Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda written and illustrated by J. P. Stassen
This heartbreaking look at the Rwandan genocide focuses on one character, a teenaged Hutu named Deogratias. He loved a Tutsi woman and had a hard time dealing with a rapidly deteriorating situation. The Hutus began slaughtering the Tutsi minority after the death of the president. Deogratias turns to drink and to revenge and into a dog (even literally, since this is a graphic novel) thanks to the guilt he carries and the horrors he has witnessed.
This book is a great example of a large and hard disaster that causes so much personal devastation. A lot of the historical context lurks in the background, helping to explain the chaos and the atrocities of a mass genocide. The situation is barely imaginable for Westerns but this short book gives a glimpse into a frightening reality.
Recommended.
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