Publisher's Weekly Review
Set during the 1980s and '90s, Benaron's novel follows Jean Patrick Nkuba, an aspiring Olympic runner from Rwanda, as he struggles with the burdens of life in his home country and the growing conflict between Tutsi and Hutu people, which escalates and eventually leads to the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Narrator Marcel Davis produces a passable Rwandan accent; it is lilting and precise, but cuts in and out during dialogue. Davis narrates the rest of the book in an American accent. And while his reading is clear and well paced, this disparity only adds to the awkwardness of his attempt to capture the sound and rhythm of Rwandan speech and in the end undermines his performance. An Algonquin hardcover. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Guardian Review
As a child Jean Patrick does not know to which of the two main Rwandan ethnic groups, Hutu or Tutsi, he belongs. But despite liberal efforts to play down ethnic differences, the vicious rift in Rwandan society opens up beneath his feet, even as he is discovering a world-class talent for sprinting. The differences between the groups can seem to resemble those of Swift's Big-Endians and Little-Endians - the Tutsis rearing cattle where the Hutus traditionally farm crops, the Tutsis distinguishable by their narrow noses and felt hats. But when wearing a felt hat can bring a machete down on your skull, the space for satire closes up. Jean Patrick, a Tutsi, needs a Hutu identity card to get through roadblocks; but as an Olympic hopeful, he is paraded to western aid-givers by the Tutsi-hating president as proof of reforms. His simple desire to run faster is overwhelmed by murderous politics. This touching story gets under the skin of Rwandan society, but the genocide of the 1990s was so terrible it seems scarcely possible to contain it within the pages of a novel. - Jane Housham As a child Jean Patrick does not know to which of the two main Rwandan ethnic groups, Hutu or Tutsi, he belongs. But despite liberal efforts to play down ethnic differences, the vicious rift in Rwandan society opens up beneath his feet, even as he is discovering a world-class talent for sprinting. - Jane Housham.
Kirkus Review
Hotel Rwanda), but where Benaron shines is in her tender descriptions of Rwandan's natural beauty and in her creation of Jean Patrick, a hero whose noble innocence and genuine human warmth are impossible not to love.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Sheltered within the rural confines of his impoverished Tutsi village, Jean Patrick dreams of one day running in the Olympics. But as he grows stronger and faster, so does the conflict between his tribe and the Hutus. Jean Patrick has an exploitable talent, however. His feet can carry the dreams and demands of his country to the outside world, so he is given privileges and concessions other Tutsis are not. Yet when the violence starts, not even those advantages can protect him, his family, and the woman he loves from the slaughter and devastation of a heinous civil war. Awarded the prestigious Bellwether Prize for its treatment of compelling social issues, Benaron's first novel is a gripping, frequently distressing portrait of destruction and ultimate redemption. If there is an irony about it, it's that its pace is often sluggish, which diminishes its emotional impact. Still, Benaron sheds a crystalline beacon on an alarming episode in global history, and her charismatic protagonist leaves an indelible impression.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Jean Patrick Nkuba has a dream: he wants to be the first Rwandan to win an Olympic gold medal. Unfortunately, he has to survive a civil war and genocide to get there. Any book about Rwanda has to mention the 1994 conflict that claimed over 800,000 lives, but this Bellwether Prize-winning debut novel is primarily about a boy with a dream. VERDICT This marvelous and lyrical book celebrates the inimitable spirit of humanity. (LJ 8/11) (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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