense of family. Slowly Emma begins to reach out to others, especially a boy named Ndoli, who has also lost everything and was horribly injured during the massacre. Ndoli befriends and old man and eventually so does Emma. The Old Man is someone who has been sent to Rwanda to help refugee children return home and begin healing the injuries of the past.
After a long time, he takes Emma home, where she sifts through what is left of her burned down house. As she sifts through the rubble, she picks up some of her mother's possessions and turns them over in her hands. This triggers memories from her past that had been buried for a long time. She begins to remember her mother's face, which had faded in her mind, and she breaks down amongst the rubble. This is a turning point for Emma. Her life will never be the same.
Recommended for ages 12 and up
March 25, 2019
In the book Broken Memory by Elisabeth Combers there was a lot for things that happened. It was a very inspirational book for anyone who's country has been under the act of genocide. This book was about a young girl named Emma who was a Tutsi living in Rwanda, unfortunately for this young girl she lost her mom during the genocide. She didn’t see her mother get murdered but she heard everything from where she was hiding behind. Emma mother’s last words to her was that she must not die. And that's exactly what Emma did. Emma then ends up hiding at a Hutu's house throughout the end of the genocide. Emma suffers from nightmares and she couldn’t remember her mothers face and in order to get ride of them she has to face her biggest fear. Going back to her old house where her mother was murdered. Something that I liked about this book is how detailed it was on explaining the Rwanda Genocide and how it bring awareness to this conflict. One thing that I didn’t like about this book was how short it was, it was detailed enough but I would have loved to hear a little bit more of a background of her life during the genocide. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's interested in history and all of my classmates and friends to read this book. It was an easy read and it definitely motivates the reader to be aware of the genocides around each country.
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February 23, 2014 Broken Memory by Elisabeth Combres is a novel about a young girl who went through a traumatic experience when she was younger. As she gets older she begins to remember those horrific moments and makes new friends who have undergone the same experience as her. I found that this novel was hard to get into, and it wasn't until the middle of the story that things started to get even a little interesting. The first half of the book just kept rambling on about the awful memories of the young girl watching people get killed. It took a long time to get to the point of what was happening in the novel. It was hard to get a grasp on a clear plot.
I didn't feel like I could relate to any of the characters in this novel. Maybe I could relate to Emma because she is independent and my age, but not really because I am not as independent as her yet. Also, this novel takes place in a different country, so the lifestyle of the characters can be a little different from my life style.
Overall, I didn't like this book. There was no specific plot and it just wasn't interesting for me. I got bored reading it very quickly. I would rate this novel 2 stars out of 5.
I didn't feel like I could relate to any of the characters in this novel. Maybe I could relate to Emma because she is independent and my age, but not really because I am not as independent as her yet. Also, this novel takes place in a different country, so the lifestyle of the characters can be a little different from my life style.
Overall, I didn't like this book. There was no specific plot and it just wasn't interesting for me. I got bored reading it very quickly. I would rate this novel 2 stars out of 5.
November 16, 2017
3.5 rating.
This book was mediocre. I liked the narrator (Emma, a young girl that varies ages throughout the book) had a reason to continue living. I never knew about the Rwanda genocide, thus, with the knowledge I grasped with this fictional story based on true events and others' experiences, my eyes were widened. While I didn't cry during it, it was very thought provoking. Furthermore, at times it got confusing because the timing kept varying. The writing wasn't all that great, but mostly understandable, just not outstanding. The characters weren't all too special. With Emma having that name, it didn't seem as her name should be that, something more of that ethnicity than what would be mistaken for someone more on the British side of things. I thought that Emma and a couple of other characters could have been developed more. Not much happened post the genocide, which seemed realistic, but there was something missing. The attention to detail isn't very great, which I think takes away from the book. Overall, this book was beautiful in a sense to begin your knowledge on the Rwanda genocide, but it wasn't what I thought it should be.
This book was mediocre. I liked the narrator (Emma, a young girl that varies ages throughout the book) had a reason to continue living. I never knew about the Rwanda genocide, thus, with the knowledge I grasped with this fictional story based on true events and others' experiences, my eyes were widened. While I didn't cry during it, it was very thought provoking. Furthermore, at times it got confusing because the timing kept varying. The writing wasn't all that great, but mostly understandable, just not outstanding. The characters weren't all too special. With Emma having that name, it didn't seem as her name should be that, something more of that ethnicity than what would be mistaken for someone more on the British side of things. I thought that Emma and a couple of other characters could have been developed more. Not much happened post the genocide, which seemed realistic, but there was something missing. The attention to detail isn't very great, which I think takes away from the book. Overall, this book was beautiful in a sense to begin your knowledge on the Rwanda genocide, but it wasn't what I thought it should be.
November 14, 2012
-time: 100 minutes
-7 words summary: Emma, murdered, Mukecucu, hiding, cruel, Rwanda, sad:
1.Emma heard her mother murdered. If your mother murdered by someone in front of you, what would you do?
-I have no idea. I cannot imagine such a situation, but it is cruel and maybe I will scream and cry.
2.Her mother said, "Slide behind there, close your yeys, put your hands over your ears. Do not make the slightest move, not the slightest noise. Tell yourself that your are not in this room, that you see nothing, hear nothing, and that everything will soon be over. You must die, Emma!" If you are said by your mother in the country which war happened in, could you live by yourself?
-Absolutely no. I cannot live by myself and I am afraid of living in that situation.
I could not read all the story. I am 65 pages now. It was a little difficult for me to read. Although I know it is not good to think, I am happy to live in safe country.
-7 words summary: Emma, murdered, Mukecucu, hiding, cruel, Rwanda, sad:
1.Emma heard her mother murdered. If your mother murdered by someone in front of you, what would you do?
-I have no idea. I cannot imagine such a situation, but it is cruel and maybe I will scream and cry.
2.Her mother said, "Slide behind there, close your yeys, put your hands over your ears. Do not make the slightest move, not the slightest noise. Tell yourself that your are not in this room, that you see nothing, hear nothing, and that everything will soon be over. You must die, Emma!" If you are said by your mother in the country which war happened in, could you live by yourself?
-Absolutely no. I cannot live by myself and I am afraid of living in that situation.
I could not read all the story. I am 65 pages now. It was a little difficult for me to read. Although I know it is not good to think, I am happy to live in safe country.
April 30, 2014
This story is riveting, eye opening and inspiring in all ways. THis story is about young girl, who hears her mother get murdered. After the murderes leave, Emma, the girl leaves the house where he mother was killed and goes on to meet good friends that help her through this difficult time. She is motivated only by the last words of her mother telling her she must not die. With the help of friends along the way she is able to go back to the house her mother was killed in, heal and begin her new part of life. I thought this book was crazy. It was very sad but also made you very happy when the girl was able to go back to her house and start over. I think this is definitely a book for older and more mature students. I wouldn't want this book in an elementary classroom of any sort and wouldn't really want it in lower middle school classes. I think it is a great book for older students to read because it does have such a powerful and eye opening message.
April 27, 2015
Broken Memory is a historical fiction book because it is set in a historical time period in Rwanda's history. I loved this book very discriptive. One very important event that happens in the story is when Emma, the main character's mother is killed while Emma is hiding behind the couch. Emma does not see her mother's murder, but she hears it, all of it. When Emma knows the Hutu murderers are gone, she immediately left her home and ran. Every night she hid and slept in bushes. Emma soon realized how hungry she was and she decided to stop and an old woman's house. She begged the old woman to let her stay with her for a while, and the lady generously allowed her to stay with her even though they were both completely different.Emma feels like she is between not truly living, and not quite dead. I would recommend this book to social studies teachers because it is a quick read and not overly graphic.
January 3, 2012
Emma and her mother are part of the Tutsi ethnic group in Rwanda. They lead a peaceful life, until one day their village is invaded by soldiers. Emma hides behind a couch, and hears her mother get brutally murdered by Hutu soldiers. Orphaned, she flees from home, and finds refuge in an old woman's home. She calls the woman Mukecuru, and they develop a silent, trusting relationship, where Emma slowly feels safer. But her nightmares do not end, and her memories of the horrific genocide plague her for years. Emma is able to develop a friendship with another victim of the violence, and she slowly starts to remember and begin the healing process. This is a very concise (short) book that conveys the horrors of the Rwandan genocide, in an easy-to-digest and accessible format for younger audiences. Recommended for 5-12th grades
November 12, 2012
I really liked this book. What an incredible story about a young girl and all she has to deal with after hearing the murder of her mother when she is only five years old. After listening to the death of her mother, Emma runs to find safety. She finds herself on the doorstep of an old woman who risks her life to hide and take care of Emma. As the years pass, Emma's dreams are haunted by what happened that awful night. However, her memories of her mother are fading, she remembers less and less about her mother. Emma finds friendship in a boy who was tortured during the war and an old man who strives to helps these children survivors heal.
I liked this book. I think Elisabeth Combres did a good job portraying the awfulness of the war and it's aftereffects. While at the same time this book is written well for a young audience.
I liked this book. I think Elisabeth Combres did a good job portraying the awfulness of the war and it's aftereffects. While at the same time this book is written well for a young audience.
July 6, 2011
Age: 10-14 (Grades 6-9)
Genre: Realistic fiction
Diversity: African perspective
Illustration: None
Response: While relatively short this was a very moving story. Starting with the ethnic cleansing that occurred in Rwanda in 1994 and following the effects that this period in history had on the people of Rwanda from the viewpoint of a Tutsi child this story made me want to learn more about this period of African history.
Curricular: This would be a good book to assign in a social studies or world history class in middle school. The personal perspective of the story could help young adults develop a deeper understanding of how large abstract historical periods effect individuals caught up in them.
Genre: Realistic fiction
Diversity: African perspective
Illustration: None
Response: While relatively short this was a very moving story. Starting with the ethnic cleansing that occurred in Rwanda in 1994 and following the effects that this period in history had on the people of Rwanda from the viewpoint of a Tutsi child this story made me want to learn more about this period of African history.
Curricular: This would be a good book to assign in a social studies or world history class in middle school. The personal perspective of the story could help young adults develop a deeper understanding of how large abstract historical periods effect individuals caught up in them.
February 17, 2012
Do you remember when you were five years old? Emma has no memory of life before her mother’s murder in 1994. The only thing she remembers is her mom saying “Emma, you must live.” Nine years later, she is living a quiet life with the Hutu old woman who saved her Tutsi life. They understand of each other’s moods and don’t need to talk. Emma feels like she is between, not truly living, not dead. Her nightmares get worse on the anniversary of the massacres, just like a boy in town who wanders around haunted during that time. They forge a fragile relationship over time and meet an old man who hopes to help them get past those nightmares that keep them from truly living.
June 8, 2011
Emma was 5 years old when the Hutu people started a mass killing of the Tutsi people. She hid behind the couch while her mother was brutally murdered. Hours and hours later she crawls out and then carefully treks away from the village, hiding where she can, eating scraps and drinking muddy water. Eventually she is taken in by an old Hutu woman.
Written simply, with short chapters, this is an amazing story of courage in the face of danger and how early events can (obviously) have a huge impact on your life. An approachable intro to the Rwandan genocide; still harsh and a deep subject but done without getting overly graphic or political.
3.5 stars
Written simply, with short chapters, this is an amazing story of courage in the face of danger and how early events can (obviously) have a huge impact on your life. An approachable intro to the Rwandan genocide; still harsh and a deep subject but done without getting overly graphic or political.
3.5 stars
October 12, 2011
I really enjoyed reading about Emma, the Tuti teenage girl who survived the Rwandan genocide. At the age of four, Emma witnesses her mother being brutally being murdered. Having to grow up with these awful memories haunting her day in and day out, "Broken Memory" is a perfect tale of what it is like living with these memories and growing up in a society such as such a hostile environment that Emma is forced to grow up in. Having to confront her nightmares and continue on with her life, you will become immediately attached to Emma as you watch her mature from a young girl, and transform into a courageous young lady. I highly recommend this heroic tale!
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