Running the Rift

Running the Rift follows Jean Patrick Nkuba, a gifted Rwandan boy, from the day he knows that running will be his life to the moment he must run to save his life, a ten year span in which his country is undone by the Hutu Tutsi tensions Born a Tutsi, he is thrust into a world where it s impossible to stay apolitical where the man who used to sell you gifts for your family now spews hatred, where the girl who flirted with you in the lunchroom refuses to look at you, where your Hutu coach is secretly training the very soldiers who will hunt down your family Yet in an environment increasingly restrictive for the Tutsi, he holds fast to his dream of becoming Rwanda s first Olympic medal contender in track, a feat he believes might deliver him and his people from this violence When the killing begins, Jean Patrick is forced to flee, leaving behind the woman, the family, and the country he loves Finding them again is the race of his life This is the third Bellwether Prize winner published by Algonquin The Bellwether Prize is awarded biennially by Barbara Kingsolver for an unpublished novel that addresses issues of social justice and was previously awarded to The Girl Who Fell from the Sky and Mudbound. Best Read [ Running the Rift ] Author [ Naomi Benaron ] – kino-fada.fr Running the Rift is one of the best books I ve read in a long time It s evocative, touching, heartbreaking and enlightening There s much to love about this book The characters The main character, Jean Patrick Nbuka, is a young man with a gift a gift for running He comes of age in a complicated time As a Tutsi, he is labeled and categorized by a line drawn in the sand decades before his birth The world around him is confusing, but Jean Patrick blocks out most of it by focusing on his drea Running the Rift is one of the best books I ve read in a long time It s evocat...I was awake very early this morning, courtesy of my dog Roxanne who needed to go outside around 5 00 a.m At first I grumbled about it but then I realized that in fact she gave me the perfect opportunity to finish reading a riveting new book I d picked up a couple of days ago called Running the Rift It s Naomi Benaron s Bellwether Prize winning d...Running The Rift by Naomi Benaron is an incredible tribute to all who perished in the Rwanda genocide in the early 1990 s while the world looked the other way I picked it up because of the wonderful cover a quick peek at the book synopsis I read it basically in one sitting ok, I was flat on my back sick and was blown away by the moving story of Jean Patrick and his coming of age during the upheaval and horror of Rwanda His dream was to make the ...I keep going back and forth whether or not to give this book three or four stars I have read several nonfiction books on the Rwandan genocide and I feel like that is getting in the way of my ability to evaluate this book as a work of fiction In my opinion, the book reads a little dryly The author tries to situate a fictional story within an accurate historical setting, and in my opinion, this makes all of the characters a little on dimensional I think that it is hard to write fictional char I keep going back and forth whether or not to give this book three or four stars I have read several nonfiction books on the Rwandan genocide and I feel like that is getting in the way of my ability to evaluate this book as a work of fiction In my opinion, the book reads a little dryly The author tries to situate a fictional story within an accurate historical setting, and in my opinion, this makes all of the characters a little on dimensional I think that it is hard to write fictional characters when the real stories of what happened to people in the genocide is so compelling Everything in this book feels a little to forced Nonetheless, I really enjoyed reading this book, but that could also be beca...One of the most atrocious acts in all of contemporary history was the systematic genocide of one of two ethnic groups in Rwanda the Tutsi by the Hutu Disturbingly, the western world stood by and did nothing as the borders were closed and innocent people even young babies were savagely killed by hate mongrels for what Naomi Benaron s Bellweather Prize novel brings us up close and personal to this episode in history through Jean Patrick Nkuba, a Tutsi teenager who is gifted through his ru One of the most atrocious acts in all of contemporary history was the systematic genocide of one of two ethnic groups in Rwanda the Tutsi by the Hutu Disturbingly, the western world stood by and did nothing as the borders were closed and innocent people even young babies were savagely killed by hate mongrels for what Naomi Benaron s Bellweather Prize novel brings us up close and personal to this episode in his...They banged along the muddy road, bodies sprawled across it women naked from the waist down, a man with a single shoe, the other placed neatly beside him, two small children curled in an embrace Littered belongings scattered in the wind, hung from tree limbs Identity cards fluttered like dying butterflies.This is a beautiful and touching book I absolutely loved the author s descriptions She paints extremely vivid pictures of places and people, and even the characters with a very small part They banged along the muddy road, bodies sprawled across it women naked from the ...I just finished this book, which made me realize yet again what a suburban bubble I truly live in In 1994, I was at home in Southern California with my 3 and 4 year old children, oblivious to the horrors that were happening on the other side of the world I entered into this book with a feeling of shock and guilt for my na vet at world situations.Since then, I have traveled to Kenya and Uganda, but have seen these countries through the viewpoint of a muzungu white person Thus, I know that I just finished this book, which made me realize yet again what a suburban bubble I truly live in In 1994, I was at home in Southern California with my 3 and 4 year old children, oblivious to the horrors that were happen...I have to go against the stream here as many reviewers have given glowing recommendations of this book It is about the tragic events in Rwanda in 1994.The book describes, through the characters, the fuse that led to the genocide One does feel the tension and the animosities between the two groups Tutsi and Hutu , but the author does well to portray that not all partook of this hatred The main character is Jean Patrick who is a Tutsi and a talented runner who starts training for the Olympics I have to go against the stream here as many reviewers have given glowing recommendations of this book It is about the tragic events in Rwanda in 1994.The book describes, through the characters, the fuse that led to the genocide One does feel the tension and the animosities between the two groups Tutsi and Hutu , but the author does well to portray that not all partook of this hatred The main character is Jean Patrick who is a Tutsi and a talented runner who starts training for the Olympics He is caught between his obsession to train and run, and being a Tutsi.The story is event driven, but the characters Jean Patrick, his coach, Beatrice Jean Patrick girlfriend , and several , are all somewhat superficial There are long descriptions of loving family relationships which became monotonous Except for the relationship betwee...i think benaron does a great job here of presenting rwanda s beauty and diversity not just in its topography, but its people she also has subtle criticisms of the west for not intervening when rwanda s genocide was clearly taking place.the story follows the coming of age of jean patrick he runs and is soon an olympic hopeful This dream fuels his desire to see rwanda as nothing less than perfect but rwanda is far from perfect.jean patrick, at times, seems inexplicably naive, but i think this i think benaron does a great job here of presenting rwanda s beauty and diversity not just in its topography, but its people she also has subtle criticisms of the west for not intervening when rwanda s genocide was clearly taking place.the story follows the coming of age of jean patrick he runs and is soon an olympic hopeful This dream fuels his desire to see rwanda as nothing less than perfect but rwanda is far from perfect.jean patrick, at times, seems inexplicably naive, but i think this is in part because he can not admit to the ugly brutality of his countrymen when things begin to happen, jean patrick is torn between his dream of running for his country and surviving for the sake of his family.a beautifully heartbreaking read one that has left me thinking far beyond the last page i will admit i tried reading a non fiction book on the same topic years ago and i just couldn t stomach t...I remember hearing on the news and reading in the papers about the genocide in Rawanda, the racial strife between the Hutus and the Tutsis, but I really didn t understand what was going on and I forgot a very important thing Until this courageous book with the wonderful characters of Jean Patrick and his family I didn t think about the p...

• English
• 09 September 2018
Naomi Benaron
• Paperback
• 400 pages
• 1616201940
• Naomi Benaron
• Running the Rift