Review of A Dream For Peace

Hafsa Hussein · Post by **Hafsa Hussein** » 10 Jun 2022, 08:21

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

4 out of 4 stars

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A Dream For Peace is an autobiography of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, a very remarkable man by any standard. He was born in 1938 in the then French annexed part of Eastern Algeria, where he studied as a child and left for mainland France to become a medical student. While studying, he discovers his passion for activism during his time in Bordeaux. Eventually, he became a vital part of the foreign student body who lobbied for the liberation of their home countries. Unfortunately, they are forced to flee France as fugitives of the law due to their relentless pursuit of freedom for Algeria. He eventually ends up in America, where he steps aside from the vanguard of Algeria's revolution and joins the front lines of scientific innovation as a microbiologist. He rises to the ranks of Professor of Virology at Yale, serves in this capacity for a while, and finally decides to heed the call of President Houphouët-Boigny to become the Ivorian Ambassador.

The book is full of fascinating positive elements, which can be attributed to the endearing character of Dr. Berrah. He exuded so much zeal and passion for whatever he set out to do, which ultimately translated to his success across the various things he engaged in. His leadership abilities came naturally and effortlessly to him. He was very proactive and action-oriented as he pioneered the formation of coalitions of international students, particularly from the North of Africa. I particularly enjoyed the illustrious pictures he complemented his story with. In this way, he was able to provide context to his story with clarity that provided such an immersive and unadulterated experience into the life of this icon.

Moreover, he highlighted the institutional biases that proved to be an obstacle to pursuing his goals. Racism was still a mainstream occurrence, particularly in his formative years as part of the French citizens in Algeria and, by extension, in subsequent years on the mainland of France. I can imagine how harrowing it was for him to encounter the white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan as they attempted to kill a woman they perceived to be of mixed race during his time in America.
The book is a meticulous piece of work, and I, therefore, did not find any negative aspects in the book. However, I believe Dr. Berrah glossed over the atrocities that the insufferable racist French regime subjected them to, especially during his time in mainland France.

I enjoyed the life story of Dr. Berrah, and the book is professionally well-edited, as I encountered no errors. Dr. Berrah uses a very engaging and easy-to-understand style of narration. The book is quite educative on matters such as the Algerian revolution.

I liked this book and therefore awarded it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars . I recommend this book to lovers of history and factual stories laced with foreign culture to expand their thought horizons.

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A Dream For Peace
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