Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Sade and Femi find themselves caught in the centre of a political assassination when their mother is shot outside of their home by masked attackers. Their father, an outspoken, Nigerian journalist, must get them out of the country before they become targets too and chooses to send them off to their uncle in London, promising to join them as soon as it is safe. Yet their journey is fraught with danger, abuse and mistrust and soon Sade and Femi find themselves alone in a foreign city.
Perhaps based upon the story of Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed in 1995 for speaking out against the military regime at the time, The Other Side of Truth is an extremely well-woven narrative around a family's refuge and escape from political oppression. Told from the viewpoint of twelve-year-old Sade, Naidoo, whisks us across to a familiar land to the reader yet unfamiliar to brother and sister: a well-considered and powerful device in this circumstance. With no knowledge whether their father is alive or not, we the children are passed from pillar to post within the care system whilst the story of their father slowly builds up towards a powerful climax that highlights the corruption with in their home country.
A novel for KS3 readers and above which sheds light upon political oppression in other countries and introduces its readers to that need for justice and freedom.
Perhaps based upon the story of Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed in 1995 for speaking out against the military regime at the time, The Other Side of Truth is an extremely well-woven narrative around a family's refuge and escape from political oppression. Told from the viewpoint of twelve-year-old Sade, Naidoo, whisks us across to a familiar land to the reader yet unfamiliar to brother and sister: a well-considered and powerful device in this circumstance. With no knowledge whether their father is alive or not, we the children are passed from pillar to post within the care system whilst the story of their father slowly builds up towards a powerful climax that highlights the corruption with in their home country.
A novel for KS3 readers and above which sheds light upon political oppression in other countries and introduces its readers to that need for justice and freedom.
This is such a powerful children’s book. I’m quite ashamed to say that I haven’t read a fiction novel about people seeking asylum in Britain before. How these two children were treated upon their arrival was difficult to read. At one point the siblings are abandoned, lost and alone, asking for directions but no one will help them and it hurt my heart to know that in busy London, when you’re just trying to battle the crowds, this could be easily done. They don’t know the customs, they get robbed and they don’t know where to go, or who can help them. I’m just relieved this story had a happy ending because I don’t think I could have coped otherwise. The sad reality is that happy endings don’t come for everyone in similar situations.