An incredibly moving story of how the young survive tragedy, this is based on the true story from the Rwandan war of 1994. Eight year old Jeanne is orphaned when her parents are killed by the Tutsi. Every thing she knows is lost but, thanks to the kindness of others, most notable Hanna Jansen who writes the story, Jeanne learns to carry on in different ways and in a different life but still with happiness.
Before one fateful April day, Jeanne lived the life of a typical Rwandan girl. She fought with her little sister, went to school, and 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-along with nearly 1 million others-did not survive. The only survivor of her family's massacre, Jeanne witnessed unspeakable acts. But through courage, wits, and sheer force of will, she survived. Based on a true story, this haunting novel by Jeanne's adoptive mother makes unforgettably real the events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide as one family experienced it. Jeanne's story is a tribute to the human spirit and its capacity to heal.