From a new star of American journalism, a riveting murder mystery that reveals the forces roiling today’s Africa
From Rwand... read full description
reviews
Aug 02, 2009
Melina
rated it: 
Is it better to forgive and forget, forgive and remember, or not to forgive at all? Is the cost of justice higher than that of peace? These are among the questions journalist Andrew Rice grapples with in his recently published book on Uganda; “The Teeth May Smile but the Heart Does Not Forget”. The book is a personal story of one man’s journey to uncover the truth behind his father’s disappearance in September 1972. Eliphaz Laki, a member of UPC and a Saza (county) chief of Rwampara County in w
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Jul 19, 2010
Leslie
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When I was a junior in college, I checked out every single book that the Lee Library held in its collection that discussed Idi Amin. For weeks, I had nightmares about ending up a prisoner in one of his investigation bureaus. At the end of that period, I wrote a thirty page paper analyzing the Tanzanian invasion of Uganda under Walzer's Just War theory. Suffice it to say, that Ugandan history has been an ongoing interest of mine. What I appreciated about this book was twofold. First, it tol
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Sep 20, 2009
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Sep 09, 2009
Alex
rated it:
The author took the time to illustrate where each of the "characters" (this is nonfiction) came from -- even going back through the history of the formation of Uganda and the idea of tribes and tribalism within the pre-colonialism, colonialism and post-colonialism eras The author is extremely thoughtful, well-versed and well-studied on the cultural and historic context of the trial and the individual players. Although every once-in-awhile I got a peek into his own opinion, I felt he
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Sep 23, 2009
J.
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Nearly flawless account of a cold-blooded political killing in Uganda in the time of Amin, and a view of the shifting perspectives that tend to obscure this kind of history, wherever it happens. Attempts to make the history comprehensible or the killers accountable are the subject of the book, a struggle nearly impossible in regions where blood has been spilled in the name of change, progress, or power. Truth and Reconciliation agencies are not unique to Africa, though, and Rice is able to con
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Feb 27, 2010
Corinne
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While ostensibly about a murder trial, this book really is about the intractable "tribal" clashes in Uganda - born out of colonialism and carried on to the present. Rice does a great job of telling the story of Uganda from British colonial rule through the present, and all through the life of one man, Eliphaz Laki. Certainly all of Uganda cannot be captured in one book - much of the history of Northern Uganda and the ongoing violence there is glossed over - but, as a focused account
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Jul 29, 2011
Laurie
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Before I went to Uganda, four years ago, I tried to read every book available on the country. I don't know if I was just a bad researcher - but I found very little material - and much of it was outdated. I wish that this book had been available - I never learned so much about Uganda and its history. I really appreciated being able to read a detailed history of Ugandan politics with an accompanying understanding of each regime's effects on the Ugandan people. All of this was told in the conte
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Sep 07, 2010
Marsha
rated it:
Andrew Rice follows the true story of Duncan Laki, a Ugandan man, whose father was killed during Idi Amin's rule. As Laki searches for his father's killers, and then attempts to bring those killers to justice, he is faced with resistance. Uganda has chosen to forget the past in order to keep the fragile peace of the present. As the title implies, however, the past can never really be completely forgotten.
Feb 25, 2011
Katie
rated it:
Big, big love. If you want to learn about Uganda and some of its incredible history under Idi Amin's regime, read this book. It gives incredible insight. The authour is a great researcher, I imagine it must have taken him years and years to compile this story together.
Jul 07, 2009
Andrea
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This book follows the quest of Duncan Laki to find the men who murdered his father under the Amin regime and to find his father's remains for burial. While Duncan's story is compelling, much of the book covers necessary background and history about Uganda. It is well-written and moves quickly through what could easily become boggy material. I learned quite a bit about Ugandan politics and the difficulties of reconciling or even understanding past violence in a nation's history.
Jan 30, 2011
Glenna
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Good read to put some of the history of Uganda into perspective... wove a story around the complicated political history of the area, creating a thread I could follow
Aug 05, 2009
Excellent book about the investigation of a murder and the political,bloody background of Uganda
Mar 29, 2011
Beth
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I was not able to finish this book. I wanted to be able to finish it, hoping to glean some historical information about a country I know nothing about. But it went too deeply into the political back-and-forths and didn't focus enough on the personal story to keep me reading. So if you like in-depth political information, this book might be one for you. But it wasn't for me.
ETA: I gave it three stars, even though I didn't finish it, because I do think it is well written, an important sto More...
ETA: I gave it three stars, even though I didn't finish it, because I do think it is well written, an important sto More...
Jan 04, 2010
Christina
rated it:
I wish I could say I loved this book. I wish that I could even say I can't wait to continue reading it. In all sincerity...this book is all over the place. While the history is interesting- the stories within this book jump around a little too much for it to be continually engaging for me. I can say that I'm looking forward to being done with it!
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