Nice title, huh? But read this book, and it makes perfect sense. This is a very well-written account of the author's (a journalist) research and personal interviews and travels investigating the Rwandan genocide of 1994. 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. This is a significant world event that happened in the past 15 years, that we knew little to nothing about.
What was I doing in 1994? I graduated from high school. I was spending one of my last summers at home before heading off to college in the fall. I HAD NO IDEA. Was I ignorant? Probably at that time, yes. And admittedly still a bit now. Things like this seem so far away, and what can I do about it, really?
But seriously. 800,000 people killed, and by such methods that you can't even believe. Killed violently with machetes by people who once co-existed with them as neighbors, co-workers, friends. Simply because they were Tutsis, or because they were Hutus who sympathized with Tutsis. A barrage of propaganda egging them on, urging them to kill, make sure you kill the women and children too, and take care that any unborn Tutsi fetus is also disposed of. And these same people just a short time later were asked to discard the Tutsi/Hutu labels, and be just "Rwandan," living and working beside the same people who killed their family members. Could you do it? I don't know if I could.
This is an extremely poignant and engaging book, despite the subject matter. It delves into the conflict without getting too gruesome, but still holding true to what in fact was a horrific and gruesome act. The author talks with survivors, explores reactions (and inaction) from the rest of the world, and ponders the root behind the conflict itself. Definitely not a light read, but you will leave it enlightened.
What was I doing in 1994? I graduated from high school. I was spending one of my last summers at home before heading off to college in the fall. I HAD NO IDEA. Was I ignorant? Probably at that time, yes. And admittedly still a bit now. Things like this seem so far away, and what can I do about it, really?
But seriously. 800,000 people killed, and by such methods that you can't even believe. Killed violently with machetes by people who once co-existed with them as neighbors, co-workers, friends. Simply because they were Tutsis, or because they were Hutus who sympathized with Tutsis. A barrage of propaganda egging them on, urging them to kill, make sure you kill the women and children too, and take care that any unborn Tutsi fetus is also disposed of. And these same people just a short time later were asked to discard the Tutsi/Hutu labels, and be just "Rwandan," living and working beside the same people who killed their family members. Could you do it? I don't know if I could.
This is an extremely poignant and engaging book, despite the subject matter. It delves into the conflict without getting too gruesome, but still holding true to what in fact was a horrific and gruesome act. The author talks with survivors, explores reactions (and inaction) from the rest of the world, and ponders the root behind the conflict itself. Definitely not a light read, but you will leave it enlightened.
2 comments:
You probably know this already, but this book was one of the main inspirations for the movie Hotel Rwanda from a couple years back. There's one moment in the movie that really does capture the genocide's horrors, I think, but I won't spoil it for you if you haven't had a chance to see it.
We talked about it at book club - haven't seen it yet, but it's on my list.
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