Review of A Dream For Peace
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Cristina Corui Mihailescu
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Review of A Dream For Peace
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
Dr. Ghoulem Berrah’s memoir, A Dream for Peace, is dedicated to his long-lost mother, whose gentle figure is fondly remembered. The book starts with a concise description of the area where the author was born: Constantine department, Algeria. The beauty of the settings contrasts with the fact that native Algerians were not allowed in the lovely parts of his hometown, while the French settlers used to spend their summer vacations there.
The author’s first anti-colonialist feelings appear during the middle-school, where very few Algerians were allowed to attend. Then, as a medical student in Bordeaux, France, he starts coordinating the Algerians, creating associations of students and of workers. The students from African countries start a common fight against colonialism, and the author is one of their leaders. After a period of prison detention, he becomes a surgeon in Morocco and marries Antoinette, who was then a nurse.
Later on, the American experience is very different. He enrols in the department of microbiology in Indianapolis where he outshines the American students due to his remarkable memory. Then he discovers a certain enzyme that makes him famous. Successfully completing his doctorate, Dr. Berrah becomes the youngest professor at the Yale School of Medicine. Then he is one of the organisers of Martin Luther King’s march that culminates with the latter’s famous speech about civil rights. Feeling the need to commit to Africa’s development, in 1965 he gives up his research on cancer and goes to his wife’s country, Côte d’Ivoire, to be an advisor to the Foreign Ministry.
There are numerous personalities that appear in the memoirs: state leaders, like Mao Zedong, President Kennedy, President Obama, presidents of several African countries and many other political leaders. The President of Côte d’Ivoire, Houphouët, whom he dearly calls Papa, is portrayed as a compassionate, peace-loving, wise man. At his death, together with the love of his life, his Ivorian new wife Titi, whom he has married in an interfaith wedding, Dr.Berrah goes to the U.S. from where he watches with sadness what is happening in Africa: brain drain, hunger, lack of cooperation between Arabs and Africans.
Besides the many thrilling moments in the life of this ambassador I will give no spoiler about, some of the exquisite parts of the book are the delightful descriptions of African places, with the colours, smells and sounds he loved. Such is the description of a market in Côte d’Ivoire or of the numerous dishes belonging to different cuisines.
The epilogue, his wife’s words, and the photos and documents that illustrate several important moments of Dr. Berrah’s life contribute to making this memoir a very interesting and pleasant read. Even though many religious Catholic and Muslim rituals are mentioned, nothing can annoy the reader since the author always shows what the different religions have in common: the concept of morality.
This book is for anyone who is interested in modern history and politics. It is well-edited so I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. The memoirs create a lasting impression on any reader. For me, every single page was a delight.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Dr. Ghoulem Berrah’s memoir, A Dream for Peace, is dedicated to his long-lost mother, whose gentle figure is fondly remembered. The book starts with a concise description of the area where the author was born: Constantine department, Algeria. The beauty of the settings contrasts with the fact that native Algerians were not allowed in the lovely parts of his hometown, while the French settlers used to spend their summer vacations there.
The author’s first anti-colonialist feelings appear during the middle-school, where very few Algerians were allowed to attend. Then, as a medical student in Bordeaux, France, he starts coordinating the Algerians, creating associations of students and of workers. The students from African countries start a common fight against colonialism, and the author is one of their leaders. After a period of prison detention, he becomes a surgeon in Morocco and marries Antoinette, who was then a nurse.
Later on, the American experience is very different. He enrols in the department of microbiology in Indianapolis where he outshines the American students due to his remarkable memory. Then he discovers a certain enzyme that makes him famous. Successfully completing his doctorate, Dr. Berrah becomes the youngest professor at the Yale School of Medicine. Then he is one of the organisers of Martin Luther King’s march that culminates with the latter’s famous speech about civil rights. Feeling the need to commit to Africa’s development, in 1965 he gives up his research on cancer and goes to his wife’s country, Côte d’Ivoire, to be an advisor to the Foreign Ministry.
There are numerous personalities that appear in the memoirs: state leaders, like Mao Zedong, President Kennedy, President Obama, presidents of several African countries and many other political leaders. The President of Côte d’Ivoire, Houphouët, whom he dearly calls Papa, is portrayed as a compassionate, peace-loving, wise man. At his death, together with the love of his life, his Ivorian new wife Titi, whom he has married in an interfaith wedding, Dr.Berrah goes to the U.S. from where he watches with sadness what is happening in Africa: brain drain, hunger, lack of cooperation between Arabs and Africans.
Besides the many thrilling moments in the life of this ambassador I will give no spoiler about, some of the exquisite parts of the book are the delightful descriptions of African places, with the colours, smells and sounds he loved. Such is the description of a market in Côte d’Ivoire or of the numerous dishes belonging to different cuisines.
The epilogue, his wife’s words, and the photos and documents that illustrate several important moments of Dr. Berrah’s life contribute to making this memoir a very interesting and pleasant read. Even though many religious Catholic and Muslim rituals are mentioned, nothing can annoy the reader since the author always shows what the different religions have in common: the concept of morality.
This book is for anyone who is interested in modern history and politics. It is well-edited so I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. The memoirs create a lasting impression on any reader. For me, every single page was a delight.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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