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Last Boat to Freedom
At just eighteen years old, Sudhir Suchak made a daring escape from the island of Zanzibar in East Africa.
Fleeing a repressive regime, political violence, and the trauma of a genocide that tore apart the fabric of his family; he
trusted his father’s belief that boarding a ship with the ultimate goal of reaching America, would lead to a better life.
Hidden aboard a steamship, escaping with nothing but hope in his heart, he risked everything for a chance at
freedom.
His journey from stowaway to survivor unfolded not just across continents, but through dislocation,
discovery, and the long and onerous work to start anew in a country he had never seen.
Told with unflinching honesty and in vivid detail; Last Boat to Freedom traces the cost of survival – from the trauma
left behind on the island, the perilous journey as a stowaway, brutal violence, and the first bewildering year in
America. He learned firsthand what it means to belong in a land that promised freedom but didn’t always offer
acceptance.
Decades later, he returned to Zanzibar with his family, walking through the streets of his childhood, now transformed
by time and memory. What he found was both familiar and foreign, a powerful reminder of what was lost – and what
was gained.
Last Boat to Freedom is a powerful testament to resilience, perseverance, identity and the enduring power of a single
choice.
Fleeing a repressive regime, political violence, and the trauma of a genocide that tore apart the fabric of his family; he
trusted his father’s belief that boarding a ship with the ultimate goal of reaching America, would lead to a better life.
Hidden aboard a steamship, escaping with nothing but hope in his heart, he risked everything for a chance at
freedom.
His journey from stowaway to survivor unfolded not just across continents, but through dislocation,
discovery, and the long and onerous work to start anew in a country he had never seen.
Told with unflinching honesty and in vivid detail; Last Boat to Freedom traces the cost of survival – from the trauma
left behind on the island, the perilous journey as a stowaway, brutal violence, and the first bewildering year in
America. He learned firsthand what it means to belong in a land that promised freedom but didn’t always offer
acceptance.
Decades later, he returned to Zanzibar with his family, walking through the streets of his childhood, now transformed
by time and memory. What he found was both familiar and foreign, a powerful reminder of what was lost – and what
was gained.
Last Boat to Freedom is a powerful testament to resilience, perseverance, identity and the enduring power of a single
choice.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2025
5 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 3, 2025
Enjoyed this story by a former colleague of mine at HSBC. I never realized the harrowing escape he made from a tumultuous situation in Zanzibar in the late 1960s.
It was interesting to read about the events that led him to the training dept. at HSBC.
It was interesting to read about the events that led him to the training dept. at HSBC.
May 30, 2025
This is a wonderful book about one man’s life as he looks back at the history surrounding it. 17-year-old Sudhir Suchak left the only home he had ever know, and his adoring family to escape a brutal socialist government and an island that was no longer safe for him.
Encourage by his parents he illegally stowed away on a boat in Zanzibar and headed West to find his future.
Filled with stories of pain, fear, unrelenting courage, humor and pure joy, Sudhir shares with us his journey from Tanzania eventually landing in the US where he would thrive and create a family and fulfilling life of his own.
Don’t miss this uplifting story of adventure and perseverance!
Encourage by his parents he illegally stowed away on a boat in Zanzibar and headed West to find his future.
Filled with stories of pain, fear, unrelenting courage, humor and pure joy, Sudhir shares with us his journey from Tanzania eventually landing in the US where he would thrive and create a family and fulfilling life of his own.
Don’t miss this uplifting story of adventure and perseverance!
January 2, 2026
Great memoir with lots of insight on the Zanzibar Revolution and the Indian diaspora in East Africa. The editing is lacking in certain places, but overall, this was a well-structured, concise, and enjoyable read.
Want to read
October 16, 2025saw this book being promoted by the author on tt and it just looks so good i must read it !!!!! have to order it soon :D
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews