In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills (Haupt)

In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills 
Jennifer Haupt, 2018
Central Avenue Publishing
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781771681339


Summary
In 1968, a disillusioned and heartbroken Lillian Carlson left Atlanta after the assassination of Martin Luther King.

She found meaning in the hearts of orphaned African children and cobbled together her own small orphanage in the Rift Valley alongside the lush forests of Rwanda.

Three decades later, in New York City, Rachel Shepherd, lost and heartbroken herself, embarks on a journey to find the father who abandoned her as a young child, determined to solve the enigma of Henry Shepherd, a now-famous photographer.

When an online search turns up a clue to his whereabouts, Rachel travels to Rwanda to connect with an unsuspecting and uncooperative Lillian.

While Rachel tries to unravel the mystery of her father's disappearance, she finds unexpected allies in an ex-pat doctor running from his past and a young Tutsi woman who lived through a profound experience alongside her father.

Set against the backdrop of a country grieving and trying to heal after a devastating civil war, follow the intertwining stories of three women who discover something unexpected: grace when there can be no forgiveness. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Seattle, Washington, USA
• Education—University of Wisconsin
• Currently—lives in Seattle, Washington


Jennifer Haupt went to Rwanda as a journalist in 2006, a decade after the genocide that wiped out over a million people, to explore the connections between forgiveness and grief.

She spent a month travelling in the 10,000 hills with a guide, interviewing genocide survivors and humanitarian aid workers, and came home to Seattle with something unexpected: the bones of a novel.

Her essays and articles have been published in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Rumpus, Psychology Today, Travel & Leisure, The Seattle Times, Spirituality & Health, and many other publications. In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills is her first novel. (From the publisher.)

Book Reviews
Readers will appreciate a heightened perspective when comparing Rachel’s loss and struggles to the mass slaughter of an entire ethnic group. I left the book wanting to know more about current relations between the Hutus and Tutsis.
Abby Fabiaschi, AUTHOR - LitLovers


A woman’s pursuit of the truth about what happened to her father leads her to post-genocide Rwanda in Haupt’s ambitious debut.… Even though it’s ostensibly about the Rwandan genocide, Haupt’s story is one of humanity and hope.
Publishers Weekly


[T]hese resilient women embody the grace of a nation moving forward after unspeakable loss. Verdict: Journalist Haupt spent time in Rwanda researching the nature of grief and forgiveness. In this intensely beautiful debut, she shows that it's indeed the women who hold up half the sky. —Sally Bissell, formerly with Lee Cty. Lib. Syst., Fort Myers, FL
Library Journal


There are villains and horrible atrocities with far-reaching effects, but as Haupt examines events through different perspectives, the focus is on healing rather than revenge and anger.… [A] good choice for those seeking tales of hope after adversity and may prove popular with book clubs.
Booklist


[T]his novel is a glittering gem.
Powell's City of Books, Seattle

Discussion Questions
1. Which character were you most interested in learning more about and why?

2. All of the characters have secrets they keep from each other for various reasons. Did you think these reasons were selfish or compassionate—or both?

3. Which character’s main dilemma could you relate to the most and why?

4. Were there any characters who, at first, you had little empathy for and then developed more compassion as their storyline progressed?

5. There are several love affairs in this novel. Which one drew you in the most and why?

6. Which character surprised you the most—when and why?

7. Forgiveness is a theme in this novel. Where there any characters who were forgiven, who you thought shouldn’t have been? Where there any characters who weren’t forgiven who you thought should have been?

8. How do each of the main characters learn to embrace “Amahoro,” sorrow for the past and hope for the future?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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