The Other Side of Truth

Story

What would you do if you were lost on the streets of London, alone and friendless? When twelve-year-old Sade’s mother is murdered by the corrupt government regime in Nigeria, she and her brother Femi are forced to flee the country. Their father pays a woman to take them to England. Their uncle is supposed to meet them at the airport, but when they arrive, he is missing. Sade and Femi find themselves abandoned and alone in the British foster system.

Meanwhile, their father has come to England to find them, but as an illegal immigrant, he faces being sent back to Nigeria, where he could be arrested and put to death. Sade must navigate prejudice and bullies on all sides to find her father before it’s too late.

Why we chose it

Seen through the eyes of two children, The Other Side of Truth explores what it means to be an illegal refugee, the complexity of emotions and experiences, as the children leave the life and the country they know and love for a hostile and alien place that is nonetheless a safer place for them to be.

Beverly Naidoo writes about political and social issues and injustices, showing the reality of what happens in brutal and hostile regimes and creating children who are survivors hoping and fighting for a better future.

Where it came from

Beverley Naidoo was born and raised in apartheid South Africa. When she was eighteen, she says her ‘eyes were opened’ to the injustice around her. Many of her books deal with prejudice, racism and the treatment of refugees. This book is set in Nigeria in 1995, when the country was a brutal dictatorship. The story moves to the UK, and focuses on how Sade and Femi, as refugees, are treated by the country and its people.

Where it went next

The Other Side of Truth won the Carnegie Medal in 2000. It was the first time that a book with African characters had won. It has won many other awards – the Sunday Times called it ‘an engrossing and thought-provoking read’.

Associated stories

Beverley Naidoo wrote a sequel, Web of Lies, which was published in 2006. It centres around Femi and his experiences after the end of the story in The Other Side of Truth. Her other novels include Journey to Jo’burg, Chain of Fire, No Turning Back, and Burn My Heart.