Winner of the Prix Ethiophile, the Prix Des raciness et des mots, and the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie.

“A poetic account of the strength of women.”
—Cheek Magazine

“A magnificent first novel.”
—The World of Books

Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse’s debut novel follows three generations torn apart by the genocide against the Tutsis, as they try to reconnect with one another, rebuild broken links and find their place in today’s world.

Blanche returns to Rwanda after building a life in Bordeaux with her husband and young son, Stokely. Reuniting with her mother Immaculata, old wounds are reopened for both mother and daughter while Stokely, caught between two countries, tries to understand where he comes from and where he belongs.

Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse
Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse was born in Butare, Rwanda in 1979. Surviving the Tutsi genocide, she moved to France in 1994 to study political science and work for humanitarian causes. She is now an acclaimed novelist and poet.