Tuesday 7 May 2013

A Long Way Gone

I recently finished the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah which I have decided to do for my ISU assignment.  Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier recalls his life and writes this book from his perspective.  I have never understood the hardships these child soldiers have faced until reading this novel.  This novel takes place in Sierra Leone and is about Ishmael Beah who is forced to separate from his family as he runs from the rebels for years.  Over the years he endures starvation, abuse, mental deterioration, witnesses gruesome deaths and most importantly he loses his childhood.  After many years of running from the rebels, Ishmael Beah is left with no choice but to join the army.  From here he is handed a gun at the age of 13 and demanded to fight and kill the enemy.  These young children become brain washed by their elder soldiers.  13 year old Ishmael Beah becomes addicted to cocaine, drugs and killing.  At 15, UNICEF came and took many children including Ishmael to a rehabilitation center.  The conditions he endured will forever remain with him.  After struggling through many months there, Ishmael began to recover and had the chance to travel and speak at a conference in New York.  This book is inspiring and very captivating.  I highly recommend this book as it is an educating and extremely touching story.      

1 comment:

  1. Katie, this is a thorough summary of the memoir. I read it a few years ago and agree with you that it is captivating. What definitive statement have you pulled out of the memoir to explore for your ISU presentation? Have you begun to look at secondary sources?

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