When Nigeria’s corrupt military government kills their mother, twelve year old Sade and her brother femi think their lives are over. Out of fear for their safety, their father, an outspoken journalist, decides to smuggle the children out of Nigeria and into London, where their uncle lives. But when they get to the cold and massive city, they find themselves lost and alone, with no one to trust and no idea when or if they will ever see their father again.
The other side of truth is a gripping adventure story about courage, family, and the power of truth.
Beverley Naidoo grew up in South Africa under apartheid. She says: As a white child I didn't question the terrible injustices until I was a student. I decided then that unless joined the resistance, I was part of the problem. Beverley Naidoo was detained without trial when she was twenty one and later went into exile in Britain, where she has since lived.
Her first children's book, journey to Jo'burg, was banned in South Africa until 1991, but it was an eye opener for thousands of readers worldwide. Her characters in chain of fire, no turning back, and out of bounds face extraordinary challenges in a society she describes as "more dangerous than any fantasy." She has won many awards for her writing, including the Carnegie medal, the Jane Addams book award, and the American library association best book for young adults for the other side of truth, about two refugee children smuggled to London who are also featured in web of lies.
Editorial Reviews
Sade, the 12-year-old protagonist of Naidoo's sophisticated and emotional novel, must flee her native Nigeria with her younger brother after their mother is killed in a shooting. Their father, a muckraking journalist in trouble with the military government, was the target. Sade and 10 year old Femi soon find themselves stranded in London, abandoned by the woman paid to smuggle them into the country, and at the mercy of mostly friendly, but foreign government agencies, foster families and teachers. Her father finally surfaces in England, only to be detained for illegally emigrating. Sade must learn quickly how to fight for what she holds dear, including her father's safety. The inclusion of real facts about African countries, such as the government's execution of Nigerian activist writer Ken Saro Wiwa, makes Naidoo's story more poignant, while the immediacy of the parallel story, in which Sade must deal with similar obstacles on a smaller scale (e.g., powerful school gangs), makes the novel more accessible. Flashbacks, letters written between father and daughter, and Sade's constant memories of her mother's sayings, add texture. Readers may be challenged by some of the British english, but they will find it easy to understand Sade's joy at reuniting with her father in prison, and likely find her determination exhilarating. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners business information.
