The Girl Who Smiled Beads

This true of story of survival is told in a tender and aching style by narrator Robin Miles. She captures the wonder, pain, and confusion of two sisters, Clemantine and Claire Wanmariya, who survived the Rwandan genocide to become refugees in America. Miles moves us through the horrific anecdotes as remembered by the younger of the sisters. As Miles recounts these, her honest, bracing tone captures the disillusionment of childhood tragedy and the magnitude of loss. We are swept back and forth from the past to the present--the violence in Kigali jangles with the scene of the sisters being welcomed on the "Oprah" show. Miles shows her artistry as a performer by handling these contrasts with precision. Listen to this with a box of tissues nearby--you'll need them. M.R. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine