A Long Way Gone

A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah himself, was such a horrible circumstance that I could not believe that some of these instances and details were true. It was sad to see such young children go through these horrific events. What was most surprising was that Ishmael was only 12 years old when this occurred. It was hard to hear how bad he was brainwashed by his “family” during this time as well. His life was normal just as any 12-year-old boy’s would be and to have it taken away from him in an instant seemed so surreal. He had turned into something he never thought possible.

This army he is lured into becomes his family and this is exactly how he turned into just another vicious killer. The little things they did in this story really grasped the audience’s attention. From violence to drugs it seemed as if it were too extreme to be true. In order for them to fight or keep going, no matter the circumstance, drugs were always involved. Whether it was cocaine, marijuana or any other drug use. And this is what led these boys down the wrong path. However, thanks to UNICEF the boy soldiers did in fact get the help they needed and got put into a rehabilitation center in order to get better. Through the love and compassion here at the center he learns to accept the fact that the war was not his fault. He now reaches out to others in order to educate the world about the war and the affects it has on children.

I was happy to read the end of the story especially because it put a new light onto this tragic story. I was happy to read that Ishmael started to open up to Esther and even his Uncle Tommy as well. His Uncle Tommy would be there with him during his rehabilitation and would walk with him and tell him stories about his own childhood. Ishmael started to become the boy he once was before the war and his Uncle Tommy welcomed him into his own home thrilled to have Ishmael back on his feet again. This was a relief as well because most boys in the center would be denied by their immediate families and were seen going back with their army “families”.  This was sad to hear because we know that they would be in a much better spot, as Ishmael was.

I loved reading this story because it was definitely an awakening to understand what happened in this civil war. Especially hearing it from a boy who actually experienced it made the story that more real and personal. It was so nice to hear that he was able to get comfortable in the United States with a home and family that adored him for who he was, even after these sad events.