Saturday, March 21, 2009

The Other Side of Truth, by Beverley Naidoo

The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo is about a young girl, Sade (pronounced Sha-day), and her younger brother Femi. They live in Lagos, Nigeria. Their father is a journalist who writes about the oppressive government in Nigeria and how the Nigerian people should stand up to the people who push them around. The government doesn't like these brave people to write about their wrongdoings, so one day they send some men to shoot down Sade and Femi's father. The gunmen miss, however, and kill their mother instead.

After this, the children's father has them sent from the country to London, England where their Uncle Dele is to take care of them. Their father cannot join them because he does not have a passport, but he promises to reunite with them in London as soon as possible. They are taken into the care of a complete stranger until they reach London, where the are deserted and forced to find their Uncle Dele on their own.

Sade and Femi endure more hardships than any child should have to throughout the story. Sade must find a way to tell the world about her father and the unjust government in Nigeria. The story was interesting and moving. It contained some events that actually did happen during the time which made the book all the more realistic. I gave The Other Side of Truth 3 out of 5 stars.

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