Kibogo is a page turner. The author has mastered the "show don't tell" aspect of writing because so many, tiny, precious informations are embedded into the actions of charachters, places and names. Every anction and charachter is multi layered and asks to be analyzed objectively to see what truly hides underneath.
It was also an extremely cleaver book, one where you can discover new things at each new read and ponder for hours; I especially enjoyed the parallelism that was traced between christianity and paganism, making the common source, common worth clear to see.
Mythology, colonialism, the fabric itself of people has been woven in this book to show that there's alway another side to a truth, that lies have and have had angelical faces and that no matter how endemic the poisoning of a culture by another one is, there's always a seed, unburned and still green, able to keep alive the true soul of a place, a people.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this wonderful little novella. Kibogo is an enchanting tale (actually several interwoven tales) of the intersection and conflict between Christianity and ancient religion in Rwanda. Obviously I never read the original French version, but the gorgeous, evocative language in this translation has clearly been chosen with care and suits the story very well. A fast, rewarding read.

Kibogo was a delightful and interesting read. The text in this translation flowed beautifully and was easy reading, yet it was packed with intriguing themes and a wonderful dose of satiric humour. The four stories interlinked seamlessly, and it was fascinating to see the clash between traditional belief and culture and colonial Christianity, and how the two sides attempted to marry the two, whether through outright replacement or via a blending of beliefs. It was certainly a thoughtful work and I would definitely pick up more books by this author in the future. It gets four stars from me.

4.5 Stars
One Liner: Powerful and impactful

Kibogo is a recounting of the constant clash between pagan beliefs and missionaries determined to evangelize Rwanda. It is divided into four parts and deals with Kibogo’s story, its distortion over the years, and the lives of people forever stuck between two opposite faiths.
The book was first published in French and is now translated into English. The story comes from an unseen narrator who talks to the readers in between. The writing is to the point and does what it should.
Reading this wasn’t easy. I couldn’t stop comparing the situations in Rwanda and India. In fact, the man-made Bengal Famine in India occurred at the same time there was a natural famine in Rwanda. The difference is that India was ruled by the Britishers and its Belgian missionaries in Rwanda.

There are too many parallels to draw, and TBH, I have no idea where to start. I’ll do my best to list them below.
The disdain for pagan culture is the prominent theme. Calling pagans as devil worshippers, witches, barbarians, uncultured, et al., and the neverending determination to convert them.
Using fear and punishment as tools for conversion. Yezu and Maria sure wouldn’t punish people for following their cultural beliefs! But the missionaries won’t tell you that.
Xavier’s over-enthusiasm to break and destroy Pagan idols. Ironic that they want to install Maria’s statue when idol-worshipping is bad. Should I mention that this is still rampant in India and Bangladesh even today? Sadly, the murtis are attacked by radicals from both Abhramic faiths.
The distortion of native tales by people from the same tribe. This happens because the older generations want to keep their heritage alive while the next generation wants nothing to do with it. Still, the cultural aspects are shared as stories and end up as a mess.
The inferiority complex that haunts multiple generations and their determination to gain approval from the superior White men.
People like the Professors who want to ‘revive’ pagan cultures as long as it suits their requirements. Wanting to ‘expose’ the missionaries by converting pagan centers into tourist locations. The yearning of natives to make their lives better and the trust they have in White men to help them achieve it. Breaks your heart.
Akayezu is such an intriguing character. I loved his arc, the questions he had, his struggles, his dreams, the unconventional methods, etc.
Mukamwezi is an enthralling character. Her power, presence, and timelessness represent how the pagan culture is rooted in the land and will stay alive no matter what. There will always be someone who refuses to let go of their cultural heritage, and they give the rest of us hope. The book ends with this hope, and that’s what gives me peace.

To summarize, Kibogo is a book you should read to see things from the African side. The book might make some uncomfortable and trigger generational trauma in others, but it is relatively safe to read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Archipelago Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Kibogo is an absolutely gorgeous novella. Set in 4 parts it deals with the clash between Rwandan traditional beliefs and the Catholic beliefs that missionaries are intent on spreading. Each part reveals a little more about the beliefs and stories Rwandan people held dear to them, such as the martyrdom of Kibogo (my personal favourite). All in all, this was a very interesting book to read.

An excellent novella set in a remote hillside village in Rwanda and dealing with the clash between ancient beliefs/myths and the Catholic faith as promoted/imposed by Belgian missionaries. It starts in 1943 when a famine, the Ruzagayura, rages as a result of drought, bad agricultural decisions and reduced manpower. The desperate villagers secretly defy the 'padri's' instructions and revert to worshipping their old gods, in particular Kibogo, in the hope he will bring rain. When the rains finally arrive was it Holy Mary or Kibogo who sent them?

I had wanted to read something by Rwandan author Scholastique Mukasonga for a while (her most famous novel is Lady of the Nile and she regularly appears on lists with possible next Nobel prize winners) and this was a great place to start. Very engaging, easy to read, it never gets boring, the writing is excellent and clever, there is witty humour. And the last chapter is brilliant. I also found it very interesting to - for once - read about the colonial period from an African perspective, especially how they deal with precolonial religious beliefs.

Many thanks to the excellent archipelago books for an arc.