The Other Side of Truth [Paperback]

Beverley Naidoo (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: HarperCollins (2001)
• ASIN: B000OEED4Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes truth is dangerous, October 9, 2001

By 

Laura Lynn Walsh "gt-teacher" (Fairbanks, AK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Other Side of Truth (Hardcover)

Books that tell of cultures and events far from my
own experience are valuable to me. They open my
mind and heart to the ideas and experiences beyond
me. This is a book I enjoyed for that reason. I
am not very knowledgeable about African history.

Shadeh and her brother are home when their mother
is fatally shot. Her father, fearing further
attacks against the family sends them off illegally
to be with his brother in England. When their uncle
fails to meet them and the children are abandoned,
Shadeh feels she must hide some of the truth to
protect her father. Through a series of emotionally
draining experiences the family's story is told. In
the end, it reminds us that there is a reason sometimes
for people in desparate situations to not tell the
truth, but even then, it is the truth, from all sides,
that is the goal.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book I Read All Summer!, September 11, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Other Side of Truth (Hardcover)

I recently read the book The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo. The book is about two children that are smuggled out of Nigeria after their mother was murdered.

Their father is a journalist for a periodical that talks about the political corruption in Nigeria. Sade and Femi's father is the most honest writer of the staff. When he openly writes about how bad of a government the Nigerian one is, the government tries to kill him. But, instead of killing him they kill his wife. Later that day arrangements are made for Sade and Femi to be smuggled to their uncle in London.

When their plans fall through they are discovered by the police, but Sade and Femi make the decision to lie and not talk about who they really are. They are given to temporary parents. Their dad later joins them in London but is immediately sent to jail because of not going through the right immigration steps. The end of the story portrays true family love and is exceptionally amazing.

I really enjoyed this book for a couple of reasons. The first of which is that the author does a great job explaining a very confusing plot. The second reason I liked this book was because this sort of plot has always really interested me. I would especially recommend this book for anyone that enjoys realistic fiction; this book is at the very top of the line in that category. This book was one of the best books I read all summer and I would highly recommend it to anyone, even people that might not have enjoyed this sort of book in the past.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best children's books!, June 19, 2002

By 

scandalusz "scandalusz" (Maine, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Other Side of Truth (Hardcover)

This book has haunted me since I read it. It tells the story of two immensely likable young children forced out of their country and into a totally foreign culture. It managed to educate me about Nigeria and its political turmoil, while also cluing me into some of the problems faced by those seeking asylum, such as being imprisoned like criminals and often being sent home to face torture or death. Yet, despite the heavy material, Naidoo has a light touch that transforms the book into an adventure with the highest stakes, riveting you to the pages until the end.