Running the Rift in Around the World in 80 Books

Apr 08, 2014 Kristen Iworsky rated it it was amazing

Wow. I put off reading this book because it seemed silly to write about a boy's quest for the Olympics with the Rwandan genocide. But, it works and the book focuses more on the genocide, which is so frightening that it took place during my lifetime. The book really starts to move along the second half. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Sunflower rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-books, fiction-read-2013

How does a woman who is not from Africa write the story of a Rwandan Tutsi boy whose only dream is to run for his country in a time when the genocide took place? She must have done her research well. The book is divided up into sections, and it was only the last one where I felt cheated, because the ending was a bit Disney-ish. Otherwise she makes the politics personal, so the reader understands at least something of what the Rwandans went through, and how the survivors felt afterwards.
I couldn ...more

Like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Ruth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, top-10-of-2013

Full review: http://bookjunkiereview.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-running-rift-by-naomi-benaron_11.html

Since he was a boy, Jean Patrick Nkuba wants more than anything to become Rwanda's first Olympic medal winner for track. As the years pass, Jean Patrick runs when he can, the dream of Olympic glory as strong as his legs can carry. But as he becomes older, the fault lines of Rwanda are slowly exposed. The racial tension between the Hutus and Tutsis simmer as Jean Patrick moves closer to his dream Full review: http://bookjunkiereview.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-running-rift-by-naomi-benaron_11.html

Since he was a boy, Jean Patrick Nkuba wants more than anything to become Rwanda's first Olympic medal winner for track. As the years pass, Jean Patrick runs when he can, the dream of Olympic glory as strong as his legs can carry. But as he becomes older, the fault lines of Rwanda are slowly exposed. The racial tension between the Hutus and Tutsis simmer as Jean Patrick moves closer to his dream. In the fateful year of 1994, Jean Patrick will have to confront the horror that unravels before his eyes and the possibility of losing everything he loves dear.
For over seven years, I have done extensive research about Rwanda and the genocide in 1994, in where a little over a million Rwandans (mostly Tutsis) were killed in three months. When one reads about the genocide, you descend into the catacombs for evil, horror, and brutality. Naomi Benaron has done plenty of research for the novel, which is very accurate. The story begins slowly, but the momentum builds up. At one point, I couldn’t put the book down and I could feel my whole body tense up, the fear roaring through me knowing of the incoming horror that is about to befall on Rwanda. That being said, I couldn’t help but fall head over heels in love for Jean Patrick and the rest of his huge family and friends. It seems as they were real people, which shows to me the author’s devotion to each of them. By the end, I was in tears. When I first heard about the book and checked it out, I had a very good feeling that this was going to be a book that I would love. My instincts were on the dot.
“Running the Rift” is filled with horror and terror, but also tenderness and hope. It is a loving tribute to the people of Rwanda, not just to the dead, but for the survivors whom refuse to give in to the painful past, and in doing so carrying the nation forward towards a better tomorrow. The resilience and determination of Jean Patrick will resonate with readers, just like it did with me. A valuable addition to the literature of Rwanda, Naomi Benaron has done justice for the people of Rwanda and of our common humanity. ...more

Like · see review

Nov 24, 2012 Katie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ___africa, female-author, _rwanda

The story of a boy during the Rwanda genocide. Depressing of course. Somehow I didn't feel very connected to the characters and didn't think the story moved along enough to keep my attention. ...more

Like · see review