The Shadow of Imana

A hybrid blend of testimony, travel writing and reflection, The Shadow of Imana follows Véronique Tadjo’s journey through post-genocide Rwanda. It weaves survivor accounts, visits to memorial sites and lyrical meditations into a powerful exploration of trauma, memory and the search for reconciliation.

As evidence emerged of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, the outside world reeled in shock. What could have motivated these individual and collective atrocities? In 1998, Véronique Tajdo travelled to Rwanda to try to find out. She started with the premise that what happened in Rwanda concerns us all. It is a reminder that humankind the world over is capable of genocide.
Records of what Véronique saw – sites of massacres, corpses, weapons deposits – are combined with personal stories: of traumatised returnees, bereaved survivors, victims of assault, orphans, lawyers faced with the impossible task of doing justice, prisoners. But The Shadow of Imana goes beyond reportage. With passages resembling poetry and traditional tales, Tadjo explores the spiritual legacy of the genocide and uncovers a healing vitality and a commitment to forgiveness.


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