A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Ratings38
Average rating4
15
Ratings38
Average rating4
In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts.
My new friends have begun to suspect I haven't told them the full story of my life.
"Why did you leave Sierra Leone?"
"Because there is a war."
"You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?"
"Yes, all the time."
"Cool."
I smile a little.
"You should tell us about it sometime."
"Yes, sometime."
This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.
What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.
This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.
--front flap
Reviews with the most likes.
Unbelievable that this happened and still happens! Great read but horrible to read as well.
This is a well-written, very difficult book to read. It is true and powerful, and there were so many times I did not want to continue to read a chapter because the experiences were so horrific. Ishmael Beah's story is heart-breaking, and it reminded me of all the horror and heart-break happening around the world that I tend to ignore. There is hope – but not if we act like these problems don't exist.
Book #1 for my new book club.
I liked the first 10/11 chapters of the book as the author talked about his ways of hiding in the forest. Then for a hot second (a chapter) he is a boy soldier, then the end of the book focuses on his rehabilitation. I wanted to hear more about his time as a soldier and not told in a type of flashback. That was my main issue with the book. It is still a good book to read. I was just let down a tad bit.
Sierra Leon book around the world.
Another tough but very important read.
