A review by tirzah15
Still Life with Bones by Alexa Hagerty

challenging emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

5.0

"My fear of crying is replaced by a new fear. That I wont cry, that I wont feel anything. Is it worse when the child appears or when she does not?"

Still Life with Bones: Genocide, Forensics, and What Remains was a tought book to read, but I loved how the author told the stories. Throughout the story, we bounced around timelines, but I never felt left behind or confused. Every personal story of hers was surrounded by context and a lesson on the history of the area. 

I also appreciated how she handled the discussion of religion and its involvement in the genocides. She did a good job balancing how religion was both used to help and to hurt vulnerable peoples. 

I wouldn't pick this up if you are looking for a quick read, it requires a lot of contemplation and I had to put it down several times. This book was incredibly important, and much of the information I learned made me frustrated that I hadn't learned it earlier.