very disappointing In all honesty, I was rather disappointed with this one. The story is that of Jeanne, a survivor of the mass genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Now living with a foster family in Germany, Jeanne told her story to her new mother, who in turn put the words on paper. It's not that the story itself isn't good, because it is...what that poor child went through is inconceivable to most. I was interested in the story line, but the way it was narrated bothered me.
First of all, at the start of every chapter, the foster mother/author, Hanna Jansen writes a page or two. Usually some sort of anecdote, or a story of some sort. Which is all fine and good, but lady, I didn't buy the book to read what you think. Were you in Rwanda running for your life? Didn't think so. So shush and let the girl tell her story. It frustrated me.
My second complaint is the overall language used in the book. There's no way that those words came out of a teenagers mouth. Sorry, but it feels to me like Jansen edited and embellished where she saw fit. Maybe something got lost in the translation and its not Jansen's fault at all, I don't know. Regardless, it irriated me.
The book has so much potential. I was so excited to read it when I picked it up, but seriously folks, it was a disappointing one.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too OVER A THOUSAND HILLS I WALK WITH YOU is the horrifying novel that is based on a true story about the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This was a subject that I didn't know too much about until I read this book, which made me realize how horrible events such as this one are still happening in today's society. How we could let this happen is beyond me.
The book is written by the adoptive mother of Jeanne to tell the story that is often called the modern day Holocaust. As with the original Holocaust, many children were left to fight for themselves and try and find a new way to survive. Jeanne's family is killed and she is left to fend for herself, and the book is about how she achieves that.
When you read this book you aren't on the basic level of thinking. You are much beyond that. The imagery in this book is not good, because in no way do you want this to happen to anyone, but at the same time it's very real. I felt as if I were standing the fields and forests and homes of these people and was surrounded by people fighting for their lives.
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector
Touching Story Hanna Jansen's OVER A THOUSAND HILLS I WALK WITH YOU is a touching tribute to her adopted daughter who was orphaned in the Rwandan war. Based on her daughter's recollections of her childhood--memories both pleasant and bittersweet--Jansen weaves a tale of sorrow, hope, fear, joy, and love. For example, the early chapters of the book feature a young girl living life large. She is visiting her grandmother. She's playing with her cousins. She's fighting with her sister and brother. Her mom works outside the home, her dad is away a lot...and she has an incredibly whiny sister that she struggles with on a daily basis. She's vibrant and unaware that her world would change in just a few short years. Later chapters reveal the pain, the loss, the confusion, the fear of not knowing if one is going to survive another day. Witnessing such atrocities as seeing your parents and siblings killed by strange soldiers. Seeking help from family friends, yet being turned away because they don't want to risk dying too. Her survival story is inspiring.
The story is beautifully told, Jansen has done a great job here. Her book is definitely worth reading.
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