When Dr. Jessica Hemings volunteers for a medical mission in Rwanda, she becomes entrapped in the maelstrom of Rwandan politics and the enmity between Hutus and Tutsis. Her Tutsi features plunge her into the Rwandan Genocide. Dr. Cyprien Gatera, Jess’s superior and a Hutu radical, commandeers her clinic, slaughters her patients and her adopted sons, then forces her to treat his wounded. She … escapes and survives three weeks in hiding before finding refuge at Benaco refugee camp in Tanzania.
There, Jess vows revenge. She searches for Gatera with the help of Michel Fournier, a French lawyer-turned-war-correspondent, and Dr. Tom Powell, her long-time lover. When an unknown informant passes information to Jess about her nemesis, she returns to Rwanda, despite warnings from the Belgian Secret Service that Gatera plans to assassinate her. In their final showdown, Jess must decide if revenge is best served cold—or not at all.
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This book gutted me and inspired me. It will take you on an emotional ride that, at times, you’ll want to get off to avoid what’s coming. There were times I had to put the book aside to process what had happened, I was so in it-which speaks volumes about the engrossing writing style of this novel. It’s the resilience of our heroine and the rich authenticity of the people and places make the tears and fears worthwhile. The prose was exceptional, the pacing tight, and the end satisfying. A must read. But be prepared to set aside the time to read it all because you won’t want to stop once you start.
I had a hard time getting into this book, because it’s about the genocide in Rwanda. It took a couple of attempts before I was able to get past my own dread at what I knew was coming. But it was worth it, oh how it was worth it. This book is wonderful! It really should win the Pulitzer prize or the National Book Award; it’s that good. It’s a big book, big in scope and big in emotions. The main character, Jess, is a U.S. physician who goes to Rwanda to escape from a failed love affair. At first, everything is fine: she starts a clinic for obstetrics, adopts two children, and makes friends with the villagers. Then things start to go wrong. She ends up getting caught up in the genocide and escapes from Rwanda, to become a refugee in Tanzania. But she’s determined to bring one specific person to justice, and therein lies the story. This book is a beautifully written testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and I recommend it to anyone who’s willing to do the work of reading it. You will be richly rewarded.
This is a gritty, action packed book. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is something I think a lot of people should read.
Gripping and heartbreaking, this story inspired me with its portrayal of a strong, fearless woman. If you enjoy reading thrillers about international politics, African settings, and above all, women who forge their own destiny, you’ll love this.
Welcome to Mystery Monday, my fellow Book Dragons and a special welcome to the many new Book Dragons who have joined our Tribe the past day or so! Nice to have you. Tonight’s Gem is a deep, deep purple, the color of sorrow and majesty. This Gem it’s light is dim, there is much sorrow therein. Hold it in your claws, feel how heavy laden it is with mourning, pain and grief? This is Gem Maker Suanne Schafer’s “Hunting The Devil”.
“Hunting The Devil” is the story of Jessica Hemings, OB-Gyn. She lives and works in Philadelphia, but decides to move to Rwanda and open a practice there. This is in the 1990’s. Not the best time in Rwanda. Strike one: she is bi-racial. Strike two: she is, obviously, a woman. Strike three: there is a genocidal war on and her new boss is Hutu and hates Tutsis: she looks Tutsi.
In Rwanda, conditions are appalling to say the least. The book itself is very well written, but if you have a heart beating in your breast and a soul peering out through your eyes, this is not an easy book to take in. The conditions, the death, disease, the massive scale of the genocide and horrors of what one people can do to another are not roses and sunshine reading material. Schafer does a fantastic job. I remember the Rwandan War. I remember the news reports and the nightly video and that was what they felt they could show 25 years ago. No, this isn’t easy reading, but it’s important, we need to read this, reading. Especially since this is still going on in various parts of the world. Genocide, human trafficking, child soldiers, these things should be faced and dealt with, not warned of so we don’t have to look. We are not nestlings. We are adults. Bravo, Suanne!
Jessica loses everything, and it is mainly because of the Devil, her boss. Dr. Gatera. She watches her patients be slaughtered, men and boys conscripted as soldiers or murdered. Women and girls raped, abused, misused and slaughtered and finally her two adopted sons are murdered. She manages to escape but vows to come back and kill the man responsible. Gatera.
She befriends a French Journalist named Michael Fournier and discovers that Gatera lives. She upholds her vow of revenge and goes back after him. She is hunting the Devil. Will she get him? And if she does, will he die and slow painful death or will she kill him immediately? I will never tell because I don’t do spoilers. I can tell you this, you need to read this book. Now. It is available in Kindle or Paperback.
Until tomorrow, I remain, as always, your humble, Book Dragon, Drakon T. Longwitten
Hunting the Devil is a hard look at one woman’s quest to take on prejudice, corruption and the harrowing reality of political injustices in a country she can’t seem to get out of her system. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for this brave and rebellious woman who, despite unspeakable loss, refused to become a victim and who found her way to freedom through her bold actions and conviction. You don’t want to miss this one!
I opened this book and was dropped into Rwanda as propaganda convinces Hutus and Tutsis–who have lived as neighbors, not necessarily knowing one another’s tribal affinity–to hate one another. I joined Dr. Jess as she opens a clinic to birth babies and attend to emergencies. Dr. Jess (from the U.S.) soon learns that her supervising doctor, a Hutu militant, believes her to be a Tutsi or at least a Tutsi sympathizer. He morphs into an adversary bent on eliminating her, and the book’s pages fly by as she runs for her life.
I especially enjoyed Dr. Jess’s relationships with the two men in her life–realistic and touching portrayals for a woman trying to stay alive and sane in a place gone crazy with blood lust.
With a few minor exceptions, author Suanne Schafer adhered closely to Rwanda’s hundred-day genocide. ( I reported on this tragedy’s aftermath for an NGO and researched it while doing so.) My only wish would be that Schafer had more heavily emphasized the role of hate media (in this case, radio) in creating and amping up vitriol and violence–a theme of relevance in many places today, including in the U.S.
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Having had enduring respect and admiration for Doctors Without Borders and similar organizations who travel to hot spots throughout the world, disregarding personal danger and thereby giving the world’s bad guys the ultimate in ‘up-yours’, Hunting the Devil took my breath away. Once I started reading, I could not stop turning the pages.
Schafer clearly has many gifts. One is for creating individual characters, each with their own persona. She does villains with the same effortless manner as she does heroes. This book is a winner. It should go onto the highest of your Keeper Shelves and come out on special occasions to remind us that true evil exists but does not always triumph.
Kat Henry Doran , Wild Women Reviews
Like the cover says, “Hunting the Devil” is intense, powerful and heartbreaking. It is a top-notch thriller.
With gorgeous prose and beautiful turns-of-phrase, Ms. Schafer’s narrative sweeps you along through this epic tale. It is ultimately about justice, revenge and…love.
This book really makes you FEEL.
Centering around the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, it is difficult to read at times, but it’s an important and rewarding read.
Jessica Hemings an OB/GYN physician from Philadelphia who volunteers to open a health clinic in Kirehe, Rwanda in 1994. She finds the conditions deplorable.
She does make good friends with the people she work with but her new boss, the despicable Dr. Cyprien Gatera, treats like crap.
Gatera is a Hutu and Jessica resembles a Tutsi and she’s a woman.
Practically a double no-no in the male-dominated society.
Hutu and Tutsi are the warring factions in the “conflict”.
After witnessing the atrocities first-hand and the murder of her two adopted sons by Gatera, Jessica is forced to escape.
She vows revenge.
She meets French journalist Michel Fournier and they help each other though the devastating turmoil. Together they witness man’s inhumanity to man.
This is the story of Jessica’s search for truth and justice. She owes to her children, her friends and to the country she fell in love with…Rwanda.
This book is absolutely wonderful.