Historical fiction about three women coming to terms with grief and seeking personal peace in Rwanda. Each of the three primary characters has experienced loss. All are connected to Henry Shepherd, a photojournalist, who has abandoned two families. The storyline revolves around the unraveling the mystery of Henry’s disappearance, while gaining an understanding of how the people of Rwanda are coping with the aftermath of the 1994 genocide.

This is an American look at an African tragedy. It is about a search for family and the healing of wounds, some of which are so deep they may never be mended or forgiven. This book involves multiple narrators and jumps back and forth to different timelines from before, during, and years after the genocide. Haupt includes enough information about Rwanda’s history without overgeneralizing. This is an ambitious novel, covering a variety of complex interpersonal relationships and tackling heavy subjects such as race, grief, compassion, loneliness, belonging, and vulnerability.

Haupt’s writing is beautifully detailed and descriptive, providing a sense of place and community. The characters are well-developed and believable, and the conclusion is satisfying. There are a few plot holes and inconsistencies, and the inclusion of a romance seems unnecessary, but this is a promising debut.
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Rachel, the main character, searches for her father who walked out on her and her mother when she was young, landing her in Rwanda a few years after the Hutus committed genocide against the Tutsi. During her stay there she learns the impact of the slaughter on families on both sides of the conflict. I struggled with this book but I’m struggling to understand why. It’s well-written and gives a lot of insight into what happened. It’s told from the perspective of some Americans who have found their way into this particular place. They are meant to be sympathetic. But compared to the Tutsi survivors, I just don’t have much pity for their first-world problems. I get it, they are genuine issues such as a father walking out on a family, miscarriage, adoption, etc. But it just doesn’t compare to the character whose family was murdered and she was brutalized. ( )

At the epicenter of this novel is the elusive Henry Shepherd, who we never really meet, nor understand, except by inference. Henry's daughter Rachel, loses her mother to cancer and has her second miscarriage, setting her adrift for emotional support, that her husband does not seem to be able to provide. Rachel heads off to the Rift Valley (in the shadow of 10,000 hills) in Rwanda to speak to his long-time partner: a black woman, Lillian Carlson, who was a central figure in a photo he took of Martin Luther King, helping to launch Henry's photography career. (Their early relationship was shattered by racism in Atlanta.) Lillian's desire to make a difference carries her to Rwanda, where she establishes a farm for orphans and abandoned children. Very complex relationships are interwoven with the story of atrocities perpetrated on the Tutsi population by the Hutu tribe, and especially on one of the children living with Lillian, Nadine, who is pressured to testify about the senseless slaughter of her friends and neighbors. I found the book very depressing, although not because of the horrors of genocide, as one would naturally assume, but Rachel's post partum depression. The upside is that Haupt did a nice job with the theme of forgiveness and leaving the past behind. ( )

This book about a group of people who are tied together through circumstance and their existence after the genocide in Rwanda was warm, well written and a story of hope. The main characters all experienced so much loss but together they were able to comes to terms with it and to move forward. I loved all of the characters and was rooting for them all. Highly recommended. ( )

In The Shadow of 10,000 Hills In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills is a deeply moving story that takes you from the strife of Atlanta during the Civil Rights Movement, through the struggle in post-genocide Rwanda. The book is a riveting page-turner. One that is not easily put down and definitely not easily forgotten
Memorable characters will make you feel a part of their lives as they deal with family conflict, love and profound loss. I would highly recommend this book. ( )