First published 2018
Clemantine Wamariya is six when whispered conversations between her parents signal danger in 1994 Rwanda. Her brother tells her the loud sounds outside are thunder, but they are something far worse. When genocide erupts, Clemantine runs with her fifteen-year-old sister Claire. They spend six years moving through seven African countries, hiding under beds and scavenging for food. They survive refugee camps and witness both cruelty and unexpected kindness, never knowing if their parents live. At twelve, Clemantine receives asylum in the United States. Chicago overwhelms her with neon lights and concrete. She speaks five languages but barely any English. A suburban family invites her to live as their daughter, while others see only someone broken who needs saving. Claire takes a different path, cleaning hotel rooms to support her three children. The war's true costs emerge as Clemantine navigates what was lost forever, what can be mended, and how memory shapes survival.
Genres: historical-fiction, african-literature, autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Rwanda, Africa, United States, Chicago
Period: 1994, 1990s
276 pages · Hardcover · Crown
Content warnings: violence, war