Title: The Other Side of the Ocean
Author: Beverley Bell
Publisher: XlibrisAU
ISBN: 978-1-9845-0680-1
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 264
Reviewed by: Jason Lulos

Read Book Review

“There was always war.” This is the pointed, evocative first line of author Beverley Bell’s The Other Side of the Ocean. What follows is a totally engrossing, epic story of a refugee fleeing his war-torn country, fighting for survival, and searching for purpose in life. This book is compelling (a definite page-turner) and beautifully written. Readers will find themselves eagerly anticipating intense and emotional plot developments and genuinely rooting for the main character. This novel is fantastic but realistically rooted in the actual struggles that are unique to the refugee experience.

The story begins with Saah, a young boy living in Freetown, Sierra Leone during the country’s civil war. When the war comes to his part of the country, he hides with his sister, Tenneh and her husband Musa. They are inevitably discovered, Saah is maimed by the rebels, and his sister is taken away. Left with little hope and morbid thoughts about the fates of his sister and parents, Saah and brother-in-law Musa have no choice but to flee the country.

Their struggle for survival is arduous, but Musa is a Zen-like mentor and Saah, although still a child, shows remarkable resilience. They face one obstacle after another, all the while wondering about their missing loved ones. Saah experiences many challenges along the way: tragedy, displacement, poverty, and racism. With Musa’s help early on, he learns the meaning of hope through inner strength, family, community, and self- reliance. His is an endearing and enduring story.

Saah eventually finds himself in another country “on the other side of the ocean.” He has to deal with intolerance, a language barrier, and finding ways to retain hope in spite of continuous obstacles. Having shed the name Saah in favor of Ben to better assimilate in his new land, he struggles with another phenomena unique to refugee/immigrant life: a crisis of identity. He longs to fit in wherever he goes but dreads losing his roots, his language, and ties to his family and native land.

I can’t say enough good things about this novel. It’s substantive, educational, and an engaging (and surprisingly quick) read. Readers get a genuine and arresting glimpse into the harsh life of a refugee. Books such as this teach lessons about post- colonialism, war, race, and the immigrant experience: the kind of book you might discover on your own or in a college course. Bell is a gifted writer and she showcases this by intricately yet clearly combining many elements of a good story: superb writing, engaging plot, vivid characters, and universal themes such as justice and virtue. As thought-provoking and intellectually fertile as this novel is, it’s also an inspiring, wonderful story that is simply a delightful read.