Élisabeth Combres has lived in Paris, Toulouse, Grenoble and Lima, Peru. She has worked as a reporter in France, Latin America and Africa. She began writing for young people after working as editor-in-chief for the magazine Mikado. She is the author of several children’s non-fiction titles, including Mondes Rebelles Junior, winner of the Prix Sorcières in 2002. In 2004 she collected the accounts of adolescent survivors, psychologists and humanitarian aid workers to use as the basis for this book. Broken Memory is her first novel. She lives in Grenoble, France.

Combres' story offers readers intimate access to this chapter of history as well as considerable potential for discussion. - Bulletin of The Center for Children's Books

...a short, easy-to-read novel about a Tutsi girl's survival during...shocking times. - CM Magazine

It is a compelling story that would be an excellent addition to any school or public library collection. - VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

This short, spare novel, translated from the French and based on the author's interviews with survivors, tells of the massacre and then the trials and aftermath, all from the viewpoint of a child...the child survivor's authentic experience makes this an excellent addition for the high-school Holocaust curriculum. - Booklist

With simple, straightforward language, Combres gives her readers a glimpse into the inner landscape of trauma that a girl such as Emma would have suffered, and the ways by which she might emerge from it. - Toronto Star

...a gentle narrative...well-focused...[readers] will find this brief work approachable and evocative. - Kirkus Reviews

Gracefully composed. - Resource Links

Broken Memory shows what it takes to overcome trauma yet not remain defeated by it. - Yoo Kyung Sung, WOW Review