From Red Earth: A Rwandan Story of Healing and Forgiveness

In this poignant memoir, Uwimana describes her extraordinary experience of survival during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, during which 800,000 Tutsi were slaughtered by their Hutu neighbors in 100 days. Hiding in terror under her bed, she heard: “We will exterminate every last cockroach, no matter where they hide!” But Uwimana was one of the lucky ones; her husband was killed, but she and her three children weren’t found. She wonders: “How could ordinary people veer from a normal life—looking for work, studying at college, or earning a living—to butchering others?... I can only answer that demons from hell were unleashed like seething lava over our land.” The bulk of the book recounts her efforts to rebuild her life, to learn to forgive her enemies, and to help other women struggling to reconcile in the aftermath. Hers was very much a spiritual journey; she believed God was directing her to help both Tutsi and Hutu “become human again.” Remarried and living in Germany, the author continues to work for healing in Rwanda through her charity Iriba Shalom International. As Uwimana focuses on her own story, this account is mesmerizing on a human level, but is unfortunately short on historical context that would better explain the genocide for readers less familiar with it. Readers interested in faith-based perspectives will be particularly drawn to this tale of survival and redemption. [em](Apr.) [/em]