Who is Rob from the book, The Girl Who Smiled Beads?

Rob is the Zairean CARE worker who meets and falls in love with Claire while she and Clemantine are staying in an UNHCR camp. Though Claire initially refused his proposal, she later accepted, believing marriage is the only way to escape the camp. Over the course of their marriage, Rob became increasingly angry and volatile. When Zaire fell into ruin during the war, he also lost his home, and became a refugee. His losses, however, did not help him relate to Claire and Clemantine. Rather, his hurt made him bitter and violent. After he and Claire began having children, Rob's behaviors still did not change. He abused Claire, abandoned her repeatedly, and even forced her and Clemantine to return to Rwanda while Claire was pregnant. Though Claire later helped him move to America, Rob did remained abusive and angry. Their marriage dissolved while living in Chicago.