Review of A Dream For Peace
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Philip Mahlangu
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Review of A Dream For Peace
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
Hamadi Berrah married Lalla Zabida when she was barely a teenager, and together they bore six children. One of these children was Ghoulem Berrah, and he was born in a northeastern town of Algeria known as Aïn Beïda. At that time, Algeria was a French colony, and that meant that the natives weren't treated the same as the French settlers. There were some areas where the natives weren't allowed to patronize, and this, Ghoulem remembers well. He also remembers how extravagant weddings were in those day. The fantasia exhibitions are ingrained in his mind as well, and he remembers wishing he could grow up to ride the horses as elegantly as the specialists of the time. This setting is the backdrop of the life the author knew, and it is the beginning of this memoir, A Dream For Peace.
The book spans decades of the author's life, chronicling his adventures in France where he became fervently political. This time of his life became a turning point of sorts. He was a medical student, but that almost played second fiddle to his political activism. And like many opponents of oppressive regimes, he was arrested. I admired this part of the book because it shows conviction. The author believed in the freedom of his people, and he was determined to play a significant role in that freedom.
This is such a fantastic book because it isn't afraid to reveal the man. We not only get to see him play a part in important moments of Africa's history, specifically Côte d'Ivoire's history, but we also get insight into who he was at home. The book is named A Dream For Peace because it perfectly sums up the essence of the author. He was a man of peace, and he spread that peaceful demeanor wherever he went, and nothing symbolises that more than his marriage to a black woman of Christian faith. Being an Arab and a Muslim, this union shouldn't have worked on paper, but it was successful, and the love the author had for his wife oozes between the words he wrote.
I could carry on writing about how impressive this book is because I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it. It was even perfectly edited, which is very rare in itself. The stories shared were fascinating. The pictures captured the history of the man and made it tangible. I have to rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
This memoir fits the interest of the politically inclined. The politics are central to the whole narrative, and for that reason, I think that the book would be great for someone interested in history and politics.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Hamadi Berrah married Lalla Zabida when she was barely a teenager, and together they bore six children. One of these children was Ghoulem Berrah, and he was born in a northeastern town of Algeria known as Aïn Beïda. At that time, Algeria was a French colony, and that meant that the natives weren't treated the same as the French settlers. There were some areas where the natives weren't allowed to patronize, and this, Ghoulem remembers well. He also remembers how extravagant weddings were in those day. The fantasia exhibitions are ingrained in his mind as well, and he remembers wishing he could grow up to ride the horses as elegantly as the specialists of the time. This setting is the backdrop of the life the author knew, and it is the beginning of this memoir, A Dream For Peace.
The book spans decades of the author's life, chronicling his adventures in France where he became fervently political. This time of his life became a turning point of sorts. He was a medical student, but that almost played second fiddle to his political activism. And like many opponents of oppressive regimes, he was arrested. I admired this part of the book because it shows conviction. The author believed in the freedom of his people, and he was determined to play a significant role in that freedom.
This is such a fantastic book because it isn't afraid to reveal the man. We not only get to see him play a part in important moments of Africa's history, specifically Côte d'Ivoire's history, but we also get insight into who he was at home. The book is named A Dream For Peace because it perfectly sums up the essence of the author. He was a man of peace, and he spread that peaceful demeanor wherever he went, and nothing symbolises that more than his marriage to a black woman of Christian faith. Being an Arab and a Muslim, this union shouldn't have worked on paper, but it was successful, and the love the author had for his wife oozes between the words he wrote.
I could carry on writing about how impressive this book is because I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it. It was even perfectly edited, which is very rare in itself. The stories shared were fascinating. The pictures captured the history of the man and made it tangible. I have to rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
This memoir fits the interest of the politically inclined. The politics are central to the whole narrative, and for that reason, I think that the book would be great for someone interested in history and politics.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
