Summary

In Chapter 1, Sandra and her younger sister, Deborah, were in bed. Sandra was ten, and Deborah was six. Sandra remembers that Deborah had been particularly sentimental that day, hugging Sandra and their mother, Rachel. They were members of the Banyamulenge, a minority tribe of the Congo. On that day, they were living in a tent in a refugee camp with several other women, including Sandra's oldest sister, Princesse. Sandra's father, Prudence, was in another tent with Sandra's brothers, Alex and Heritage. Sandra's sister Adele and her brother Chris were in the mountains with their grandparents. As Sandra and Deborah were trying to go to sleep, Rachel began to shout that they were being attacked. Some of the women felt Rachel was overreacting to something in the distance. Then Sandra's aunt, Nyarukundo, entered. She had severe gunshot wounds. Rachel shouted for them to help...