A Long Way Gone: Book Trailer:
A Long Way Gone is a riveting re-enactment of the life of a child soldier in the Sierra Leonean Civil War (1991-2001). Former child soldier, Ishmael Beah, writes this moving novel. This captivating story recounts real events in which Beah actually participated. On pages 184-185, Beah gives us an understanding of how being trained to kill people can really take a toll on someone emotionally. “He asked me how I was doing and what I had been up to. I wanted to tell him that I had had one severe migraine wherein a burning village flashed in my mind, followed by the wail of many voices...Instead, I told him only that everything was fine...” Ishmael was only twelve years old when the war reached his village. In some senses, Ishmael Beah has been living in a war zone ever since. Beah has taught himself how to hide his emotions and has spent his whole life running from the terrible memories that the war has caused him. Beah may never be able to completely heal or forget what he has seen; the Sierra Leonean war has made a lasting impact on the young children that were forced to participate. These affects are so long-term that most of these children will never fully recover.