A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah

I have to say tat this is a tough book to and a tough book to really know what to make of it. The subtitle is “Memoirs of a Boy Soldier” — it’s about Ishmael’s childhood in Sierra Leone, and his extremely quick trip from living with his family to killing people in the name of … well, in the name of something. Kathy & I saw Ishmael on The Daily Show, and were taken with his poise and maturity — and his wisdom, of course. This is a guy who’s in his twenties now, living in Manhattan, but in the past 20 years has gone from living in a tiny town in Sierra Leone to killing many, many innocent people while addicted to drugs and under the control of a military, to writing a book and trying to help others understand how impossible the situation is. It’s not the best-written book that I’ve ever read, but if even a fraction of it is true — and I have a sad suspicion that it’s all true — it’s mind-boggling that people have to go through this, and that people like Ishmael can survive.

8 comments

  1. I read this book as well and agree with your assessment of the writing. I was really shocked by what this poor boy went through…may we never have to experience this in our own lives.

    Life after John Grisham: Back from Vacay…A LONG WAY GONE

  2. I read this book as well and agree with your assessment of the writing. I was really shocked by what this poor boy went through…may we never have to experience this in our own lives.

    Life after John Grisham: Back from Vacay…A LONG WAY GONE

  3. Beah is a fraud. He has lied about everything in his book…names, dates, events. The book should be witrhdrawn and he should take time to reflect on what he has done in making mugs of us all. Sorry for the bad news

  4. Beah is a fraud. He has lied about everything in his book…names, dates, events. The book should be witrhdrawn and he should take time to reflect on what he has done in making mugs of us all. Sorry for the bad news

  5. Im sorry Andrew but i disagree with you strongly.
    Are you saying he’s writing about this to earn attention? Are you saying he made all of this up? How would you know? Have you ever been in any sistuation like this? I highly doubt it. I’ve know pleanty of people who have come back from war, and are scarred for life, for what they have witnessed. They are frightened for life, they can’t do anything without having a flashback of their past. They can’t help it, its real life. And so was this book.
    I’m sorry but this world isnt perfect like you would hope it to be.

  6. Im sorry Andrew but i disagree with you strongly.
    Are you saying he’s writing about this to earn attention? Are you saying he made all of this up? How would you know? Have you ever been in any sistuation like this? I highly doubt it. I’ve know pleanty of people who have come back from war, and are scarred for life, for what they have witnessed. They are frightened for life, they can’t do anything without having a flashback of their past. They can’t help it, its real life. And so was this book.
    I’m sorry but this world isnt perfect like you would hope it to be.