A Thousand Hills

When Paul Kagame became its president, Rwanda was the poster nation for genocide. Now it's one of the progressive places in Africa. Paul Boehmer's smooth voice glides over horrors as roving bands of militants hacked up thousands of men, women, and children in 1994, then describes the political machinations that eventually brought Kagame to power in 2000. Boehmer brings out the author's scorn for those who stood by and let the carnage happen--especially the French, who helped the killers. He also expresses Kagame's enthusiasm for the new Rwanda of tourism and foreign investment. Mellifluous African names are no problem for Boehmer. This is a long listen but rewarding for those whose knowledge of the Tutsi-Hutu strife is limited to the movie HOTEL RWANDA. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

April 21, 2008
Kinzer (All the Shah’s Men
) has penned a hagiographic account of Rwandan president Paul Kagame, the Tutsi refugee who organized the Rwandan Military Front in 1994 and helped halt the genocide in Rwanda. Instead of settling scores, Kagame embarked on a program of reconciliation and reconstruction; Kinzer eloquently describes a physical and psychological recovery unmatched in Africa: a Rwanda whose people are “bubbling with a sense of unlimited possibility.” Kagame’s goal, modeled on the successes of “Asian tigers” like Singapore, aims to transform Rwanda into the continent’s first middle-income country in a single generation, eschewing foreign aid in favor of reliance on business-driven development. Kinzer does not conceal the bloody realities behind Kagame’s acquisition of power nor does he deny Kagame’s “rigorous, absolutist approach to governing.” Nevertheless, he is transparently trusting in Kagame’s capabilities and intentions, and while his eloquent prose invites optimism, a half-century of experience urges caution.

February 1, 2009
During the 1990s, the tiny African country Rwanda descended into a devastating genocidal conflict. It has since not only recovered but flourished. In elegant prose and vivid detail, foreign correspondent Kinzer ("All the Shah's Men") reconstructs Rwanda's unique history, focusing on the dramatic story of President Paul Kagame, whom he credits as the architect of Rwanda's rebirth. The reading by J. Paul Boehmer ("Moby Dick") is not as robust as one might wish, but he smoothly moves the narrative along. A fascinating title giving a solid introduction to modern African history; recommended.[Audio clip available through www.tantor.com.Ed.]R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA

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