4.0

“...children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance.”― Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Forced to join the RUF as a child soldier in Sierra Leone, Ishmael, at 25 years of age, has written a memoir of his childhood and his time with rebel soldiers.

This book is brutal and it's very clear to me that Ishmael has PTSD from his time with the RUF. I found his story a bit disjointed, but that's typical with how survivors recollect the awful things that happen to them. I cannot imagine a life like this or the strength it took to survive it.

“In the sky there are always answers and explanations for everything: every pain, every suffering, joy and confusion.”― Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier