From Red Earth

In her opening sentence Uwimana anchors the reader by using the events of 9/11 and the almost 3000 people killed that day to provide a point of reference to imagine the genocide against the Tutsi and the deaths of more than 1 million people in Rwanda in the 1990s. As startling as this comparison is, it does not prepare us for the heart-wrenching, personal accounting of the devastation she, her family, community, and country endured during the 100-day slaughter. It is also a memoir of the power of women coming to together under the most unimaginable of circumstances to restore and rebuild, to go forward.

From Red Earth: A Rwandan Story of Healing and Forgiveness by Denis Uwimana, is not just a harrowing and disturbing tale of the Rwandan Genocide, but a touching memoir and story of hope in spite of those horrors.

This story affected me on so many levels - as a woman, mom, wife and teacher. As a high school history teacher that teaches this subject, I enjoyed that Uwimana was thorough in her use of dates and description of how the genocide began and what happened during it. As a wife and mother, I could feel the love she had for her family and cried with her as she told about some of the horrors that she faced during the genocide. And as a woman, I was inspired by the work that she and other women are continuing to do in Rwanda today.

I felt like the beginning of the book moved a bit slowly as Uwimana talked about her family background and spoke of her childhood, but once the genocide began, her story became increasingly powerful and captivating, and that made up for the slow beginning. The emotion behind her writing was clear and honest, and that made her story resonate with me even more.

I received this as a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review of my honest opinion, and I am looking forward to buying a physical copy for my classroom, and to help me share Uwimana's story as I teach about the genocide each year.

An amazing story of violence, murder, pain, forgiveness, repentance! A wonderful book but one that is hard to read and hard to forget!!

I wrote a review on Goodreads under Jeannie Huie.

This book spares no words at describing the brutality Rwandan Hutus unleashed on Rwandan Tutsis during the 100 day genocide in 1994. Between 800, 000 and 1 million people were murdered, many by neighbors, co-workers, even their pastors. But this book is not simply a chronicle that describes the brutality unleashed over 100 days. It also describes the process after this horrific event, by which many people rebuilt their lives by forming strong social networks and following the words in the Bible to find a way to forgive those people who destroyed their lives.

Denise Uwimana, the author, is an exceptional woman who shares not only her life story, but the story of a number of other Rwandans. Denise's survival and the survival of her sons is nothing short of a miracle. She credits a number of Hutu who helped her and it is clear in her writing that she also credits God for intervening in her life. Teachings of the Bible, prayer and visions are woven into Denise's story.

Not long after the genocide Denise met a fellow survivor who was helping traumatized women and children through group sessions. Soon Denise was travelling across Rwanda with several other woman, going village to village, offering comfort to victims. Denise founded a non-profit organization, Iriba Shalom international ("Source of Peace international") to help survivors of the genocide and also teach love to the "reconciliation generation", those born after the massacres.

The book was difficult to read, but it was also uplifting, because 25 years after the terrible event that forever changed so many people's lives, you celebrate with the survivors who found peace through programs founded by Denise and other survivors.

I thank NetGalley and Plough Publishing for providing an e-book in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

A story of immense bravery that took place during the 100 days of the Rwandan genocide in 1994

The author lived through one of the world's most tragic and disgraceful periods of history. Along with her three children she hid out hoping to escape the brutality that went on all around her. With her strong faith in God and help from Hutu friends, she survived and went on to help others who lost family members and were traumatized as a result of witnessing the most horrendous crimes committed against the Tutsi people of Rwanda.

Through healing, prayers and forgiveness, Uwimana traveled to other parts of Rwanda giving support and helping others heal. She founded a non-profit organization and has made it her life-long mission to help survivors find peace after the genocide.

Thank you Netgalley and Plough Publishing for providing me with an e-book.

A memoir by a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, author Denise Uwimana describes how she manages to hold on to her faith in God despite all the evil she witnessed, and puts names to the numbers of the horrific genocide that claimed 800,000 lives in the span of 100 days. She does not sugarcoat the carnage, nor does she let anyone off the hook – this genocide was fueled by decades of colonialism, arms sales, the intervention of outside countries, and the paralysis of the United Nations, but she ultimately identifies the reality that in those 100 days, Rwanda was overcome by pure evil.

Uwimana does not hide her arguments with God during these terrible days:

I assailed heaven. Oh God, when these people stand before your throne, when they ask where you were when they needed you, how will you answer? What will you say to the little children who don’t know why they had to die? What will you say to their killers?

The book does not offer tidy answers. All Uwimana knows is that if she survived those 100 days, God had a purpose for her.

Through all the suffering, she also shares the kindness of Hutu friends, neighbors and even strangers, as well as miracles and answered prayers. But the most powerful part of the book is when she gets involved in groups that help Rwanda heal from this terrible wound–and even forgive. Moreso than the miracles that did save lives, these stories of forgiveness and healing go beyond miracles. I shared one of those remarkable stories during my interview on LogosTV (there’s a spoiler so don’t watch it if you plan to read the book!). And the work with these women help Uwimana herself heal from the immense tragedies she witnessed at the hands of those she thought were friends and neighbors, even fellow church-goers.

In her words:

They say forgiving is an ongoing process, a daily battle, and that’s certainly how the last twenty-five years have been for me. But, as I would soon discover, it wasn’t a journey I would have to make alone – thousands were on the road with me.

I knew when I saw the cover of Denise Uwimana's book From Red Earth: A Rwandan Story of Healing and Forgiveness that it would be a weighty read. Although I've heard missionaries talk about the Rwandan genocide, of the hateful, horrible violence and desolation the small East African country experience, it was only in general overviews. I've never read the first-hand account of someone who survived it, and even more incredible--someone who has been able to forgive the perpetrators of these horrific crimes.
Having read many Christian biographies and autobiographies to my kids during the years we homeschooled, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book is as well-written and captivating as a good novel.
The author does such a wonderful job describing her surroundings in the town of Bugarama, creating a sense of danger and foreboding, and she vividly recounted her childhood in such a way that I was transported through the story along with her. And even more importantly, I quickly felt a sense of connection with her.
Denise's personal thoughts and feelings, that she generously shared with readers throughout the book, gave a beauty and individuality to the story, and invested me as a reader.
What she, and the Tutsi people of Rwanda experienced during the hundred days of genocide is unimaginable, horrible violence, pain, and grief. The fact that the international community did nothing to stop it is unthinkable and shameful. The descriptions of barbaric, hateful atrocities that humans committed against fellow humans are difficult to read, to take in, but necessary to remember in the hopes of preventing history repeating itself.
The second half of the book focuses on what happened after the violence. Denise wrote how she and the people who survived began to process what had been done to them and to their loved ones. So much grief, pain, anger, and hopelessness permeated their hearts and minds. Many had no home, no family, no land and seemingly, no future.
As time passed, Denise gradually found healing and was miraculously able to forgive her enemies. She began working to help other survivors to find healing. Eventually, this became her full-time work: to help widows of the genocide toward recovery and restoration.
I believe everyone should know what happened in Rwanda, even those of us who live far away and may never visit. We need to be reminded of the cruelty that is possible in humanity, and that we are not immune to it no matter how much we think we are.
Reading this book provides us with a first-hand account of the Rwandan genocide; more importantly, though, the message of hope, healing, and restoration that shines through this story is one that the world also needs to hear. I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Plough Publishing, but all opinions are completely my own!

A beautiful and heartbreaking story of the author’s life. She showed us such courage and beauty in her writing and it is a book that will long stand with me.

Uwimana's story is gut-wrenching and powerful. There is no denying she is a strong woman who has lived through hell. The way she has healed and helped others to heal as well is wonderful. This is by no means a light read, and difficult things are not glossed over. But that does not make it any less impactful.