This is my book review of “A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” by Ishmael Beah.
Ishmael Beah was a twelve year old when rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) attacked his town, Mogbwemo. For years he ran; trying to escape the violence of war and to find his family. However, Ishmael’s story is often one of great sadness. It’s almost incomprehensible to imagine what he went through after his life was forever changed in 1993. He lived for weeks by himself in the jungle, fending off predators and finding food from nature, he lost many of his loved ones, he suffered from physical and mental wounds caused by being a child soldier and, ultimately, he found relative peace and happiness in life after he was liberated from the war.
Here are some of the most powerful and thought-provoking passages from Beah’s story:
“Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you.” -Beah’s companion, Saidu
“It hadn’t crossed their minds that a change in environment wouldn’t immediately make us normal boys; we were dangerous, and brainwashed to kill.” -Beah, after a fight with rebel boy soldiers at a rehabilitation camp
“Without any fear I went inside and looked around the smoke-filled rooms. The floors were filled with heaps of ashes; no solid form of a body was inside. I screamed at the top of my lungs and began to cry as loudly as I could, punching and kicking with all my might into the weak walls that continued to burn.” -Beah, after finding the village that his family was staying in had been burnt to the ground by rebels
This book is not for the weak of heart or stomach. Beah describes the horrendous sights he saw and the horrible experiences he endured throughout his years of running and fighting. Beah’s life has been less than perfect but he finds a way to enjoy the life he has now. He even speaks against using children as soldiers and for rehabilitation of child soldiers. Despite all that he has lost, he never fully lost his human spirit, and he eventually allowed himself to find happiness. Ishmael Beah is proof that we can endure the hard times and survive, and eventually thrive.
wmbtm 