How Dare the Sun Rise (2017)

by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Other authors: Abigail Pesta

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Sociology. Young Adult Nonfiction. HTML: Junior Library Guild Selection * New York Public Library's Best Books for Teens * Goodreads Choice Awards Nonfiction Finalist * Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books for Teens: Nonfiction * 2018 Texas Topaz Nonfiction List * YALSA's 2018 Quick Picks List * Bank Street's 2018 Best Books of the Year "This gut-wrenching, poetic memoir reminds us that no life story can be reduced to the word 'refugee.'" �New York Times Book Review "A critical piece of literature, contributing to the larger refugee narrative in a way that is complex and nuanced." �School Library Journal (starred review) This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringiyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism. Sandra was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp. Remarkably, the rebel didn't pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped. Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York. In this memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, of her hope for the future, and how she found a way to give voice to her people. .… (more)

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Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen (meggyweg)
meggyweg: Both memoirs by survivors of war/genocide in Africa.

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Sandra Uwiringiymana's story of the first 20 years of her life. Sandra was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but her family were part of a tribe driven out of Rwanda to the Congo. They were never really accepted as Congolese and didn't even have the rights of citizenship. When the refugee camp where her family was living was raided by a militia group Sandra's sister Deborah was killed and her parents badly wounded. After years in camps the family was resettled in the United States in Rochester, New York. Sandra has become a leader and advocate for refugees and women in Africa. (

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MMc009 | Jan 30, 2022 |

As a child, Sandra watched her family gunned down in a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This powerful memoir details the author’s struggles as a genocide survivor, her inspiring journey to a new country, the challenges faced as an immigrant, and the powerful path that has led to healing. Includes Author’s Note, Resource List.

NCSS | Jul 23, 2021 |

This is a true story written by Sandra. This story begins with how Sandra survived a massacre in her home country of the Dominican Republic. She had to watch as her father was killed by the gunmen, but they spared her life. She struggled to find a home, or even stay alive. Eventually they were able to make it to America. Sandra had to start middle school in New York, not understanding the language, culture, or having much family by her side. This true story shows how she navigated all of these struggles.

Jessica0614 | Jun 3, 2021 |

I think this book offers a wonderful perspective into the life of a refugee. Often, people fleeing violence and war are seen as statistics. Sandra gives us a look at the humanity of these people. She asks us to view her as more than a refugee, as a person. I think this book is especially important now, as our country faces growing numbers of asylum seekers at the southern boarder. Each one of those migrants has their own story and their own desire to find their place in the world. This book is young adult nonfiction, but I also think adults would get a lot out of reading it. (

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Cora-R | Mar 24, 2021 |

Sandra tells her story of being displaced due to war. It was something that happened to her family frequently growing up in the Congo. When her family was at a refugee camp in Burundi, she survived a massacre that took the life of her younger sister and seriously injured her mother and brother. This trauma and flashbacks haunted her. The family eventually moved to America and became citizens but it was not a smooth transitions. Sandra's activism put her on a world stage at a young stage, bringing incredible opportunities but also bringing back the trauma that she experienced. The first chapter shocks you into her reality, describing the massacre. (

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ewyatt | Jan 8, 2019 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Sandra Uwiringiyimana	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Pesta, Abigail	—	secondary author	all editions	confirmed

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Awards

Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Nominee – 2021)

The Flume: NH Teen Reader's Choice Award (Nominee – 2019)

Goodreads Choice Awards (Nominee – Nonfiction)

Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award (Nominee – 2020)

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Canonical title

How Dare the Sun Rise

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

2017

People/Characters

Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Important places

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Important events

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Epigraph

Dedication

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Last words

Disambiguation notice

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Original language

English

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▾Book descriptions

Sociology. Young Adult Nonfiction. HTML:

Junior Library Guild Selection * New York Public Library's Best Books for Teens * Goodreads Choice Awards Nonfiction Finalist * Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books for Teens: Nonfiction * 2018 Texas Topaz Nonfiction List * YALSA's 2018 Quick Picks List * Bank Street's 2018 Best Books of the Year

"This gut-wrenching, poetic memoir reminds us that no life story can be reduced to the word 'refugee.'" �New York Times Book Review

"A critical piece of literature, contributing to the larger refugee narrative in a way that is complex and nuanced." �School Library Journal (starred review)

This profoundly moving memoir is the remarkable and inspiring true story of Sandra Uwiringiyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism.

Sandra was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head. She had watched as rebels gunned down her mother and six-year-old sister in a refugee camp. Remarkably, the rebel didn't pull the trigger, and Sandra escaped.

Thus began a new life for her and her surviving family members. With no home and no money, they struggled to stay alive. Eventually, through a United Nations refugee program, they moved to America, only to face yet another ethnic disconnect. Sandra may have crossed an ocean, but there was now a much wider divide she had to overcome. And it started with middle school in New York.

In this memoir, Sandra tells the story of her survival, of finding her place in a new country, of her hope for the future, and how she found a way to give voice to her people.

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