Ismael
Beah’s A Long Way Gone
“One night I dreamt I was shot in the
head. I was lying in my blood as people
hurriedly walked past me.” That was only
one part of the horror that Ishmael Beah, boy soldier,
had to live through. As a young child,
growing up in
In his memoir, Ishmael tells
of the gruesome experience that was the war.
Being separated from his family caused him to become a wanderer and
starving. For this reason, he joined the
village army. He was in need of food and
the army was in need of soldiers, as the rebel groups were beginning to attack
ferociously. He traded an empty stomach
for war craft. For about 3 years,
Ishmael had to face the war which included constant drugging, fighting and eventually,
brainwashing. He became a killing
machine and stayed that way until he was taken in by UNICEF and went through intensive treatment
to rid himself of this. With UNICEF he
was placed in the city, and eventually was able to move in with his uncle, who
also lived in the area.
A Long Way Gone is an excellent, first
hand account of what is really happening in many parts of
I would recommend this book to any
reader looking to broaden their horizons and learn more about some of the
world‘s culture. As well as anyone who
would truly like to know the life of the child soldiers without any
editing. Anyone interested should have a
strong stomach because the book is rather graphic, though a larger part of the
book focuses on how Ishmael dealt with his circumstances. A Long Way Gone appeals to a vast
audience and is sure to leave the reader with hope.
Created
by Tessa Greene
October 31, 2007