How Dare The Sun Rise by Sandra Uwiringiyimana (with Abigail Pesta)

“I remember thinking: How dare the sun rise, as if it were any other day, after such a gruesome night.” Sandra, being a smart, good head on her shoulders child with goals set for her future, wondered why and how the sun would consider to rise, after witnessing the worst night of her life. This particular night took the life of her youngest sister, Debra. Throughout the blurry night, she believed her mother was dead as well. She prayed and asked God to spare her mother’s life, as she wasn’t ready to be without a mother. She was only ten years old when rebels raided the tents of the refugee camp, killing many people who did not belong to their tribes. Her mother was a strong, smart, willing to help anyone type of woman. She believes that as long as you’re alive, you must do your best to help people.

While reading her story, I have an understanding that Sandra comes from a loving family. Her father did his best to bring their oldest son, Heritage home from war (he was abducted as a young boy and became a war child). He provided for their family the best he could, as well as their mother. She sacrificed a lot for their children as well. Both parents believed that education is important for ALL of their children, as it’s been said that education for girls was not really required as their only goals in life is to wed and to give birth to children. Her surviving family had no money or a home. They struggled to stay alive. Eventually they moved to America, where diversity is essentially welcomed by some, but not all. Sandra faced an ethnic disconnection, starting with middle school in New York. She may have gotten away from the hardships back home but was faced with new dilemmas in her new home.

As an advocate for Diversity, Immigration, War and trauma, introducing “How Dare the Sun Rise” to a classroom is crucial in a students education career, as it opens the door to diverse and ethnic difficulties that people face every day. Students are sometimes unaware of these issues that people face, so bringing a novel of international content will broaden their views on international problems and scenarios. I believe this novel would be a great read for grades 10 to 12. Themes of this novel include: Advocacy, community, cultural differences and diversity, family death and relationships, identity, immigration, survival and trauma, and war. While students are reading and/or listening to the novel, they will have a vivid experience of what its like to be in a refugee camp, as Sandra tells her story well. She leaves no details out, as the more honest and raw it was, the better her story is told.