Long Way Gone

No matter how you slice it, Ishmael Beah is an amazing man. This autobiographical account of his life details how a happy, cheerful young boy became a merciless soldier at the age of thirteen (and was not the oldest by far). How he went form living with his family in a small village in Sierra Leone to being a drug-addicted killer, ready to gun down anyone who got in the way. Not just killing people, but often doing so in especially brutal ways. Most importantly it details his transformation back from the brink of seemingly endless death and violence into a college-educated young man and exceptional writer. This is, without a doubt, one of the most harrowing, heartbreaking and moving stories I have ever read. Beautiful and honestly written. Passionate and personal, but also painting a larger picture of a world most of will, thank goodness, never experience. For me personally the image that remains most stark is one of a neighbor of Ishmael's, a boy about his age, who is fleeing their village. The boy is carrying a sack of goods from his family's home. The only things he has left of his entire world. But it slows him down, then gets caught between a couple stumps. What happens to the boy is up to the reader to guess, but given that he was being shot at at the time, the likely conclusion is all too grim. (rant approaching) Too often we Americans, comfortable in our relatively easy lives, are inclined to forget the rest of the world. If you asked the average person on the street to name five countries in Africa, they MIGHT get Egypt and South Africa, and then would probably wind up including Afghanistan. Our ignorance about the rest of the world in general and Africa in particular is inexcusible. More than just about anything else this book convinces me that we, as a nation, need to do some sort of "Marshall Plan" for Africa. We can't go in with guns and bombs and make them like us. But we can go in with money, and schools, and medicine. Africa has all the resources it needs to be doing well. But they nevertheless continue to basically suck. Something must be done. I highly recommend this book to readers 10 years or older. I especially recommend it to people who are in their early teens. Perhaps they can learn the horrible lessons Ishmael learned at their age without going through the traumas he experienced. The one real criticism I have of the book is that, like "The Sopranos", it didn't END, so much as just STOP. One moment things are happening, you turn the page, and that's it. It's a minor complaint, but it's still there. This is a book about horrible, horrible war, violence and despair. But it's also a book about hope. I started this review with a quote from Shakespeare, but I shall end with a quote from Cicero who once observed that, "While there's life, there's hope."

A Long Way Gone should be read by everyone, especially those of us whose lives have been comfortable and haven't had to struggle for daily needs or fear for our lives. Ishmael deftly describes the transitiion for carefree childhood to being swept into a war. Survival was key, and he had to join the war or die. We enter into a world of guns, drugs, rage, and death. That he survived and went on to become a speaker and author is miraculous. Ishmael gave a talk at the high school where I taught. It was impactful and kept us talking for quite a while after his visit. This book is well worth your time and will probably lead to some personal reflection about what we would do to survive. It is easy to say, "I would never do that!" when life hasn't put you in the position to have to make an actual choice. Thank you, Ishmael, for sharing your story.

This is a compelling true story. A boy named Ishmael leaves his comfortable life in an African village to attend a rap music event with his brother and a few friends. While he is gone, rebel forces attack his village destroying his home and family life. He, his brother, Junior, and his friends then wander the countryside of Sierra Leone trying to survive and avoid both the rebel and government troops. Identifying the enemy is difficult in a country rich in resources and awash with government corruption. Ishmael is separated from his group and eventually attaches himself to another group of teenage boys all under 16. Eventually, the war catches up with him and he and his little band are conscripted into the government troops. For the next two or more years and armed with an AK 47 and RPG's, he kills, maims, and robs in the name of the government. These boy soldiers take many drugs to dull their feelings and allow themselves to participate in the inhumane slaughter. Finally, aid workers either buy the boys' freedom or settle with their army leader and obtain their release. They are taken into the custody of rehabilitation counselors where they are given an opportunity for redemption. Ishmael clearly a natural leader is selected to travel to New York to attend a U.N. conference on child soldiers. While there he makes many friends. I understand that he was taken in by one of them and that he subsequently attended Oberlin college. I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5, because it drags a bit during the years of army participation and killing. Further, Ishmael's parents are divorced, but he lives with his father. His family is Muslim and that may be why the father retained custody. Very telling in the book was a description on pg. 77 (hardback) of his formal naming ceremony. A huge feast is prepared. First the elders eat their fill, then the men, then the boys and lastly the women and children. I presume that if there isn't enough to share, the women and children starve. I don't know if the author realized what he revealed about his culture by this telling description. However, we never learn the basis of the divorce or why his father retained custody. Living conditions were somewhat primative. The houses were made of concrete brick or mud and they had tin roofs which were particularly noisy when it rained. Their diet was complete though not luxurious, and they were not hungry. However, they walked for miles to save bus fare and did not have electricity or telephones in their homes. Sierra leone sounds like a terrible place. The film, Blood Diamond, was about a similar subject. I really don't know if there is a solution when countrymen kill one another over money, resources, and power. However, perhaps, this book and the film, Blood diamond, will be the stimulus for a resolution. This book was worth reading, and I recommend it.

Easy to read but fortunately not too distressful in descriptions. Amazing life of a young man and his achievement to escape his past.

Minha filha leu e gostou

Author Beah was only twelve when the war caught up with him. He escaped with his older brother and a group of teenage friends. Then they came across the rebels and were torn apart. He wandered alone in the forest for a while then once more teamed up with more homeless errand boys. This is a true story, very gripping and poignant. You feel the desperation of these boys, always on the run, walking endlessly nights and days, with often nothing to eat, stomach tight with fear. They lived the most appaling war, using young boys as soldiers and drugging them so that they become killing machines and have no feelings for their victims. Sickening but highly recommanded to understand what the real war is.

Honest narration of a young child who grew up in unjustified revolution.

I decided to order this book based on what I had watched from the well-known film Blood Diamond (2007) starring Leo Di Caprio and Djimon Honsou (protoganists). I was particularly fascinated with the brainwash aspect which fed my curiosity even more to ask further questions such as why use children in the war? What was so special about them? Why couldn’t the commander of the RUF use themselves as pawns? I was also particularly interested in the music and discovered that Emmanuel was also an ex-child soldier who had sang that song in the Blood Diamond brainwash part. As I ventured into the world of child soldiers online,I realised that I also wanted justice on their behalf and that something must be done too. I’m glad I read excerpts before buying this book as the author taught me to be grateful for the blessings I have been given and that being an innocent child is very important and means just that. Overall, a very compelling read. It sounds alot like a Hollywood movie but this is too good to be true. Delivery: came as expected. Price; very affordable. Presentation; very good condition.