Review of A Dream For Peace

[Ethan Howe]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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"During the Muslim call to prayer, we could also hear the Christian procession praying loudly as they made their way past the mosque en route to the Holy Sepulchre—while at the same time, the Jews prayed at the Wailing Wall. Together, all the prayers of the various faiths, emanating in unison, rose toward the sky. A sign of our common faith in one unique God." This quote from one of the chapters brings out the true message of peace shared in this memoir of the late Dr. Ghoulem Berrah. The life of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah shared in A Dream For Peace shows the need for unity of different religions, races and countries. It is narrated from a first-person point of view with 644 pages and seventeen chapters.

The novel starts with a note from the late ambassador of the pope Monsignor Justo Mullor Garcia describing his time with Berrah in Cote d’Ivoire. Berrah then goes on to describe the Algerian culture from which he grew up from. His education during the French colonial rule of Algeria. His involvement in the revolution to free Algeria from French rule. Berrah's participation in the Morrocan revolution and his activities in Morrocco. His studies in the United States of America. His scientific researches and discoveries. His return to serve Africa in Cote d’Ivoire with President Houphouet Boigny. His endeavours with President Houphouet Boigny to bring peaceful ends to many conflicts like the Israel-Palestine conflict. His retirement and an ending chapter emphasizing the need for peace.

The thing that I liked most about the memoir is the way the author divides his story into various chapters. These chapters are centered around different activities in the author's life. I enjoyed reading the chapter titled "Murky Waters of Love" because it takes about Berrah's love life and the tactics he did to overcome the challenges he faced. It is written in an easy-to-understand language. Different African cultures are described like the Algerian culture and I loved knowing about them.

I have got a chance to know the inside stories of different revolutions that were aimed at fighting colonial rule like the Moroccan revolution. The images in the memoir are engaging. The thing that I disliked most about the book is that some chapters are very long. It gave me a hard time when reading such chapters. It is exceptionally well-edited. I came across only one error while I was reading.

I rate it 4 out of 4 stars because of the concept of peace emphasized by the author throughout the story. I recommend it to people who want to know more about the history of West Africa, especially Cote d’Ivoire. I also recommend it to readers of memoirs because this one will be an inspiration.

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A Dream For Peace
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[Judy_Akha]

I loved that book. I am glad that you mentioned various chapters, which made reading easier. Thanks for your detailed review.

[Ethan Howe]

I loved that book. I am glad that you mentioned various chapters, which made reading easier. Thanks for your detailed review.

Glad you also loved it. Thanks for the comment.