Review of A Dream For Peace
Posted: 07 Apr 2022, 11:48
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
A Dream for Peace by Dr Ghoulem Berrah is an autobiography of the author’s life. Dr Berrah was born to a Muslim family in Algeria during the French colonial era, and he started resisting colonialism at a very early age. His political activism became more pronounced when he was studying medicine in France, and he joined various groups at his university to protest colonialism and fight for Algeria’s independence.
On hearing of plans for his arrest, Dr Berrah fled to Spain, where he was imprisoned for a while. Upon his release, he continued to fight for Algeria’s freedom before moving to Morocco to work as a doctor in a war-torn town. In a bid to further strengthen the resistance against French rule, he enrolled to become a law student. Subsequently, he got a scholarship to the US to further his studies, upon which he became a scientist. However, Dr Berrah felt like he could be doing more for Africa. As a result, he left his life in the US, where he was teaching at the Yale School of Medicine, to serve as a special adviser to President Houphouet-Boigny in Cote d’Ivoire. There, he helped build the country, and he also found love. He worked with the president until the latter died, after which he retired to the US with his wife.
This book is a work of art. I was enthralled right from the prologue written by Monsignor Garcia (a Catholic priest who constantly referred to Dr Berrah as his brother) to the final acknowledgements written by the author’s wife (now widowed). Though this book is about 623 pages long, I did not notice its length because the pages seemed to fly by for me. One admirable thing about Dr Berrah was his firm belief in interfaith relationships, and this was evident from his close relationships with his wife, Monsignor Garcia, and President Houphouet-Boigny. Though a devout Muslim, he was a firm believer that all religions were to be respected.
Another notable aspect of this book was the love story between Dr Berrah and his wife, and I honestly swooned at their romance. Due to their different cultural and religious backgrounds, they had to overcome many hurdles to have a shot at their love, but they never gave up on each other and continued to have faith. I also loved the writing style used in this book. The author’s descriptions of his birthplace, the hustle and bustle of colonial Algeria, the marriage traditions, and his pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Mecca were so vivid and beautifully done that it felt like I was seeing those places through his words.
However, some parts of his story did not sit well with me. For example, during his stay in Morocco, he was asked by some rabbis to examine girls on the eve of their weddings to see if they were worthy to be issued 'certificates of abstinence'. Also, while in China on official duty, the author admitted to a feminist that he believed the world would be better off if women solely focused on raising children.
Despite these off-putting views, Dr Berrah lived a rich and fulfilling life. His story is very motivating and seems like that out of a movie. I wholly commend the team that worked on this book because it was a job very well done, and I spotted only a couple of errors. I’m happy to give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
Although this book is an autobiography and will be a good fit for readers who like this genre, this is not your average non-fiction because it has intrigue, action, romance, and is rich in history. As a result, I believe fiction lovers who like these themes will also find it interesting.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Dream for Peace by Dr Ghoulem Berrah is an autobiography of the author’s life. Dr Berrah was born to a Muslim family in Algeria during the French colonial era, and he started resisting colonialism at a very early age. His political activism became more pronounced when he was studying medicine in France, and he joined various groups at his university to protest colonialism and fight for Algeria’s independence.
On hearing of plans for his arrest, Dr Berrah fled to Spain, where he was imprisoned for a while. Upon his release, he continued to fight for Algeria’s freedom before moving to Morocco to work as a doctor in a war-torn town. In a bid to further strengthen the resistance against French rule, he enrolled to become a law student. Subsequently, he got a scholarship to the US to further his studies, upon which he became a scientist. However, Dr Berrah felt like he could be doing more for Africa. As a result, he left his life in the US, where he was teaching at the Yale School of Medicine, to serve as a special adviser to President Houphouet-Boigny in Cote d’Ivoire. There, he helped build the country, and he also found love. He worked with the president until the latter died, after which he retired to the US with his wife.
This book is a work of art. I was enthralled right from the prologue written by Monsignor Garcia (a Catholic priest who constantly referred to Dr Berrah as his brother) to the final acknowledgements written by the author’s wife (now widowed). Though this book is about 623 pages long, I did not notice its length because the pages seemed to fly by for me. One admirable thing about Dr Berrah was his firm belief in interfaith relationships, and this was evident from his close relationships with his wife, Monsignor Garcia, and President Houphouet-Boigny. Though a devout Muslim, he was a firm believer that all religions were to be respected.
Another notable aspect of this book was the love story between Dr Berrah and his wife, and I honestly swooned at their romance. Due to their different cultural and religious backgrounds, they had to overcome many hurdles to have a shot at their love, but they never gave up on each other and continued to have faith. I also loved the writing style used in this book. The author’s descriptions of his birthplace, the hustle and bustle of colonial Algeria, the marriage traditions, and his pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Mecca were so vivid and beautifully done that it felt like I was seeing those places through his words.
However, some parts of his story did not sit well with me. For example, during his stay in Morocco, he was asked by some rabbis to examine girls on the eve of their weddings to see if they were worthy to be issued 'certificates of abstinence'. Also, while in China on official duty, the author admitted to a feminist that he believed the world would be better off if women solely focused on raising children.
Despite these off-putting views, Dr Berrah lived a rich and fulfilling life. His story is very motivating and seems like that out of a movie. I wholly commend the team that worked on this book because it was a job very well done, and I spotted only a couple of errors. I’m happy to give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
Although this book is an autobiography and will be a good fit for readers who like this genre, this is not your average non-fiction because it has intrigue, action, romance, and is rich in history. As a result, I believe fiction lovers who like these themes will also find it interesting.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon