Review: Deogratias

Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda
Written and Drawn by J. P. Stassen
Published by First Second Books. $16.95 USD

Deogratias is about the genocides and insanity of Rwanda, embodied by the yellow-eyed Hutu boy, Deogratias, who loses his humanity as so many other Hutus did in their extermination of the other ethnic group in Rwanda, the Tutsis. In a masterfully disordered flashback structure, we learn about Deogratias and his Tutsi girl friend, Benina, as well as Benina's mother, forced into prostitution to take care of her daughters. Deogratias has something of a sweet side early on, but the genocides take their toll on his mind, and the strong liquor the young man drinks does the rest. He loses his humanity with his treatment of Benina, and he also does so with obvious but effective symbolism, as he takes on the attributes of a crazy, roving hound. Stassen wisely avoids big statements, keeping his story small and personal, about a handful of characters, and it is a memorable one. The inside cover copy goes so overboard in its praise as to be a disservice to him, but just skip that and enjoy the book itself.