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Gr 6-9-When Emma, a Tutsi, was five years old, she hid behind the sofa while soldiers murdered her mother. She was taken in by a Hutu woman, and now, at 14, she faces the demons haunting her. When she hears that the soldiers who took part in the 1994 genocide will be brought to trial at a gacaca court in her hometown, she must decide whether to step forward and testify on behalf of the dead. Emma begins to find her voice and strengthen her opinions as she meets with others in her situation. An epilogue reveals that Emma, now 24, lives in her parents' house and has been able to make peace with her past. Based on interviews with Rwandan refugees, this novel is a testament to the struggles of those who survived these unspeakable atrocities. Though the prose is lyrical and the chapters are short, the subject matter makes the book a challenging read.-Kelly McGorray, Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn, IL Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

One million people were killed in the 1994 Rwanda genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutu. This short, spare novel, translated from the French and based on the author's interviews with survivors, tells of the massacre and then the trials and aftermath, all from the viewpoint of a child. Emma is barely five years old when she witnesses her mother's murder, and she flees with the crowds, navigating bodies shot, hacked up, burned, until she finds shelter with a kind old Hutu peasant woman. Nine years later, Emma constantly replays the past. She sees perpetrators on trial and meets others haunted by what they saw and what they did, including a young boy, who betrayed the rebels under torture and is now eaten up with guilt and madness. Even with the stark, clipped prose and the hopeful resolution, when Emma finds the strength to face the past and become a teacher, the gruesome detail is disturbing. Still, the child survivor's authentic experience makes this an excellent addition for the high-school Holocaust curriculum--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2009 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.