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How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2017)In this powerful memoir, Sandra Uwiringyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, tells the incredible true story of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism.
Sandra Uwiringiyimana was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. The rebels had come at night—wielding weapons, torches, machetes. She watched as her mother and six-year-old sister were gunned down in a refugee camp, far from their home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rebels were killing people who weren’t from the same community, the same tribe. In other words, they were killing people simply for looking different.
“Goodbye, life,” she said to the man ready to shoot her.
Remarkably, the rebel didn’t pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped into the night.
Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York.
In this profoundly moving memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, and of her hope for the future.
Sandra Uwiringiyimana was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. The rebels had come at night—wielding weapons, torches, machetes. She watched as her mother and six-year-old sister were gunned down in a refugee camp, far from their home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rebels were killing people who weren’t from the same community, the same tribe. In other words, they were killing people simply for looking different.
“Goodbye, life,” she said to the man ready to shoot her.
Remarkably, the rebel didn’t pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped into the night.
Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York.
In this profoundly moving memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, and of her hope for the future.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 16, 2017
389 people are currently reading
18.3k people want to read
About the author
Sandra Uwiringiyimana
1 book103 followersSandra Uwiringiyimana, a member of the Banyamulenge tribe (also referred to as Tutsi Congolese), and was born in South Kivu, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but spent the majority of her childhood in the Congolese city of Uvira. She is a survivor of the Second Congo War, and the 2004 massacre at the refugee camp in Gatumba Burundi by the National Liberation Front of Burundi. She spent a few years in Africa as a stateless refugee, before the U.N. offered them a chance to relocate to America in late 2005. The application and screening process took years, but in April 2007 the family left Africa for Rochester New York.
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September 2, 2018
“It was light out when we found them, the sun rising slowly in a pale blue sky, casting a warm glow over the fields of sorrow and grief. I remember thinking: How dare the sun rise, as if it were any other day, after such a gruesome night.”
First of all, how do you rate someone’s life? You can’t give one or two stars and say things like “uh, didn’t like it” or “boring”. That’s not how it works.
This is the first time that I’ve heard of Sandra Uwiringiyimana. Sandra is a young woman, born in the Congo. Her tribe, the Banyamulenge, come from a province in Congo called South Kivu. They have Rwandan origins and as their appearance, language and accents differ from Congolese and Rwandan people, they don’t belong to either nation and are often discriminated against.
Sandra is working towards a broader awareness of her tribe’s situation. She spoke in front of the United Nations and was interviewed by Charlie Rose during the Women in the World Summit in 2012. She wants more fairness and to end the hate and persecution that her people suffer from.
I don’t want to take away too much beforehand so let me just say a few things. This book tackles lots of important topics, including discrimination, persecution, feminism, mental health and family. It is moving and empowering and most of all: It’s real. I started reading Sandra’s book – about how she was raised, survived a massacre and later immigrated to the US – thinking only “Oh this sounds interesting.” I’m in a position where I have the luxury, the choice to face ugly news and truths or to blend everything out. Sandra could not. The more I read, I started to realize that this was real, that Sandra is someone who has left and is still leaving footprints. The events she describes in this book can be glimpsed on Youtube or Instagram. That’s when reality hit me. A reporter asked Sandra in an interview how she survived the horrors of her past, like having a gun pointed at your head, seeing people getting slashed and burned. It felt like such a terrible question. How could you ask anyone this? But what Sandra is doing is brave and crucial. She fights for justice and for acceptance.
This book is a raw and emotional autobiography, and while I wished to read more about what lead to the creation of this book, and about Sandra’s work as a Global Ambassador, I think it’s an amazing biography.
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First of all, how do you rate someone’s life? You can’t give one or two stars and say things like “uh, didn’t like it” or “boring”. That’s not how it works.
This is the first time that I’ve heard of Sandra Uwiringiyimana. Sandra is a young woman, born in the Congo. Her tribe, the Banyamulenge, come from a province in Congo called South Kivu. They have Rwandan origins and as their appearance, language and accents differ from Congolese and Rwandan people, they don’t belong to either nation and are often discriminated against.
Sandra is working towards a broader awareness of her tribe’s situation. She spoke in front of the United Nations and was interviewed by Charlie Rose during the Women in the World Summit in 2012. She wants more fairness and to end the hate and persecution that her people suffer from.
I don’t want to take away too much beforehand so let me just say a few things. This book tackles lots of important topics, including discrimination, persecution, feminism, mental health and family. It is moving and empowering and most of all: It’s real. I started reading Sandra’s book – about how she was raised, survived a massacre and later immigrated to the US – thinking only “Oh this sounds interesting.” I’m in a position where I have the luxury, the choice to face ugly news and truths or to blend everything out. Sandra could not. The more I read, I started to realize that this was real, that Sandra is someone who has left and is still leaving footprints. The events she describes in this book can be glimpsed on Youtube or Instagram. That’s when reality hit me. A reporter asked Sandra in an interview how she survived the horrors of her past, like having a gun pointed at your head, seeing people getting slashed and burned. It felt like such a terrible question. How could you ask anyone this? But what Sandra is doing is brave and crucial. She fights for justice and for acceptance.
This book is a raw and emotional autobiography, and while I wished to read more about what lead to the creation of this book, and about Sandra’s work as a Global Ambassador, I think it’s an amazing biography.
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September 10, 2020
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This is one of the best memoirs I've ever read. Sandra is Banyamulenge, which is an ethnic minority in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, discriminated against by the Congolese. She and her family were forced to flee to a refugee camp during the Second Congo war, where they lived until 2004, when they were victims to the massacre by the National Liberation Front of Burundi. She watched them burn the camps, killing people she had known and grew up with before her very eyes. Her mother was shot in front of her, her sister killed, and then one of them put a gun to her head and she prepared to say goodbye to her life. For whatever reason, the man did not pull the trigger, and she survived to tell this incredible story.
This memoir is mostly linear, although she opens with the devastating attack on her refugee camp, before going back in time to give us an idea of what her life was like growing up in Africa. A lot of people in the United States, myself included, don't really know much about Africa, or its history, and a good number of them probably couldn't even think of a country on that content (not even the obvious Egypt). She does this to serve two purposes, to give you an idea of her background and put a human face to the acts of genocide her people have suffered, and to debunk a lot of myths the reader probably has about where she comes from (yes, her people had shoes and cars, don't be ridiculous).
Eventually, she and her family were able to come to the United States as refugees, but this was no perfect fairytale ending-- and here is where my appreciation for her memoir really grew, and why I think her memoir should be required reading for everyone. As a Black woman from Africa, she came to the United States as an outsider to the racial tensions in the United States, and writes extensively on how crime committed by African Americans is disproportionately represented and reported on in the media, and how many white people treat Black Americans as if they are always on the verge of committing a crime. She writes about how she often didn't feel Black enough, not knowing much about American culture, let alone Black American culture, and how the two things might differ and overlap, and how living in the United States always seemed to force her to define herself by the color of her skin. The more dialogues she engaged in with her African American friends, the more she learned about institutional racism with regard to police discrimination, and about the Black Lives Matter movement.
As she got older and went to high school and then college, she began to struggle with what I believe is PTSD, as memories of her sister's death and the massacre haunted her. She poured herself into activism and got to go to a panel with Madeline Albright and Angelina Jolie, and, a few years after that, was invited to the White House Correspondents' Dinner where she got to meet the Obamas. She writes about the struggles of translating for her parents, and dealing with a lot of things that most children don't (like dealing with bills and telephone companies). She writes about the constant push and pull of her parents trying to uphold the norms of traditional African culture while also making allowances for the norms of the "typical" American teenager. She writes about being the victim of discrimination herself, and the frustration and rewards of making people care about a country they don't know anything about, as well as the exhaustion of being the unofficial ambassador of all Black people for her white friends and acquaintances. It's moving, heart-rending, eye-opening, and evocative.
The book ends with a photo gallery of other survivors of the massacre in the DRoC. Many of them now live in the United States and all of them want the people who claimed responsibility for the genocide to their people to be punished (as they should). It's the perfect end to the perfect book, and I loved that Uwiringiyimana included several personal photos of herself at several key moments in her life in the gallery, including the only photo she has of her younger sister, Deborah, who was murdered.
Uwiringiyimana is such an inspirational figure. Her passionate activism work, her openness about her struggles with mental health, and her willingness to share her own painful, personal stories with strangers to advance the cause of the people she's fighting for will resonate with anyone who shares her values and her desires to see the world be made into a more fair and just place. I loved the stories of her family, and how her father's feminism inspired her so personally, and how she debunked so many of the toxic stereotypes that Western people have about Africa, providing a realistic perspective about her home in the Congo, while also providing an equally realistic perspective about the U.S.'s flaws.
I think literally everyone should read this book.
5 stars
Read
January 4, 2024No rating because I don’t rate memoirs.
This is a memoir of a refugee so of course there are really heartbreaking parts, especially her recounting the atrocities she and her family experienced in the Congo and Rwanda. It was also really sad to hear her experience of coming to America. Because of course there’s the fake “American dream” and she realized when they arrived that they were sold a lie. I also didn’t think before I read this that I’d read about an experience of someone coming from Africa and their challenges they face living amongst Black Americans and the comparisons between the two, the teasing that she would experience.
The writing is very simplistic, so a good memoir for younger readers. I would say this was the weakest part for me.
This is a memoir of a refugee so of course there are really heartbreaking parts, especially her recounting the atrocities she and her family experienced in the Congo and Rwanda. It was also really sad to hear her experience of coming to America. Because of course there’s the fake “American dream” and she realized when they arrived that they were sold a lie. I also didn’t think before I read this that I’d read about an experience of someone coming from Africa and their challenges they face living amongst Black Americans and the comparisons between the two, the teasing that she would experience.
The writing is very simplistic, so a good memoir for younger readers. I would say this was the weakest part for me.
February 7, 2022
What an incredibly moving and thought provoking story! I hesitate to even give this a star rating, because it is a story that I really think anyone would benefit from hearing, particularly teens. My tears in this book flowed FREELY
July 19, 2017
3.5
I feel like a cruel person for rating it 3 stars (though I would clarify it is more of a 3.5), however, in the end, I have to rate this as a piece of writing, and not the author's experience. Also, I do generally read novels, so perhaps I am also judging this from a fictional standpoint, not nonfiction.
For the negative first, ultimately, this just isn't the best-written book. Some parts are incredible, especially early on as she describes growing up in Africa, becoming a refugee, and the massacre on her refugee camp. But the further the book gets, there are an increased amount of weaker parts of the book. She gushes about the famous people she gets to meet in response to her activism, and she relies too much on a "BUT THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED..." vague cliffhanger too often. Also, her discussion of her depression/PTSD at the end felt a bit surface level. Which may be my preference for fiction coming through, but it didn't feel deep enough. Which is something else that I found weak--Sandra has experienced A LOT in her young life, but the book felt a bit unfocused in its subject. It covers war, violence, the refugee experience, moving to a new land, family dynamics, depression, activism, women's rights, race in America, and probably more I'm forgetting. Especially towards the end, this makes it feel unfocused.
HOWEVER.
I wish that everyone would read this book, especially in the political climate here in America. Being a refugee is not a choice. It is not anything but hard, and Sandra's story encapsulates this. Even as someone who supports refugees, some of her views were new to me. Or perhaps just a reminder that we are all human. What I want, those refugees want, too. Even with something like having cute clothes. Teens especially would benefit from reading this, as she talks about her experience at school. Overall, anyone who reads this will be sure to learn something about someone who is different from them and foster better understanding.
I feel like a cruel person for rating it 3 stars (though I would clarify it is more of a 3.5), however, in the end, I have to rate this as a piece of writing, and not the author's experience. Also, I do generally read novels, so perhaps I am also judging this from a fictional standpoint, not nonfiction.
For the negative first, ultimately, this just isn't the best-written book. Some parts are incredible, especially early on as she describes growing up in Africa, becoming a refugee, and the massacre on her refugee camp. But the further the book gets, there are an increased amount of weaker parts of the book. She gushes about the famous people she gets to meet in response to her activism, and she relies too much on a "BUT THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED..." vague cliffhanger too often. Also, her discussion of her depression/PTSD at the end felt a bit surface level. Which may be my preference for fiction coming through, but it didn't feel deep enough. Which is something else that I found weak--Sandra has experienced A LOT in her young life, but the book felt a bit unfocused in its subject. It covers war, violence, the refugee experience, moving to a new land, family dynamics, depression, activism, women's rights, race in America, and probably more I'm forgetting. Especially towards the end, this makes it feel unfocused.
HOWEVER.
I wish that everyone would read this book, especially in the political climate here in America. Being a refugee is not a choice. It is not anything but hard, and Sandra's story encapsulates this. Even as someone who supports refugees, some of her views were new to me. Or perhaps just a reminder that we are all human. What I want, those refugees want, too. Even with something like having cute clothes. Teens especially would benefit from reading this, as she talks about her experience at school. Overall, anyone who reads this will be sure to learn something about someone who is different from them and foster better understanding.
December 10, 2017
Audio book narrated by the author, Sandra Uwiringiyimana. 6h 25 min
Wow! This November 2017 memoir about the author and her family 's journey from the DRC to refugees in Rochester, NY is definitely one of my favorite reads of this year. Sandra speaks so eloquently and with such emotion about family, faith, cultural differences and dealing with PTSD. A must have for my nonfiction section of my classroom library.
Wow! This November 2017 memoir about the author and her family 's journey from the DRC to refugees in Rochester, NY is definitely one of my favorite reads of this year. Sandra speaks so eloquently and with such emotion about family, faith, cultural differences and dealing with PTSD. A must have for my nonfiction section of my classroom library.
April 13, 2017
I was approved for this book for review. All thoughts are my own.
This was such a powerful book! I loved it, I mean I really loved it! To hear what Sandra has been through was heart breaking, but it also opened up my eyes to other atrocities that plague the world and how they go unnoticed or forgotten by the public. Sandra reminds us that although it may not be happening to us it definitely is happening all over the world. This is such an inspiring story that I want to read more about young adults like her as well as adults who have grown up in war torn countries.
This was such a powerful book! I loved it, I mean I really loved it! To hear what Sandra has been through was heart breaking, but it also opened up my eyes to other atrocities that plague the world and how they go unnoticed or forgotten by the public. Sandra reminds us that although it may not be happening to us it definitely is happening all over the world. This is such an inspiring story that I want to read more about young adults like her as well as adults who have grown up in war torn countries.
December 30, 2016
Finished the ARC of this and I couldn't put it down. Refugee Sandra details her family's flight from the war torn Congo and their struggles as immigrants living in an urbanized landscape of America. Told with brutal honesty and an insightful look into the world as an outsider looking in, it is certainly one memoir every young person needs to read when it releases in the US in May. Highly recommended.
May 23, 2017
More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants.
REVIEW: Though the subject matter was incredibly sad and violent, the conversational first-person narrative made this easy and engaging to read. I love Sandra's quiet power in how she compares her life in The Democratic Republic of the Congo and her new life as a middle-schooler in the USA. Some of the comparisons are funny, and some are just horribly sad.
I love the bottom line message about how race in the USA is a much bigger deal than it is in Africa. Sandra talks about how she never really thought about her skin color in Africa, even though there were many different skin tones and even white people in Africa, it wasn't a big deal until she got to the USA.
She also tackles large issues like poverty, everyday racism, PTSD, and depression.
I loved this book for it's strong narrative voice and its ability to tell a very needed story in a simple and engaging way. This book is easy to get into right from the start and stays poignant all the way through to the very end. Though she hobnobs with celebrities by the end of it all, Sandra remains a humble person and simply wants to get her voice out there and make a difference for the millions of displaced individuals in Africa and around the world.
THEMES: war, race, poverty, family, death, PTSD, depression, refugees, rape
THE BOTTOM LINE: A must-have for any middle or high school library. How Dare the Sun Rise tackles important issues like war and race with quiet dignity and hope. Beautifully-written and moving.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: On-order.
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Engrossing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to teens: 5/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: mild; talk of menstruation and tampons taking your virginity
Violence: high; attempted child rape, bloody massacre, arson, bullying, everyday racism
Drugs/Alcohol: none
REVIEW: Though the subject matter was incredibly sad and violent, the conversational first-person narrative made this easy and engaging to read. I love Sandra's quiet power in how she compares her life in The Democratic Republic of the Congo and her new life as a middle-schooler in the USA. Some of the comparisons are funny, and some are just horribly sad.
I love the bottom line message about how race in the USA is a much bigger deal than it is in Africa. Sandra talks about how she never really thought about her skin color in Africa, even though there were many different skin tones and even white people in Africa, it wasn't a big deal until she got to the USA.
She also tackles large issues like poverty, everyday racism, PTSD, and depression.
I loved this book for it's strong narrative voice and its ability to tell a very needed story in a simple and engaging way. This book is easy to get into right from the start and stays poignant all the way through to the very end. Though she hobnobs with celebrities by the end of it all, Sandra remains a humble person and simply wants to get her voice out there and make a difference for the millions of displaced individuals in Africa and around the world.
THEMES: war, race, poverty, family, death, PTSD, depression, refugees, rape
THE BOTTOM LINE: A must-have for any middle or high school library. How Dare the Sun Rise tackles important issues like war and race with quiet dignity and hope. Beautifully-written and moving.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: On-order.
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Engrossing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to teens: 5/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: mild; talk of menstruation and tampons taking your virginity
Violence: high; attempted child rape, bloody massacre, arson, bullying, everyday racism
Drugs/Alcohol: none
May 20, 2018
I gave this two stars to be polite.
Here's the problem with this book: Sandra tells the reader repeatedly that in her country one doesn't talk about one's feelings. She then writes a book that is almost entirely devoid of anything that even attempts to come close to describing her feelings about the travesty of her childhood experiences. She lost a homeland several generations before she was born, she lost a sister, she lost her school uniforms and her father's status in the Republic of Congo. She is fortunate enough to get extracted from a region where no country wants her to one where she has a chance to be safer and to go to school and to reunite with the people who share her history.
And then the whining begins. She lost her favorite blue dress when she tried to use it for a tourniquet. She had to live in a crappy house and she had to choose an unstylish wardrobe from church handout boxes. She had to eat nasty old apples rather than the Congolese fruits she doesn't even bother to name. She saw Angelina Jolie cry but didn't get to sit on the podium with her. She rants that her mom was actually upset because she dropped out of college, took off without bothering to call home, and ended up in the arms of a white boy. Seriously, most of the book has to do with name dropping and bragging and with her resentment list directed at people who didn't meet her standards. Her mother perhaps introduced her as the youngest member of the family because it is fucking heartbreaking to tell every stranger that her baby died, but Sandra complains and complains about how she feels without ever considering how anyone else might have felt. If I had dropped out of college and disappeared for a few months without the decency to phone home and let people know I was still alive, I can guarantee that my mom would give me the stinkeye when I wandered into the house.
Let's face it, she continues to make a living out of playing the victim card. And the writing is poor quality, flat. Don't tell me that she's only been using English for two decades. She has an editor. My guess is that she also has a raving ego. By the end of the book she is literally page after page telling us how great her hair looks.
There are better books about being a child in a war zone, some where the writer doesn't complain about having to endure crappy air conditioning. Read those instead.
Here's the problem with this book: Sandra tells the reader repeatedly that in her country one doesn't talk about one's feelings. She then writes a book that is almost entirely devoid of anything that even attempts to come close to describing her feelings about the travesty of her childhood experiences. She lost a homeland several generations before she was born, she lost a sister, she lost her school uniforms and her father's status in the Republic of Congo. She is fortunate enough to get extracted from a region where no country wants her to one where she has a chance to be safer and to go to school and to reunite with the people who share her history.
And then the whining begins. She lost her favorite blue dress when she tried to use it for a tourniquet. She had to live in a crappy house and she had to choose an unstylish wardrobe from church handout boxes. She had to eat nasty old apples rather than the Congolese fruits she doesn't even bother to name. She saw Angelina Jolie cry but didn't get to sit on the podium with her. She rants that her mom was actually upset because she dropped out of college, took off without bothering to call home, and ended up in the arms of a white boy. Seriously, most of the book has to do with name dropping and bragging and with her resentment list directed at people who didn't meet her standards. Her mother perhaps introduced her as the youngest member of the family because it is fucking heartbreaking to tell every stranger that her baby died, but Sandra complains and complains about how she feels without ever considering how anyone else might have felt. If I had dropped out of college and disappeared for a few months without the decency to phone home and let people know I was still alive, I can guarantee that my mom would give me the stinkeye when I wandered into the house.
Let's face it, she continues to make a living out of playing the victim card. And the writing is poor quality, flat. Don't tell me that she's only been using English for two decades. She has an editor. My guess is that she also has a raving ego. By the end of the book she is literally page after page telling us how great her hair looks.
There are better books about being a child in a war zone, some where the writer doesn't complain about having to endure crappy air conditioning. Read those instead.
September 13, 2017
The first half of the book was good. The descriptions of Africa and life there were enlightening. The part about the massacre in the refugee camp was sad and tragic. Heartbreaking.
The second half of the book was frustrating for me. I almost put the book down and stopped reading it. She is very focused on race in her book. She has a strong victim mentality that was hard to listen to. Everyone feels different in some way or another. Everyone deals with prejudice in some way or another. Everyone is diverse due to having unique experiences during one's sojourn in this life.
The second half of the book was frustrating for me. I almost put the book down and stopped reading it. She is very focused on race in her book. She has a strong victim mentality that was hard to listen to. Everyone feels different in some way or another. Everyone deals with prejudice in some way or another. Everyone is diverse due to having unique experiences during one's sojourn in this life.
July 21, 2023
Losing her loved ones in a horrific massacre, displaced as refugees, children of war... yet Sandra was still able to pick up the pieces and live.
Her idyllic home in Congo, dancing with other children and the games they would play pulled at my heart strings. I thought this would be the typical poverty stricken and hopeless Africa that everyone in the world seems to know and I was prepared for that. It's still a part of reality even if it's so heartbreaking. I was wrong though, it was clear how much Sandra loved her home and she couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her for not being Congolese even though she's Congolese just from a different tribe.
I didn't know that people speak Swahili in DRC, I thought it was a case like Uganda where people say they speak it when really they don't. I also learned about the Gatumba massacre💔 and it breaks my heart.
Her idyllic home in Congo, dancing with other children and the games they would play pulled at my heart strings. I thought this would be the typical poverty stricken and hopeless Africa that everyone in the world seems to know and I was prepared for that. It's still a part of reality even if it's so heartbreaking. I was wrong though, it was clear how much Sandra loved her home and she couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt her for not being Congolese even though she's Congolese just from a different tribe.
I didn't know that people speak Swahili in DRC, I thought it was a case like Uganda where people say they speak it when really they don't. I also learned about the Gatumba massacre💔 and it breaks my heart.
May 22, 2023
This was an awesome read. While Sandra Uwiringiyimana is so far away, and her background is so different, so many of the experiences and emotions she wrote about resonated with me and made me think of things that happened to me and my people. Some aspects were similar, though not others (e.g. in our case it's not a civil war, which is different because the types of weapons used are very different, and this has many implications). But some sentences read like they could have been about us, too. It made me feel connected to Sandra and her people and in a way validated. Like, we're not crazy, we didn't make it up, this isn't particular to us and therefore uniquely our fault. It's a human experience.
"I heard our attackers singing and chanting. They were singing Christian songs. I had grown up singing some of those songs in church, and I wondered why murderers would be singing them."
"The men seemed to think they were on a mission from God to massacre us. They spoke in two languages from the region, Kirundi and Swahili. I spoke both languages, and their voices sounded familiar. Why were we being targeted by people who were praising God?"
"To be sure, there were daily challenges. The electricity went off all the time, at random hours throughout the day and night. When it happened, you could hear the neighborhood erupt in one big, heavy groan. When the electricity came back on, you could hear the neighborhood cheer and clap."
"I remember sitting in class and hearing bomb blasts in the distance as rival tribes fought."
"Yes, you can appreciate your history and your culture. You can embrace it. But you can embrace other cultures too. And, yes, you can be angry and seek justice when you are attacked. I want the killers who targeted my people to face justice. But going forward, I don’t want to spread the seeds of separation."
The second half of the book is about the life of Sandra and her family in US as refugees, how they coped and adjusted, the challenges they had after moving to a new country, the friction between parents and children that resulted. This was also very interesting and illuminating, though not something I could personally relate to.
Except for one aspect - the racial one. Sandra is black but her self-image of being black is different from black people she met in US. For her, it had a different meaning and different implications, and she felt frustrated about not being understood and being shoe-horned into American stereotypes about blackness which don't necessarily apply worldwide. I'm white and sometimes feel similarly when Americans use this as a marker of privilege, which in my country it isn't. My nation never colonized other peoples so when we had slavery both slaves and masters were white, etc.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. I particularly appreciated that Sandra narrated the audiobook herself, so I was able to hear the correct pronunciation of names, or inflections of accents that would have been lost if it was narrated by someone else or if I read it with my eyes.
"I heard our attackers singing and chanting. They were singing Christian songs. I had grown up singing some of those songs in church, and I wondered why murderers would be singing them."
"The men seemed to think they were on a mission from God to massacre us. They spoke in two languages from the region, Kirundi and Swahili. I spoke both languages, and their voices sounded familiar. Why were we being targeted by people who were praising God?"
"To be sure, there were daily challenges. The electricity went off all the time, at random hours throughout the day and night. When it happened, you could hear the neighborhood erupt in one big, heavy groan. When the electricity came back on, you could hear the neighborhood cheer and clap."
"I remember sitting in class and hearing bomb blasts in the distance as rival tribes fought."
"Yes, you can appreciate your history and your culture. You can embrace it. But you can embrace other cultures too. And, yes, you can be angry and seek justice when you are attacked. I want the killers who targeted my people to face justice. But going forward, I don’t want to spread the seeds of separation."
The second half of the book is about the life of Sandra and her family in US as refugees, how they coped and adjusted, the challenges they had after moving to a new country, the friction between parents and children that resulted. This was also very interesting and illuminating, though not something I could personally relate to.
Except for one aspect - the racial one. Sandra is black but her self-image of being black is different from black people she met in US. For her, it had a different meaning and different implications, and she felt frustrated about not being understood and being shoe-horned into American stereotypes about blackness which don't necessarily apply worldwide. I'm white and sometimes feel similarly when Americans use this as a marker of privilege, which in my country it isn't. My nation never colonized other peoples so when we had slavery both slaves and masters were white, etc.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. I particularly appreciated that Sandra narrated the audiobook herself, so I was able to hear the correct pronunciation of names, or inflections of accents that would have been lost if it was narrated by someone else or if I read it with my eyes.
January 15, 2020
This is the kind of book that makes you really think deeply about all the things you take for granted in life and in your family. It also makes you think about what it means to attain and live out the American dream. Is it a dream when you've experienced so much pain to get there? Can it ever really be a dream for Black Americans born in America or from abroad?
Sandra Uwiringiyimana told a painfully harrowing story about loss and trauma. I hate the word harrowing but honestly, the book was acutely distressing. Knowing that there's nothing that has been done about the war crimes perpetrated against her people is only more distressing.
Resilient is an understatement to describe the ways that Sandra and her family have managed to continue forward. This was one hell of a memoir.
Sandra Uwiringiyimana told a painfully harrowing story about loss and trauma. I hate the word harrowing but honestly, the book was acutely distressing. Knowing that there's nothing that has been done about the war crimes perpetrated against her people is only more distressing.
Resilient is an understatement to describe the ways that Sandra and her family have managed to continue forward. This was one hell of a memoir.
October 25, 2017
Wow. Just wow. There are no words to correctly express how this book. . .no, this intimate look into someone's life, makes me feel. This stunned me. It made me so, very thankful to live in America, yet appalled at how some of the whites treated Miss Sandra because she's different. Miss Sandra is an incredibly strong and amazing woman. What she lived through. . .I admire her greatly. There are not many woman who could go through what she did and yet come out so strong and trying to do good for everyone else. She seems to be a strong Christian and a strong speaker. The fact that the Democratic Republic of the Congo accepted rape and almost always blamed the women, stunned me. I was horrified at the treatment of women that Miss Sandra described. Her family seems different. She has accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time and is making a huge impact upon our world. Everyone should read this. It will make you cry, make you angry, scared, frustrated, sympathetic. . .it will pull on every, single emotion you have. This deserves so much more than a five star rating.
February 19, 2018
This is my 10th book of 2018, and so far, it easily ranks as my second favorite of this year (behind The Wet Engine). This book should be put in every middle and high school classroom. Sandra's story needs to be heard, and Sandra's bravery in sharing her story is unbelievably inspiring. This is now at the top of my list of books that I highly recommend to students. Undoubtedly, adults will enjoy it, too!
Sandra loses her sister in a massacre, endures poverty, flees her homeland to America, and her struggles don't end there, but despite her unimaginable hardships, she becomes an artist and an activist, and I can't wait to see what she what she accomplishes in the future.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT! :)
Sandra loses her sister in a massacre, endures poverty, flees her homeland to America, and her struggles don't end there, but despite her unimaginable hardships, she becomes an artist and an activist, and I can't wait to see what she what she accomplishes in the future.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT! :)
June 12, 2017
This was a great non fiction read. The first few chapters were repetitive but it quickly picks up after that. I love how the author described everything in great detail. This is the story of a African war child and her move to America. A true testimony of a survivor. My favorite part of this book was her transition to America. The author describes everything when it came to food, culture, and race. Most of which I felt was very accurate.
May 19, 2017
you know a book is good when you stay up until 1 am reading it without taking any breaks
January 6, 2019
This is the 1st book I give a 1* rating. I struggled so hard to finish it.
I think the main reason why it has so many good ratings is because of the tragic incident that the author went through when she lost a sister in a massacre at the Gatumba refugee camp.
As many reviewers mentioned, the beginning is captivating, it starts off describing the massacre and continues with memories of her childhood in Africa. After the massacre she and her family had the opportunity to be resettled to Rochester, USA.. and then the whining begins.
She is such a negative person, unbelievable. She complains about EVERYTHING. About the food in the US, about the case workers not knowing which spices they used when cooking chicken in Africa, about the neighborhood they were sent to, about having to wear boots in winter, about the clothes she received which smelled strange- and she assumed white people smell funny, about the school she went to ( which was mostly immigrant and refugee pupils), about the other school she got into in 8th grade ( which was mostly white girls), she complained when a woman from church threw her a surprise party and baked a cake- she said the cake was too sweet and "cakey", she complained when a Senegalese kid tried to help her at school translating, she said it was not his responsibility to make sure she is learning in school ( whose responsibility is it if not her own? ), she complains about having to help her parents translate the bills since they did not have time to learn English yet, she talks about how she ended a friendship with a girl when, at a dance party, she had just met a boy and while they were talking, her friend took him for a dance, she complains how her parents didn`t understand her when she dropped out of college and disappeared, with no explanation leaving her parents no other choice than to call police in a desperate attempt to find her and muchhh more, the whole book is her whining and complaining about every single aspect of her life in America.
Ohh it makes me cringe, that after she had the fortune of being taken from her war-torn country and given a new life for free in one of the most developed countries in the world, she is so ungrateful.
I am a doctor and have volunteered in refugee camps and I saw and heard stories about the grueling things these people went through, and how they feel so fortunate to just being in a safe country and they appreciate all the small things we are trying to do to improve their condition, they don`t complain that their clothes are not stylish, they don`t complain about how fruits taste in Europe, they are just happy to be safe.
I don`t understand how this girl is an activist, a voice for refugees, when she is so immature, so negative, so hateful, so judgemental, so superficial. She doesn`t even talk about her activism, she mostly just brags about the celebrities that she gets to meet.
Please, do not waste your time reading this book, our time is limited and there are millions of other books, million of other stories that deserve to be heard, do not waste your time listening to an immature girl complaining about everything in this world, she is even complaining about God.
Plus, it is badly written, superficial, very judgemental.
Just don`t...
I think the main reason why it has so many good ratings is because of the tragic incident that the author went through when she lost a sister in a massacre at the Gatumba refugee camp.
As many reviewers mentioned, the beginning is captivating, it starts off describing the massacre and continues with memories of her childhood in Africa. After the massacre she and her family had the opportunity to be resettled to Rochester, USA.. and then the whining begins.
She is such a negative person, unbelievable. She complains about EVERYTHING. About the food in the US, about the case workers not knowing which spices they used when cooking chicken in Africa, about the neighborhood they were sent to, about having to wear boots in winter, about the clothes she received which smelled strange- and she assumed white people smell funny, about the school she went to ( which was mostly immigrant and refugee pupils), about the other school she got into in 8th grade ( which was mostly white girls), she complained when a woman from church threw her a surprise party and baked a cake- she said the cake was too sweet and "cakey", she complained when a Senegalese kid tried to help her at school translating, she said it was not his responsibility to make sure she is learning in school ( whose responsibility is it if not her own? ), she complains about having to help her parents translate the bills since they did not have time to learn English yet, she talks about how she ended a friendship with a girl when, at a dance party, she had just met a boy and while they were talking, her friend took him for a dance, she complains how her parents didn`t understand her when she dropped out of college and disappeared, with no explanation leaving her parents no other choice than to call police in a desperate attempt to find her and muchhh more, the whole book is her whining and complaining about every single aspect of her life in America.
Ohh it makes me cringe, that after she had the fortune of being taken from her war-torn country and given a new life for free in one of the most developed countries in the world, she is so ungrateful.
I am a doctor and have volunteered in refugee camps and I saw and heard stories about the grueling things these people went through, and how they feel so fortunate to just being in a safe country and they appreciate all the small things we are trying to do to improve their condition, they don`t complain that their clothes are not stylish, they don`t complain about how fruits taste in Europe, they are just happy to be safe.
I don`t understand how this girl is an activist, a voice for refugees, when she is so immature, so negative, so hateful, so judgemental, so superficial. She doesn`t even talk about her activism, she mostly just brags about the celebrities that she gets to meet.
Please, do not waste your time reading this book, our time is limited and there are millions of other books, million of other stories that deserve to be heard, do not waste your time listening to an immature girl complaining about everything in this world, she is even complaining about God.
Plus, it is badly written, superficial, very judgemental.
Just don`t...
June 7, 2020
I just happened to read this right before the country exploded with riots over the awful murder of George Floyd. This book isn't about rogue police killing innocent people, but it deals with race in a way that feels very timely.
Sandra is a young girl that grew up in Congo and Burundi running from hatred. As a member of a tribe in Rwanda, her family fled that war-torn country and settled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sandra has never known Rwanda as a home, but in Congo she is considered an outsider. While in Rwanda, she is considered Congolese. She is a girl without a country.
After surviving a horrible massacre, a massacre that claimed the life of her six year old sister, her family settles in Rwanda and attempts to make their small apartment a home. They are all traumatized by the events of the massacre.
Eventually the family has an opportunity to resettle in America. This is the the part of the story that is the most compelling. As an outsider, Sandra has a unique perspective on how she is perceived as an African woman in America. She is always an outsider. Even in Africa she was an outsider. Her views on race in America are lucid and accurate: "But In America, my skin color did define me, at least in other people's eyes. I was black. I was black first, and then I was Sandra. I had grown up in a war zone, but life in America, I realized, was a different kind of war zone."
This is considered YA and one that I will pass along to my teenage daughter. I think this is an important book for teens to read to better understand what it means to belong and to help others feel welcome.
Sandra is a young girl that grew up in Congo and Burundi running from hatred. As a member of a tribe in Rwanda, her family fled that war-torn country and settled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sandra has never known Rwanda as a home, but in Congo she is considered an outsider. While in Rwanda, she is considered Congolese. She is a girl without a country.
After surviving a horrible massacre, a massacre that claimed the life of her six year old sister, her family settles in Rwanda and attempts to make their small apartment a home. They are all traumatized by the events of the massacre.
Eventually the family has an opportunity to resettle in America. This is the the part of the story that is the most compelling. As an outsider, Sandra has a unique perspective on how she is perceived as an African woman in America. She is always an outsider. Even in Africa she was an outsider. Her views on race in America are lucid and accurate: "But In America, my skin color did define me, at least in other people's eyes. I was black. I was black first, and then I was Sandra. I had grown up in a war zone, but life in America, I realized, was a different kind of war zone."
This is considered YA and one that I will pass along to my teenage daughter. I think this is an important book for teens to read to better understand what it means to belong and to help others feel welcome.
July 25, 2017
The author is a member of the Banyamulenge tribe from Rwanda who had settled in the Congo generations before. Because their customs and language were different they were always considered alien and subject to attacks. As a ten year old her family was living in a refugee camp Gatumba when it was attacked and over a hundred people brutally massacred including her youngest sister while many of her family were shot and left for dead. Eventually her family was allowed to come to America where they had to adjust to a completely new way of life. The book is simply written and delves into many current issues such as refugees, race relations in America and her hopes for the future. As a teenager the author began to tell the world of her people's situation at important world meetings and making a difference. I feel it is an excellent book to try and understand the conditions much of the world faces.
April 24, 2018
Young human rights activist, Sandra Uwiringiyimana shares her powerful heartbreaking memoir, How Dare the Sun Rise, of the sudden collapse of family life for Sandra, her parents, and her six siblings. The family, Rwandans, considered a hated Banyamulenge minority, lived in the mountains of South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because of the wars and rumored wars, the family were stateless, and moved from place to place. They had settled in Uvira Province, a city in South Kivu, where the close-knit, loving family lived a peaceful life until, again, unrest started.
In 2004, the family were placed in a refugee camp in Gatumba, Burundi. There is where 10-year-old Sandra witnessed the rebel massacre of families, including her six-year-old sister, Deborah, cousins, and the shooting of her mother, brother, and aunt.
In 2006, Sandra’s father heard of a resettlement program initiated to help displaced persons. After numerous interviews, the entire family were approved and immigrated to Rochester, New York, in 2007.
The memoir explores Sandra’s mental and emotional struggle, her coming of age in a new society, defining herself counter to the cultural expectations of family and, navigating through the angst of her teens, and living in America. Some might question Sandra’s behavior in some instances, but I believe she suffered Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and guilt over Deborah’s death.
The family established a new life in America, but received no family therapy. Sandra did receive brief therapy while attending college. However, Sandra mentioned that culturally, the family does not speak of their loss or unhappiness; instead, they have a strong belief in the power of prayer.
An unforgettable memoir worth reading.
In 2004, the family were placed in a refugee camp in Gatumba, Burundi. There is where 10-year-old Sandra witnessed the rebel massacre of families, including her six-year-old sister, Deborah, cousins, and the shooting of her mother, brother, and aunt.
In 2006, Sandra’s father heard of a resettlement program initiated to help displaced persons. After numerous interviews, the entire family were approved and immigrated to Rochester, New York, in 2007.
The memoir explores Sandra’s mental and emotional struggle, her coming of age in a new society, defining herself counter to the cultural expectations of family and, navigating through the angst of her teens, and living in America. Some might question Sandra’s behavior in some instances, but I believe she suffered Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and guilt over Deborah’s death.
The family established a new life in America, but received no family therapy. Sandra did receive brief therapy while attending college. However, Sandra mentioned that culturally, the family does not speak of their loss or unhappiness; instead, they have a strong belief in the power of prayer.
An unforgettable memoir worth reading.
July 6, 2021
5 Stars
This book was amazing in every way, shape, and form and I refuse to hear differently. I am going to be honest when I say that I don’t read memoirs (for the most part.) The thing is sometimes they're a bit boring and I guess I am kind of neutral when it comes to them. I don't generally read them or search for them for that matter but this one ended u finding its way to me through a friend (thank u Temi). I have to say Sandra's story was definitely heartbreaking and I understand why some people would cry although that was not the case for me, I think the book was beautifully written.
Sandra lives through a massacre where her little six-year-old sister was gunned down and killed through a shot in the head and many other people were killed (I think it was 166 but I am not 100% sure). She talks about her life after the massacre and how different things turned out to be. She speaks about her struggles, goals, and achievements all the while making you think and relate. The way she talks about things really makes you think about them on a different level, and you realize how much you have and what you take for granted. She tackles issues like grief by talking about her own, rape by brief mention, death and loss a common theme, racism and discrimination, immigration, culture and ways of life etc. So much is put under a microscope and through her speech you learn how different some people's lives are compared to your own. You start to understand trauma and pain and relinquish the horrors some people have had to go through. One reason why I really love this book is that it made me think (like a lot) it seriously made me question a lot of things and some of the stuff that Sandra said was so true it was just amazing. She was so inspirational and strong, and I am so proud of her for living through what she did and continuing to move forward.
If there was one book, I would say everyone has to read it would definitely be this one it's true some may claim that the book is boring or slow, maybe lacking detail or thorough explanation but I love it all the same. The title definitely hits differently after reading and now when I think about it, it kind of seems like a bold entitled statement that leaves a mark. I love how the author mentions it, even if it's briefly, to show what it symbolizes. Like How Dare The Sun Rise she means to say after all this suffering and pain many people have survived through, still going through, that she lived through How Dare The Sun Rise like it's any other day, like the sorrows of yesterday have been forgotten and should stay that way. I love that it just hits so hard like I honestly can't stop thinking about it like seriously it's an empowering statement/question I mean How Dare The Sun Rise.
Another thing this novel touched upon that I really loved and mentioned earlier was racial discrimination. It's funny how other people judge you before they get to know you, I guess people do it all the time just by looking at you they already have this perception about you without ever really trying to figure you out or get to know the real you. Sandra talks about how when she was in Africa she was known as Sandra but when she came to America, she was black before she was Sandra like her skin was her identifier. It’s so true it hurts the fact that this is literally still happening where people are segregated based on the colour of their skin breaks my heart. Something that I have been thinking about is why does it really matter that I am black, and this other person is white. In reality, your skin colour is just a colour it really shouldn't define you. It makes me question why I must be labelled as someone from the ghetto or something else like that just because of how I look. I mean we are human in the end, so does it really matter where I originate from or how I dress. That does not mean you can't take pride in your culture, customs, religion and etc. It's just, do I have to be known as that black girl and stuff like seriously. Well, it's actually quite sad considering people actually prioritize looks over personality. They make assumptions based on their skin colour or looks to look at the world now and know we haven’t changed is just……. The fact that humankind has somehow managed to advance so far with technology and yet we still can't seem to accept one another for who we are is really something to think about.
One more thing that I really love Sandra for mentioning the cycle of hatred. It’s like you do something to me and I hate you, so I do it back and there is this endless cycle. If I am being totally honest though it would hit me hard if someone murdered someone, I cared about. Not doing something about it would feel like a betrayal to both them and me. It reminded me of Naruto (a very inspirational anime character) when he was speaking to Nagato, and they were talking about the endless cycle of hatred one often endures throughout their lifetime and how we all contribute to it. Nagato said and I quote “……. When we lose someone precious to us, hate is born. Vengeance is the product of that hate and so death follows. But in death, there is only more death. This will give rise to more pains. In this cursed world we live in, it is a cycle of hatred that will not cease…” It’s honestly so true it’s easier to hate those who have wronged us than love but hate only brings more hate. Sandra could have easily hated her sister’s killers, but she didn’t she decided to make peace and though she wishes justice to be served she doesn't hate them, although she said she might not have been able to forgive them. So, the million-dollar question is how do we end the cycle? In reality, you can't be asked to forgive and forget I mean let's be real forgiving someone is a lot harder than it sounds although most people try to. I guess it's not really forgiving that people should be doing more like making peace with the situation and what happened. You can forgive which is definitely advised because let's face it creates less of a burden for everyone including yourself, but it’s not expected I would say make peace and remember. You don’t want to carry such a big burden around, but you have to remember. Not in an, I remember in a vivid detail recollection way but more like I went through this and survived, I remember what you did but I have made peace with it. I know my trauma is still haunting me, but I have become a stronger person because of it. Overall, I recommend this book to everyone it’s one of the few that I would actually say everyone should read. I mean there is Song of Achilles, All the bright places and The cruel prince but you know we are talking about this one.
Lastly, it stresses the importance of making moments and treating people kindly. Take the effort to fix broken connections/relationships and show people they are loved and appreciated. Since you never know whether it will be the last time you see them. I mean human life is so fragile, and everyone has to go eventually. No one knows when they will leave the earth but what we do know is everyone will at some point. So treasure your loved ones let them know you love them, remember them, make the positive memories outweigh the negative ones since no one is too young to die (I mean people are but you know the rules of death clearly don't care about age). What you thought was a simple fight might haunt you for the rest of your life because you were arguing with this person one minute and then they storm off in anger and the next you get a phone call there has been an accident and now they are gone. Live in the moment, treasure life and your time because you never know when either will end
In conclusion,
Her name is Sandra Uwiringiyimana and this is her story.
Go out and make the world a better place: Show kindness to all, treat others with respect, live your life to the fullest, never take advantage of others, aim to break that cycle of hatred, try to reduce judgement, and continue to learn and understand others in those ways and many more we can truly make the world a better place.
I forgot to mention this earlier, but you have to listen to "Rise up" by Andra Day, first of all, it literally represents the novel perfectly and generally the song is awesome.
Also the song “Praying” by Kesha is Sandra’s message to the people who took so much from her by killing her sister and taking her home.
HAPPY READING!
This book was amazing in every way, shape, and form and I refuse to hear differently. I am going to be honest when I say that I don’t read memoirs (for the most part.) The thing is sometimes they're a bit boring and I guess I am kind of neutral when it comes to them. I don't generally read them or search for them for that matter but this one ended u finding its way to me through a friend (thank u Temi). I have to say Sandra's story was definitely heartbreaking and I understand why some people would cry although that was not the case for me, I think the book was beautifully written.
Sandra lives through a massacre where her little six-year-old sister was gunned down and killed through a shot in the head and many other people were killed (I think it was 166 but I am not 100% sure). She talks about her life after the massacre and how different things turned out to be. She speaks about her struggles, goals, and achievements all the while making you think and relate. The way she talks about things really makes you think about them on a different level, and you realize how much you have and what you take for granted. She tackles issues like grief by talking about her own, rape by brief mention, death and loss a common theme, racism and discrimination, immigration, culture and ways of life etc. So much is put under a microscope and through her speech you learn how different some people's lives are compared to your own. You start to understand trauma and pain and relinquish the horrors some people have had to go through. One reason why I really love this book is that it made me think (like a lot) it seriously made me question a lot of things and some of the stuff that Sandra said was so true it was just amazing. She was so inspirational and strong, and I am so proud of her for living through what she did and continuing to move forward.
If there was one book, I would say everyone has to read it would definitely be this one it's true some may claim that the book is boring or slow, maybe lacking detail or thorough explanation but I love it all the same. The title definitely hits differently after reading and now when I think about it, it kind of seems like a bold entitled statement that leaves a mark. I love how the author mentions it, even if it's briefly, to show what it symbolizes. Like How Dare The Sun Rise she means to say after all this suffering and pain many people have survived through, still going through, that she lived through How Dare The Sun Rise like it's any other day, like the sorrows of yesterday have been forgotten and should stay that way. I love that it just hits so hard like I honestly can't stop thinking about it like seriously it's an empowering statement/question I mean How Dare The Sun Rise.
Another thing this novel touched upon that I really loved and mentioned earlier was racial discrimination. It's funny how other people judge you before they get to know you, I guess people do it all the time just by looking at you they already have this perception about you without ever really trying to figure you out or get to know the real you. Sandra talks about how when she was in Africa she was known as Sandra but when she came to America, she was black before she was Sandra like her skin was her identifier. It’s so true it hurts the fact that this is literally still happening where people are segregated based on the colour of their skin breaks my heart. Something that I have been thinking about is why does it really matter that I am black, and this other person is white. In reality, your skin colour is just a colour it really shouldn't define you. It makes me question why I must be labelled as someone from the ghetto or something else like that just because of how I look. I mean we are human in the end, so does it really matter where I originate from or how I dress. That does not mean you can't take pride in your culture, customs, religion and etc. It's just, do I have to be known as that black girl and stuff like seriously. Well, it's actually quite sad considering people actually prioritize looks over personality. They make assumptions based on their skin colour or looks to look at the world now and know we haven’t changed is just……. The fact that humankind has somehow managed to advance so far with technology and yet we still can't seem to accept one another for who we are is really something to think about.
One more thing that I really love Sandra for mentioning the cycle of hatred. It’s like you do something to me and I hate you, so I do it back and there is this endless cycle. If I am being totally honest though it would hit me hard if someone murdered someone, I cared about. Not doing something about it would feel like a betrayal to both them and me. It reminded me of Naruto (a very inspirational anime character) when he was speaking to Nagato, and they were talking about the endless cycle of hatred one often endures throughout their lifetime and how we all contribute to it. Nagato said and I quote “……. When we lose someone precious to us, hate is born. Vengeance is the product of that hate and so death follows. But in death, there is only more death. This will give rise to more pains. In this cursed world we live in, it is a cycle of hatred that will not cease…” It’s honestly so true it’s easier to hate those who have wronged us than love but hate only brings more hate. Sandra could have easily hated her sister’s killers, but she didn’t she decided to make peace and though she wishes justice to be served she doesn't hate them, although she said she might not have been able to forgive them. So, the million-dollar question is how do we end the cycle? In reality, you can't be asked to forgive and forget I mean let's be real forgiving someone is a lot harder than it sounds although most people try to. I guess it's not really forgiving that people should be doing more like making peace with the situation and what happened. You can forgive which is definitely advised because let's face it creates less of a burden for everyone including yourself, but it’s not expected I would say make peace and remember. You don’t want to carry such a big burden around, but you have to remember. Not in an, I remember in a vivid detail recollection way but more like I went through this and survived, I remember what you did but I have made peace with it. I know my trauma is still haunting me, but I have become a stronger person because of it. Overall, I recommend this book to everyone it’s one of the few that I would actually say everyone should read. I mean there is Song of Achilles, All the bright places and The cruel prince but you know we are talking about this one.
Lastly, it stresses the importance of making moments and treating people kindly. Take the effort to fix broken connections/relationships and show people they are loved and appreciated. Since you never know whether it will be the last time you see them. I mean human life is so fragile, and everyone has to go eventually. No one knows when they will leave the earth but what we do know is everyone will at some point. So treasure your loved ones let them know you love them, remember them, make the positive memories outweigh the negative ones since no one is too young to die (I mean people are but you know the rules of death clearly don't care about age). What you thought was a simple fight might haunt you for the rest of your life because you were arguing with this person one minute and then they storm off in anger and the next you get a phone call there has been an accident and now they are gone. Live in the moment, treasure life and your time because you never know when either will end
In conclusion,
Her name is Sandra Uwiringiyimana and this is her story.
Go out and make the world a better place: Show kindness to all, treat others with respect, live your life to the fullest, never take advantage of others, aim to break that cycle of hatred, try to reduce judgement, and continue to learn and understand others in those ways and many more we can truly make the world a better place.
I forgot to mention this earlier, but you have to listen to "Rise up" by Andra Day, first of all, it literally represents the novel perfectly and generally the song is awesome.
Also the song “Praying” by Kesha is Sandra’s message to the people who took so much from her by killing her sister and taking her home.
HAPPY READING!
February 6, 2017
This memoir is a believable and moving account of the life experiences of a young Banyamulenge woman. She escaped a bloody massacre in a refuge camp in Africa in which her younger sister and other family members were murdered. This first-hand account details her family's struggle in the aftermath of the attack and their trials and tribulations after a refugee resettlement to Rochester, NY. Her activism on behalf of her people has been recognized in national and international circles.
September 30, 2017
Thoughtful and unsettling. I’m picky when it comes to memoirs, but I found this one to be interesting and worth my time. Just don’t expect it to be an easy read, since it's about a girl who survived a massacre. There is obviously violence and hardship, but there is also plenty to think about.
It’s an inside look at the life of a refugee, and it definitely reminded me how fortunate I am, when many others aren’t.
Pages: 304
It’s an inside look at the life of a refugee, and it definitely reminded me how fortunate I am, when many others aren’t.
Pages: 304
October 3, 2019
Very powerful! I loved listening to Sandra narrate her story. This should be required reading for all ages. She is such an inspiration and shows how much the human spirit can overcome.
Popsugar Challenge 2019 - A book with a question in the title
Popsugar Challenge 2019 - A book with a question in the title
November 24, 2022
This was really good! I really didn’t know anything about this so I’m glad I got to know more. She is such a strong woman with a strong family. It was also interesting to hear about the different culture shocks they went through.
April 5, 2019
How dare the sun rise, as if it were any other day, after such a gruesome night? (p. 82).
Sandra Uwiringiyimana is a member of the Banyamulenge tribe, a survivor or the Gatumba massacre, where 166 people, including her 6-year-old sister, were killed during violence against ethnic Rwandan Congolese. She was named after a Rwandan prime minister, an influential woman in Rwanda's history: It makes me feel like I have big shoes to fill, and that someday I can do something worth being remembered for (p. 19).
Uwiringiyimana does have big shoes to fill; yet her voice is strong and clear. She has been a worthy advocate for her community, refugees everywhere, and "people of all races, cultures, and faiths" (p. 276), as in this speech to the United Nations Security Council.
As long as the criminal who admitted to leading that massacre continues to walk freely in the streets of Burundi, I have no choice. I must keep telling it, until the international community proves my words are not only worthy of empathy, but also of accountability. Until leaders like you and the countries that you represent show me that my family and all others are not disposable. (p. 243)
Uwiringiyimana's memoir can be read as a case study in both trauma and resilience. In addition to the massacre and periods of profound poverty, she described bullying in both the Congo and the US. She was utterly unprepared for the US, and her caseworkers, although well-intentioned, did not understand her family's confusion. Her father was hit by a car, spent three months in a coma, and was unable to work outside the home after that. Yet, Uwiringiyimana's parents gave her a strong foundation. Her church and friends supported her during good times and periods of profound depression and frequent flashbacks.
Uwiringiyimana also means “one who believes in God,” something that she struggled with in the years since the massacre: Why were we being targeted by people who were praising God? Gunshots, screams, chanting. Nothing made sense. It didn’t register that people were dying, that my cousin had been shot dead as she ran from the tent. (p. 6). While her faith ebbed and flowed as she faced new challenges in Africa and after her immigration to the US, her spirituality was part of what saved her.
Her parents were strong and powerful forces in her life. Her mother was "the original feminist," selling cows and running businesses in a culture where those were not women's work. When feeling bullied at school, her mother helped her keep perspective: “Did they injure you in some way?... Do you have a wound?” (p. 47). Her father encouraged her to value her education and recognize that “Beauty is in your head, not on your body” (p. 141).
This story is very similar to John Bul Dau's God Grew Tired of Us: ethnic violence, trauma, difficulties with adjusting to the US, and anger at God. Both books are hopeful. Still, perhaps because I just read it, How Dare the Sun Rise, feels like it more clearly articulated these themes.
I know now that I want to live freely, without separating myself from others, without feeling that I need to pick a side, to stick to my own. After all, if people remain divided and closed off from different cultures, it can lead to the kind of extreme thinking that took Deborah’s life. Back then, my people were seen as different—that is why we were targeted. We looked different. We sounded different. And so people wanted to wipe us out with their machetes and guns.
What kind of justice would it be for Deborah if I embraced the very notions of division that killed her? My life has been a journey to come to this realization. As a child, I witnessed the unthinkable: I saw my sister murdered before my eyes because of discrimination and hate. But I have learned that if we want to change the world, we can’t harden our hearts and shut ourselves off from other cultures. We must open up our hearts. (pp. 275-276)
Sandra Uwiringiyimana is a member of the Banyamulenge tribe, a survivor or the Gatumba massacre, where 166 people, including her 6-year-old sister, were killed during violence against ethnic Rwandan Congolese. She was named after a Rwandan prime minister, an influential woman in Rwanda's history: It makes me feel like I have big shoes to fill, and that someday I can do something worth being remembered for (p. 19).
Uwiringiyimana does have big shoes to fill; yet her voice is strong and clear. She has been a worthy advocate for her community, refugees everywhere, and "people of all races, cultures, and faiths" (p. 276), as in this speech to the United Nations Security Council.
As long as the criminal who admitted to leading that massacre continues to walk freely in the streets of Burundi, I have no choice. I must keep telling it, until the international community proves my words are not only worthy of empathy, but also of accountability. Until leaders like you and the countries that you represent show me that my family and all others are not disposable. (p. 243)
Uwiringiyimana's memoir can be read as a case study in both trauma and resilience. In addition to the massacre and periods of profound poverty, she described bullying in both the Congo and the US. She was utterly unprepared for the US, and her caseworkers, although well-intentioned, did not understand her family's confusion. Her father was hit by a car, spent three months in a coma, and was unable to work outside the home after that. Yet, Uwiringiyimana's parents gave her a strong foundation. Her church and friends supported her during good times and periods of profound depression and frequent flashbacks.
Uwiringiyimana also means “one who believes in God,” something that she struggled with in the years since the massacre: Why were we being targeted by people who were praising God? Gunshots, screams, chanting. Nothing made sense. It didn’t register that people were dying, that my cousin had been shot dead as she ran from the tent. (p. 6). While her faith ebbed and flowed as she faced new challenges in Africa and after her immigration to the US, her spirituality was part of what saved her.
Her parents were strong and powerful forces in her life. Her mother was "the original feminist," selling cows and running businesses in a culture where those were not women's work. When feeling bullied at school, her mother helped her keep perspective: “Did they injure you in some way?... Do you have a wound?” (p. 47). Her father encouraged her to value her education and recognize that “Beauty is in your head, not on your body” (p. 141).
This story is very similar to John Bul Dau's God Grew Tired of Us: ethnic violence, trauma, difficulties with adjusting to the US, and anger at God. Both books are hopeful. Still, perhaps because I just read it, How Dare the Sun Rise, feels like it more clearly articulated these themes.
I know now that I want to live freely, without separating myself from others, without feeling that I need to pick a side, to stick to my own. After all, if people remain divided and closed off from different cultures, it can lead to the kind of extreme thinking that took Deborah’s life. Back then, my people were seen as different—that is why we were targeted. We looked different. We sounded different. And so people wanted to wipe us out with their machetes and guns.
What kind of justice would it be for Deborah if I embraced the very notions of division that killed her? My life has been a journey to come to this realization. As a child, I witnessed the unthinkable: I saw my sister murdered before my eyes because of discrimination and hate. But I have learned that if we want to change the world, we can’t harden our hearts and shut ourselves off from other cultures. We must open up our hearts. (pp. 275-276)
July 8, 2017
This was such a powerful read. There were a range of emotions that I experienced reading this book, fear, angry, sadness and joy. Sandra told an amazing story of herself and her families escape. Her life in constant war was normal or so it seemed, always fleeing her home and coming back, until one time she left and never had the chance to return home. She explains the struggles that she faced living in the refugee camp, the scarcity of water and food. Sandra takes us through the extensive interviewing process that she, and her family had to take to get to America. Once in America Sandra explains to us the struggles that she face not only being a African American women in America but the struggles she faced being from Africa. The stereotypes, the diversity, the separation of skin tone colors even with the African American community, everything was so new to her and hard to understand.
Overall, I loved loved loved this book, this gave me hope, and a new understanding of what it is to be different. Sandra spoke on the taboo of mental illness even in her county, and mental illness is always a taboo subject in the African America culture. Sandra even spoke on how PTSD controlled her life in many ways. Sandra is such a strong individual to write this story and I am so glad that I experienced this amazing story.
Overall, I loved loved loved this book, this gave me hope, and a new understanding of what it is to be different. Sandra spoke on the taboo of mental illness even in her county, and mental illness is always a taboo subject in the African America culture. Sandra even spoke on how PTSD controlled her life in many ways. Sandra is such a strong individual to write this story and I am so glad that I experienced this amazing story.
September 29, 2020
This book was an eye-opener; a first-hand account of the negative effects of war. The irony of the Gatumba massacre happening at a refugee camp in Burundi, to members of the minority Banyamulenge tribe that had been driven out of Congo. This tribe, tracing origins to Rwanda, driven out of Congo, then attacked in a refugee camp in Burundi. It is a touching story of families who lost their loved ones and continue to seek justice.
There is the first account of young Sandra, experiencing the turmoil and confusion resulting from exclusion. As a family, they lived in constant fear in their own country. On their way out, they are stopped by a mob and only escape through the intervention of one man.
As a teenager in the States, Sandra experiences a culture shock, suffers depression and traumatizing flashbacks. She is on a path of self-discovery, goes off and lives in a friend’s home for a while and stops talking to her parents. Later on, she reunites with the family at her sister’s wedding in Rwanda.
No one should have to go through what young Sandra experienced. No one should witness bloodshed right before their eyes. The world is a better place when there is peaceful co-existence and when leaders preach peace and are honest about it.
There is the first account of young Sandra, experiencing the turmoil and confusion resulting from exclusion. As a family, they lived in constant fear in their own country. On their way out, they are stopped by a mob and only escape through the intervention of one man.
As a teenager in the States, Sandra experiences a culture shock, suffers depression and traumatizing flashbacks. She is on a path of self-discovery, goes off and lives in a friend’s home for a while and stops talking to her parents. Later on, she reunites with the family at her sister’s wedding in Rwanda.
No one should have to go through what young Sandra experienced. No one should witness bloodshed right before their eyes. The world is a better place when there is peaceful co-existence and when leaders preach peace and are honest about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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