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God Sleeps in Rwanda: A Journey of Transformation
A harrowing tale of survival and reconciliation by a Rwandan Tutsi who flees his homeland before the 1994 genocide and later returns to be elected speaker of the Rwandan parliament, only to be forced into exile once again
This memoir tells the story of Joseph Sebarenzi, whose parents, seven siblings, and countless other family members were among 800,000 Tutsi brutally murde...more
This memoir tells the story of Joseph Sebarenzi, whose parents, seven siblings, and countless other family members were among 800,000 Tutsi brutally murde...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
September 8th 2009
by Atria Books
(first published 2009)
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A very moving and powerful book. Sebarenzi had been sent to the Congo to further his education, and thus his life was spared during the 1994 Rwandan genocide- but his parents and most of his immediate family were slaughtered. Later he became the speaker of Rwandan's parliament (by his own admission because of his youth and lack of political experience; those in power hoped to manipulate him,) but once again had to flee his country with his family after he ran afoul of the country's vice presiden...more
I loved this book. I cannot wait for it to come out in the fall so I can make as many people as possible read it.
I expected a memoir similar to Ishmael Beah's "A Long Way Gone", chronicling the experiences of a young boy during the Rwandan genocide. Sebarenzi's memoir does this, in part, but his memoir tells his story from boyhood into adulthood. This was an eye-opening read for me, because Sebarenzi lays out the political situation of the country in the years following the genocide, and it is d...more
I expected a memoir similar to Ishmael Beah's "A Long Way Gone", chronicling the experiences of a young boy during the Rwandan genocide. Sebarenzi's memoir does this, in part, but his memoir tells his story from boyhood into adulthood. This was an eye-opening read for me, because Sebarenzi lays out the political situation of the country in the years following the genocide, and it is d...more
This book gives a very account of one mans experience of the Rwandan genocide as well as it's aftermath.
In this book we learn of the history of animosity between the Hutu and the Tutsi,previous attacks leading up to the genocide in 1994,the genocide itself and Joseph Sebarenzi's life growing up in Rwanda and his experience during the genocide.
The book also focuses on the aftermath of the genocide and Rwanda's attempt to rebuild itself, Bill Clintons speech of apology and the negative reaction fa...more
In this book we learn of the history of animosity between the Hutu and the Tutsi,previous attacks leading up to the genocide in 1994,the genocide itself and Joseph Sebarenzi's life growing up in Rwanda and his experience during the genocide.
The book also focuses on the aftermath of the genocide and Rwanda's attempt to rebuild itself, Bill Clintons speech of apology and the negative reaction fa...more
Dedication:
"This book is dedicated to all those who work for peace and reconciliation in Rwanda and in other parts of the world. May your commitment and dedication prosper, and may your work yield fruit in nations and in people's hearts.
I also dedicate this book to the brave men and women who took the risk to protect, hide, or rescue fellow Rwandans during the genocide in 1994 and to all the people around the world who endeavor to do good, even in evil times."
~ Joseph Sebarenzi
--- It is estimate...more
"This book is dedicated to all those who work for peace and reconciliation in Rwanda and in other parts of the world. May your commitment and dedication prosper, and may your work yield fruit in nations and in people's hearts.
I also dedicate this book to the brave men and women who took the risk to protect, hide, or rescue fellow Rwandans during the genocide in 1994 and to all the people around the world who endeavor to do good, even in evil times."
~ Joseph Sebarenzi
--- It is estimate...more
I really liked this book, because it gave a really concise but no-nonsense summary of the impact of colonization on ethnic conflict in Rwanda - I had no idea that the Belgian impact on Rwanda really exacerbated (though maybe not created) the conflict. It was a really personal account without being overly dramatic, which makes it all the more real. I also loved the pieces on reconciliation and forgiveness as the last few chapters - it reads like a beautifully written self-help book but in a way t...more
The Rwandan genocide is one of those events that looms in my mind as something that happened when I was alive but too young to really understand that there was a world outside of my country, or even my community, really. Politics was something that came via the television, an artifact of the history we were studying in school, not a daily fact of life. War and genocide was something that had happened in the past, long ago and far away. I was lucky, because I grew up in Canada, where hardship is...more
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Very interesting read for those interested in the current state of affairs in Rwanda written by a man who had to escape his country out of fear for the lives of himself and his family after serving in the Rwandan Parliament. Gives a new perspective on the current president of Rwanda and on what needs to happen in the areas of peace, harmony, forgiveness and reconciliation, not only in Rwanda, but in our own hearts.
This book offered a lot. First a very concise description of the history of Rwanda, then an account of
the author's experiences in regard to the genocide. Sebarenzi holds the descriptions of actual violence to a minimum. What is amazing is his journey from hatred and a desire for revenge to forgiveness and an amazing effort to bring reconciliation to his country. Joseph Sebarenzi is an incredible man.
the author's experiences in regard to the genocide. Sebarenzi holds the descriptions of actual violence to a minimum. What is amazing is his journey from hatred and a desire for revenge to forgiveness and an amazing effort to bring reconciliation to his country. Joseph Sebarenzi is an incredible man.
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This was another book I just picked up at the library - strolling through and thought this would be a good read. It really was. The author's life story (so far) was inspiring and I really learned a lot about Rwandan history & politics. The book includes his life story as it was impacted by violence, genocide, and politics. Highly recommended.
I appreciate this book more than I liked it. Very educational about the basis of the conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda, which I did not nearly have enough information about. The story was distanced in a few part and did not necessarily read very well as a narrative, but it was still good overall and worth the read.
I was interested in this book after reading about the Rwandan genocide in articles from my Just Faith course. This is the first first-person survivor chronicle I've read and it's interesting that he is so critical of the the village apology tribunals when the other articles I've read have held them up as the epitome of forgiveness.
Really fascinatin, it proves once more that "history repeats itself", in horrific ways. An interesting look at Rwanda and its culture, gave me an understanding regarding the founation of the genocide in the 90s. This man was clearly meant to share his story! Fantastic, if not sobering, read.
This was a very interesting account of the author's experiences as a Tutsi in Rwanda. It was obvious that God had something great in mind for him and saved him numerous times. The last chapter (actually the afterword) is a wonderful dissertation on forgiveness. Well worth reading.
I really liked this book because I learned a lot about the genocide in Rwanda, and it was told in a compelling manner. The only reason that I didn't give it four stars was because the end was a bit long for me. Great non-fiction read though.
A deeply personal and informative perspective on the tragedies that have happened in Rwanda, and what it will take to redeem and reconcile the peoples who have so long been victims of political intolerance and power-grabbing.
This is an amazing book written by a former speaker of the Rwandan parliament. Joseph Sebarenzi is ahead of his time with his vision of peaceful conflict resolution. Well worth reading.
A book about genocide is always going to be intense and shocking. In this book, Joseph Sebarenzi delivers a compelling first-hand account of the devestating history of Rwanda from his memories of childhood up to his current situation. It revealed a comprehensive timeline of the racism and ethnocentric culture of Rwanda, but also described a beautiful people who were merely pawns in the sights of their corrupt leaders. Eye-opening, for sure.
I like this book, because it gave quite a bit of history of the genocide, without all the gore of the brutality of the whole thing. It is very historical
A sobering tale of survival and hope in Rwanda. Highly recommend for those interested in Rwanda and East Africa's politics.
Good historical information about the genocide. He takes a spiritual turn to the book, talks too much about God and ministers. Not my fav.
As heard in the NPR Books podcast.
An excellent nonfiction account by someone whose family was killed in the genocide there.
Pros:
Interesting, informative and touching. I learned a lot about Rwanda and the current and former political structure there. Explains things very well so its a good choice for someone like me who read it knowing next to nothing about the genocide.
Cons:
A bit repetitive. Many of the points were repeated several times throughout the novel. I would have liked to hear more about the genocide itself as opposed to the political aftermath. A little overboard on the faith/God aspects.
Interesting, informative and touching. I learned a lot about Rwanda and the current and former political structure there. Explains things very well so its a good choice for someone like me who read it knowing next to nothing about the genocide.
Cons:
A bit repetitive. Many of the points were repeated several times throughout the novel. I would have liked to hear more about the genocide itself as opposed to the political aftermath. A little overboard on the faith/God aspects.
An amazing historical account of the Rwandan genocide.
This book gave a unique perspective on the rebuilding process that occurs after genocide. Sebarenzi's take is refreshing, albeit somewhat repetitive with his use of language at times, with emphasis on the complexity of corruption that comes with new nations (both newly independent and newly reformed). I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Rwandan Genocide, who has read Dallaire and Orbinski, and would like a more comprehensive view on the political issues and governance....more
"I sort of recommend this. A good beginning and end salvage it. A first hand account of growing up in Rwanda, before, during and after the genocide. The author is Tutsi and became speaker of the parliament after the genocide. That part is a little slow but the view of a person in that situation is worth reading. How the author deals with it and his forgiveness of others (and how he came to terms with that) are well worth reading."
It started out good, but then it got real slow. I wouldn't say it was a bad book, just not interesting enough to me.
I enjoyed this story very much.
This book provided a completely new perspective on Rwanda and the leadership style of President Paul Kagame. If the author is to be believed, the president of Rwanda ruthlessly deals with any dissent including physical elimination. I liked the fact that the author proposes solutions on how to foster sustainable peace in Rwanda. The author's life story is enthralling and gives food for thought.
Sebarenzi probably appeared half a dozen years too early in the post-1994 history of Rwanda. The country wasn't yet ready for the reforms he sought to make Parliament an effective legislative body and counter-balance to the Executive. But let us hope that more like him will appear on the Rwandan political scene, particularly as we move to a post-Kagame future in 2017.
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“Some things you know without ever being told. Other things you learn slowly. You learn them despite what you want to believe.”
—
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“Like the gazelle who doesn't know the rustle in the grass is a leopard, we didn't know what hit us until it was too late.”
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