Review of A Dream For Peace
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Lerato Rakgokong
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Review of A Dream For Peace
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
A Dream For Peace follows the life of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, who was born in the small town of Aïn Beïda, Northeastern Algeria. Ghoulem remembers fond memories of his childhood, but he also recounts the trying times. His mother, Lalla Zabida, was married to his father, Hamadi, at a very young age. Ghoulem didn't get to spend a lot of time with the man because he died when Ghoulem was just five years old. The story picks up from that point and takes us to Ghoulem as a politically inclined young man. Having grown up in a French colony and experiencing prejudice, that path seemed natural to Ghoulem. And this is the path that would remain in his life forever.
Stepping into someone's shoes is the reason I love to read memoirs. And stepping into the life of this impressive man proved to be thrilling in many ways. There are several stages to the author's life, and although this memoir wasn't split into different sections, it was easy to note the stages. The first section dealt with the author's life in Algeria. He then moved to France for his studies. This was followed by a time when he lived in the United States. The last major section dealt with Ghoulem's life in Cote d'Ivoire. This last section is the most prominent, and perhaps it's the most important. This is where I felt that the author came into his own and found his comfort zone. I loved this section the most because it surprised me in several ways.
I also found the theme of peace that the author writes about throughout this memoir to be something magnificent. In recent decades, the religion of Islam hasn't had the greatest representation in mainstream media of the west and elsewhere, and I found Ghoulem Berrah's story to be necessary to balance things out for those who are interested to know the other side of the religion. Painting millions of people with the same brush is ignorant and dangerous because it vilifies everybody, and books like these are necessary in a world that insists that one certain group of people isn't to be trusted.
The book is too long, however, and that's the only sour point about it. I don't have the most reliable attention span, and I get easily bored when I focus on one thing longer than I feel necessary. There were a few days when I didn't want to open the book because I was exhausted from reading it daily. But once I got through it all, I appreciated it more because of the insightful things I discovered inside.
The book was edited incredibly well. I think that a rating of 5 out of 5 stars is fitting. I thought that it was a powerful memoir. It revealed a great man to me, and it also gave me hope.
I would recommend it to older readers who have knowledge of the political landscape of the 1980s and the 1990s. Most of the book speaks of leaders that reigned during that era, and I think that someone versed in that political era would see the book in a great light as I did.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Dream For Peace follows the life of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, who was born in the small town of Aïn Beïda, Northeastern Algeria. Ghoulem remembers fond memories of his childhood, but he also recounts the trying times. His mother, Lalla Zabida, was married to his father, Hamadi, at a very young age. Ghoulem didn't get to spend a lot of time with the man because he died when Ghoulem was just five years old. The story picks up from that point and takes us to Ghoulem as a politically inclined young man. Having grown up in a French colony and experiencing prejudice, that path seemed natural to Ghoulem. And this is the path that would remain in his life forever.
Stepping into someone's shoes is the reason I love to read memoirs. And stepping into the life of this impressive man proved to be thrilling in many ways. There are several stages to the author's life, and although this memoir wasn't split into different sections, it was easy to note the stages. The first section dealt with the author's life in Algeria. He then moved to France for his studies. This was followed by a time when he lived in the United States. The last major section dealt with Ghoulem's life in Cote d'Ivoire. This last section is the most prominent, and perhaps it's the most important. This is where I felt that the author came into his own and found his comfort zone. I loved this section the most because it surprised me in several ways.
I also found the theme of peace that the author writes about throughout this memoir to be something magnificent. In recent decades, the religion of Islam hasn't had the greatest representation in mainstream media of the west and elsewhere, and I found Ghoulem Berrah's story to be necessary to balance things out for those who are interested to know the other side of the religion. Painting millions of people with the same brush is ignorant and dangerous because it vilifies everybody, and books like these are necessary in a world that insists that one certain group of people isn't to be trusted.
The book is too long, however, and that's the only sour point about it. I don't have the most reliable attention span, and I get easily bored when I focus on one thing longer than I feel necessary. There were a few days when I didn't want to open the book because I was exhausted from reading it daily. But once I got through it all, I appreciated it more because of the insightful things I discovered inside.
The book was edited incredibly well. I think that a rating of 5 out of 5 stars is fitting. I thought that it was a powerful memoir. It revealed a great man to me, and it also gave me hope.
I would recommend it to older readers who have knowledge of the political landscape of the 1980s and the 1990s. Most of the book speaks of leaders that reigned during that era, and I think that someone versed in that political era would see the book in a great light as I did.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid by Gary Robinson
