A Long Way Gone
May 21st, 2007 by Ed
Ishmael Beah
A Long Way Gone is the story of a young boy growing up in Sierra Leone in the 1990’s while the country was ravaged by civil war. Ishmael Beah writes an extremely honest and moving tale about his years in the national army, being forced to carry an AK-47 at the age of 12, his dependence on cocaine and speed (which the army encouraged), and fighting the RUF. He writes of the ease he was able to kill other boys his own age, the migraines and nightmares that perpetually plagued him, and his rehabilitation with UNICEF. Like “Blood Diamond” and “Lord of War“, this book brings about a sad reality that we often are oblivious to here in the U.S.
tags:ishmael beah, memoir, non fiction