Review of A Dream For Peace

Victor Jerry I · Post by **Victor Jerry I** » 29 Jul 2022, 09:05

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]

4 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

A Dream for Peace by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah is a memoir of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah. He is an Algerian who had big dreams of fighting for his country’s independence since he was a child. The book comprises seventeen chapters with about six hundred and eleven pages. We hear about his struggles as a child, as well as his difficult transition to adulthood.

Dr. Berrah grew up on the east side of Algeria with his family. Unfortunately for him, he lost his father at a tender age. His mother ensured that he finished his schooling. Dr. Berrah maintained good academic results and got a scholarship in the United States to further his studies in medicine. He was a victim of racism from childhood because of his background. His efforts and accomplishments were frequently neglected, and this fueled his desire to help fight for his country’s freedom, coupled with the knowledge he gained from traveling around the world. He accepted President Houphouet-Boigny’s offer to serve as Special Advisor and Ambassador at Large in Africa because he was concerned about the lack of global peace. Was Dr. Berrah successful in the fight for his country’s freedom?

Reading this book made me feel like I was having an actual conversation with Dr. Berrah. He was very meticulous in his descriptions of events, and I could relate to and feel the emotions he felt while writing the book. It was a pleasant idea to include pictures of people and events in the book, even though they looked ancient and most of them were in black and white ink only. The pictures also helped to support the authenticity of all that the author said in the book. I was astounded to see images of his identification cards from when he was a student. This demonstrates how well-organized he was. In the midst of the diplomatic squabbles, the author tells the interesting love story of his black Catholic wife and himself, a devoted Muslim, and this spiced the story for me.

The book didn’t seem forced. It wasn’t fast-paced, and the author took his time to tell us about his life. The plot developed gradually, revealing different stages of his life, such as his childhood days, his political career, his days as a doctor, and when he became an ambassador. The bulkiness of the book was the only significant drawback I encountered. I believed that the author could have summed up parts of the plot. For example, chapter eleven had almost 70 pages, and I felt it had a lot of information that wasn't essential.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I have given a full rating because the book is very informative. The book is also exceptionally well edited, and I found no errors while reading the book. The bulkiness of the book wasn’t enough to deduct a star from my rating. I recommend this book to historical memoir lovers. Although the book is appropriate for readers of all ages, very young readers may not like it.

******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Gifty_biblophile · Post by **Gifty_biblophile** » 27 Aug 2022, 08:18

This book isn’t just an ordinary biography. It is also a motivational book. Dr. Berrah despite his tough childhood after loosing his dad at a tender age, was able to pull through and eventually became an ambassador. His love for religion is worthy of an applaud as he believes there is one God and doesn’t support religious misunderstandings.

Margi zuu202 · Post by **Margi zuu202** » 27 Aug 2022, 11:22

This is the most inspiring ambassadors memoir and the french edition was published in 2018 while the Algerian edition was published the same year but in December I like how in the middle of his diplomatic imbroglios the author unfold the chronicles of facinating love story a devout Muslim and interfaith leader he walk with you in mecca, Vatican and Jerusalem a compelling story for all readers

Victor Jerry I · Post by **Victor Jerry I** » 28 Aug 2022, 03:46

Margi zuu202 wrote: ↑27 Aug 2022, 11:22 This is the most inspiring ambassadors memoir and the french edition was published in 2018 while the Algerian edition was published the same year but in December I like how in the middle of his diplomatic imbroglios the author unfold the chronicles of facinating love story a devout Muslim and interfaith leader he walk with you in mecca, Vatican and Jerusalem a compelling story for all readers

Thanks for your honest feedback. Indeed it was truly inspiring.

Margi zuu202 · Post by **Margi zuu202** » 28 Aug 2022, 05:28

An awesome book

Post by **Shillah Andeso** » 28 Aug 2022, 08:12

This is an amazing book with great lessons to be learned. It is also a pleasure to appreciate Ghoulem's amazing writing skills. He also values the people close to him and humbles himself. Nice review.