From Red Earth: A Rwandan Story of Healing and Forgiveness

In the span of 100 days, a million Tutsi in Rwanda were massacred by their Hutu neighbors. Denise Uwimana, a genocide widow, gave birth to her third son during the genocide and, with the help of Hutu Good Samaritans, survived. She dedicated her life to empowering other genocide widows to rebuild their lives and uncover the truth about the genocide. Uwimana's work showcases the complex and ongoing process of truth-telling, recovery, and reconciliation in Rwanda, and the survivors' role in teaching the world how to heal the wounds of war and ethnic conflict.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 220 pages
Publication date: 08 April 2019
Publisher: Plough Publishing House

In a mere span of a hundred days, a staggering million Tutsi individuals in Rwanda fell victim to the brutal slaughter perpetrated by their Hutu neighbors. As the genocide reached its peak, with men wielding blood-soaked machetes, Denise Uwimana, in the midst of her own harrowing ordeal, gave birth to her third son. Miraculously, she and her children managed to survive with the assistance of compassionate Hutu Good Samaritans. However, her husband and other family members did not share the same fate.

If this memoir were solely focused on those chilling days and the arduous journey towards personal healing and liberation from her past, it would already be a remarkable testament. Yet, Uwimana's story goes beyond that. Deciding to leave a secure job in the business world, she dedicated the remainder of her life to rebuilding her nation by empowering other genocide widows to come together, share their stories, seek solace, and reconstruct their lives. Through her tireless work and the narratives she shares in this book, Uwimana sheds light on the intricate and ongoing process of truth-telling, recovery, and reconciliation, which may hold the key to Rwanda's enduring legacy.

By rising above their nation's painful past, the genocide survivors of Rwanda are imparting a profound lesson to the world: the art of healing the wounds of war and ethnic conflict. Their resilience and determination in the face of unimaginable adversity serve as a shining example of the human spirit's enduring strength. This book, adorned with 16 pages of captivating color photographs, adds a visual dimension to the stories it presents, allowing readers to immerse themselves even further in the lives and experiences of these remarkable individuals.

Weight: 320g
Dimension: 140 x 215 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780874869842