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North to Paradise
- A Memoir
- Narrated by: Kwesi Busia
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
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Publisher's Summary
The inspiring true story of one man’s treacherous boyhood journey from a rural village in Ghana to the streets of Barcelona—and the path that led him home.
Ousman Umar is a shaman’s son born in a small village in Ghana. Though his mother died giving birth, he spent a contented childhood working the fields, setting traps in the jungle, and living off the land. Still, as strange and wondrous flying machines crisscrossed the skies overhead, Ousman dreamed of a different life. And so, when he was only twelve years old, he left his village and began what would be a five-year journey to Europe.
Every step of the way, as he traveled across the Sahara desert, through the daunting metropolises of Accra, Tripoli, Benghazi, and Casablanca, and over the sea aboard a packed migrant dinghy, Ousman was handed off like merchandise by a loose network of smugglers and in the constant, foreboding company of “sinkers”: other migrants who found themselves penniless and alone on their way north, unable to continue onward or return home.
But on a path rife with violence, exploitation, and racism, Ousman also encountered friendship, generosity, and hope. North to Paradise is a visceral true story about the stark realities of life along the most dangerous migrant route across Africa; it is also a portrait of extraordinary resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges, the beauty of kindness in strangers, and the power of giving back.
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What the critics say
“With unerring humanity, Umar brings instances of light to his sobering tale through moving recollections of the friendships that bolstered him and moments of ‘divine intervention’ that led him to finally find a new home in Spain. This is a stunning testament to the strength of the human spirit.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Both sobering and inspiring, this story about a young African man’s awakening to the realities of an often uncaring world offers a compelling portrait of humanity at its ignorant worst and enlightened best. A candid and provocative memoir from a determined man.”—Kirkus Reviews
What listeners say about North to Paradise
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- ROS M
- 2024-09-01
Respect
The trust and resilliance of a child following his dream told by himself in his own words.
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- claude
- 2024-02-27
incredible journey for a young boy
well written and awesome story.. makes me appreciate my lifestyle here in what he would call paradise
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- Dawn
- 2024-06-21
Beautiful and heartbreaking
Such a powerful and beautifully told story. I cried, I felt joy, and the heartbreak of all the different parts along Ousman's journey. This is a must read, especially as someone who comes from a privileged part of the world, it gave me a even better appreciation of where I am and how hard people fight to get to what I was just lucky enough to be born into.
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