Genocide: My Stolen Rwanda

by Reverien Rurangwa, Anna Brown (Translator)

For thirteen days in April 1994, Reverien Rurangwa hid in silence with his family in a tiny cabin on the side of a mountain until they were finally hunted down by their Hutu neighbors - men with whom his father had often drunk a beer after work. In minutes, forty-three members of his family were massacred in front of his eyes. Although part of his hand was cut off, Rurangwa managed to escape before the assassins set fire to the building.
Rurangwa was fifteen and alone in the world; his only souvenir of his childhood was a battered family photograph. He tried to return to his home but was once again forced to flee in fear of his life. In this extraordinary memoir of survival, Rurangwa recounts how he struggled to come to terms with extreme loss, physical deformity, and a life in exile.
Published to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the genocide, My Stolen Rwanda is tender and intimate. Rurangwa's story jumps from the pages with energy and even humor.
Part of the proceeds from the sale of My Stolen Rwanda will go to Ibuka-Memory and Justice, which supports victims of the genocide. Rurangwa is the charity's vice president.

Genres: Africa, History, Nonfiction, Rwanda

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2009

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

inspirational!

[Veronika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Témoignage poignant. L'histoire décrit une réalité triste sur la violence dont l'être humain s'est montré capable, ici dans le contexte du génocide au Rwanda. J'ai lu par devoir de savoir, mais âmes très sensibles s'abstenir.

[Banu Altunbas]

His story breaks your heart, makes you think about humanity, and how a broken 15 year old can recover from such a trauma and if it's ever going to be possible. I have read many books on Rwandan genocide including survivor stories, but this one really tells it as it happened, no sign of asking for pity or sympathy. He just tells his story which is brutal, disturbing but very real.