In a New Book by A. Happy Umwagarwa, a Young Genocide Survivor Searches for Love and Belongingness Where She is Considered Out-Group

"The city reeked like a stinky jungle. Dogs, Crows, and black kites had all sucked the blood of our innocent people." Thus begins a dramatic new novel centering on love, hatred and the gray space between the two extremes, released by Dog Ear Publishing.

"Hearts Among Ourselves" tells the story of Karabo, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Her father and sisters are not so lucky, and Karabo is left alone without her immediate family, not even knowing where her mother is. A former neighbor becomes her version of family.

Things change when Karabo goes to live with her paternal uncle, who is a colonel in the new army. She meets another genocide survivor, Shema, a soldier who is one of the escorts of her uncle. She longs for love and finds it from Shema, but life is complicated, especially for someone with both Hutu and Tutsi heritages. She wants to tell him her entire life story, but keeping a secret about her true identity means she can spend time with the boy she loves.

Shema, Karabo and those around them struggle with the constant reminders of the violent actions of those they consider their enemies. But even those who are grieving must eventually find themselves back on the path to life. As the author writes, "Hearts Among Ourselves" provides a platform for Rwandans to tell their story, "maybe not to explore the debate about why it happened and who did it, but to express how it wounded their hearts and tore their dear Rwanda society."

A. Happy Umwagarwa is a Rwandan who graduated from the University of Greenwich, London, with a Master of Arts in Management. She combines her writing endeavors with her career as an international human resources expert. She and her husband, Vivens, have two daughters.

For additional information, please visit www.happyumwagarwa.com.

Hearts Among Ourselves
A. Happy Umwagarwa
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4575-6501-4 290 pages $19.85 US

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

Dog Ear Publishing partners with authors to shape content that resonates with readers as diverse as the books we publish. Our mission is to leverage expertise, technology and relationships to form a meaningful and lasting bond between creators, content and culture as a whole. Dog Ear Publishing is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and can be contacted by phone at (317) 228-3656 or through www.dogearpublishing.net.