Over a Thousand Hills, I Walk with You

(Paperback)

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Description

Before that fateful April day, Jeanne lived the life of a typical Rwandan girl. She bickered with her little sister, went to school, teased her brother. Then, in one horrifying night, everything changed. Political troubles unleashed a torrent of violence upon the Tutsi ethnic group. Jeanne's family, all Tutsis, fled their home and tried desperately to reach safety. They did not succeed. As the only survivor of her family's massacre, Jeanne witnessed unspeakable acts. This haunting story was told to Jeanne's adoptive mother, and here she makes unforgettably real the events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Reviews

"This is an extraordinary and devastating book. It needs to be on the school curriculum, like the Diary of Anne Frank, or All Quiet on the Western Front. I will never forget it." * Emma Thompson *
"At its heart the Rwandan tragedy was profoundly personal. Personal for every man, woman and child who experienced the terror, who lost those they loved. This novel captures with great poignancy the terrible cost to the youngest and most vulnerable." * Fergal Keane *
"Remarkable . . . a profound and often beautiful book." * Observer *
"At times I couldn't bear to carry on reading...vividly told." * Berlie Doherty *
"A powerful testimony of the genocide in Rwanda, and the events leading up to it." * Mary Blewitt, SURF - the Rwandan Genocide Survivor's Fund *

Author Bio

Hanna Jansen wrote this book based on the real life experiences of her adopted daughter, Jeanne, who survived the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Hanna and Jeanne live in Siegburg, Germany, with Hanna's husband and the couple's twelve other children, most of whom are war orphans. Elizabeth Crawford's translations have earned many honours, including the Mildred L. Batchelor Award for outstanding translation of a children's book.