A Toast To Life by Juliet Ibrahim
Juliet Ibrahim’s A Toast to Life is a deeply personal and harrowing memoir that chronicles her journey from a child refugee surviving three civil wars to becoming one of Africa’s most celebrated actresses and philanthropists. The book is a testament to resilience, detailing her experiences with displacement, childhood trauma, domestic abuse, and the cutthroat nature of fame, all framed by a central message of survival and the importance of self-love. The Refugee Experience: Three Countries and Three Wars Juliet’s life was shaped early by instability. Born to a Lebanese father and a Ghanaian mother, her family lived in Maryland County, Liberia, where her father ran a supermarket. Her earliest memories include playing in her mother’s lush garden, which was later used as a hiding spot when rebels arrived in 1990 following the execution of President Samuel Doe. To escape the escalating violence, the family moved to Lebanon, where they lived on the ninth floor of a high-rise building. However, war followed them; after witnessing a neighboring building crumble during a bombing, the family fled back to Liberia, only to find the peace there temporary. The second escape from Liberia in 1992 was particularly traumatic. While attempting to cross the border …