This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice.In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.
What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.
In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR:
35 comments:
i chose this particular book because i saw the movie blood diamond and enjoyed it and this book is based around the events that happened in that movie.
i chose this book because i have an interset in this current event / wartime genre. i think that it will turn out to be a compelling story, even though it may be sad.
I chose this book because the change in culture is so different from ours. I have never heard a first hand narrative of someone experiencing war, let alone a child. I've never read a book on war and I think it will be a nice change.
I chose this book because it is told by someone who has first hand witnessed what has gone on in Sierra Leone.
2. I dont think anyone who has not expeirenced Sierra Leone first had can relate to any of the charecters in this book who have been affected by it. This was one of the sole reasons which made this book so great giving great detail and showing true emotions through the book.
3. This book is my favorite/one of my favorite books ive ever read, it reminds me that everyone on this planet is human, and that humans are capable of doing extreme good such as the doctors, nurses, and foster families that take in and help rehabilitate and reintroduse these young kids affected by all the drugs and violence.
TJ Squillo_Timmons
I chose this book because I wanted to read about a real, current event that interested me. After seeing many movies about this event, I decided to read a book written by an author who has first hand experience. This way, i don't only learn more about the war, I learn what life is like during the war and what it is like to be a kid in Africa at the current time. Life is very difficult in Ishmael Beah's position in the book and the scary thing is that all these things are still occurring today. I enjoyed the book very much. It seemed like a fictional war story but it's hard to believe that everything in the book actually happened.
I decided to read this book because i found it interesting in how children are so easily taken advantage of by adults witohut the adults thinking aobut the consequenes. They obviously disregard the childrens' innocence and force them to become reckless soldiers in a war that isnt theirs.
i chose this novel because i find it interesting the thoughts behind those taking advantge of the innocence of children. i want to learn more about the current global issues that affect children around the world
Timmons 2
The reason i chose this book is because in africa there are many bloody conflicts involving kids my age. Also the cover has a child with an AK-47 on it and he looks younger than I am, and it would be weird for me to be in his position. This book seemed like it would teach me about the conflicts in Africa.
I chose this book because I needed a book last minute and this was the only book I could find. But after reading a little of it i have gotten somewhat into the book thinking that the boys in the book are in such a weird position, being younger than me running from war just sounds terrible that they have to live through this. I think it is going to be an interesting read.
I chose to read this book because I have heard about children, even younger than me, fighting in wars in other countries and I think it will be interesting to get a first hand account about what war is like for children. It is hard for me to imagine sombody younger than me or my age using a gun and having to live through such a terrible time of war.
i chose this book because i have always found an interest in non fiction,war, and real life expirences. Its interesting to read about how war is different in each country, and what goes on in those countries during war time.
I chose this book because i have always found an interest in non-fiction/war/real life expiriences. This book shows the troubles of people during wartime in a different country. This shows how different there culture is and how lucky we actually are.
I cannot connect to the characters in this book because I am not very familiar with death. Throughout my life, I have danced with death only about one time when I fell off a huge jump. I was in extreme pain and had to fight off a broken back injury. That was one of my only encounters with death. The characters in this book are having to escape death alomst every single day. For example, Ishmael and his friends were walking and they almost got killed for not knowing the local people in town. Another example is when Ishmael was living in the forest and had to deal with animals that were willing to devour him completely. These examples show Ishmael's continuous fight to avoid death at all costs. Fortunately, I have not had to deal with these difficult circumsatnces.
In this book, I honestly cannot relate myself to any of the characters in it. I have not gotten far enough in the book to know what most of these characters are really like. Except that they are young kids, younger than I, and that they are fleeing war, trying to defend themselves. I do not in any way see myself in any kind of situation like they are in. Being able to stay as calm and know what to do in that kind of situation. In my view, I am nothing like that, nothing like them at all. I cannot compare to the courage and stability that they all have dealing with war. I have no idea how to deal with what they are going through.
I cannot relate to the characters in this book because I have not ever had to experience war or any sort of fighting. I have not had to experience losing my immediate family. I think that living in he United States gives people a closed perspective of the rest of the world and the events taking place.
I can not relate to any of the characters in the book because they seem to live a world away from me. It is difficult to comprehend that these events are taking place in many countries around the world because all of the events are so terrifying. Ishmael is in a living hell that I am thankful I do not have to endure. He is taking risks I cannot see myself doing, but I guess if your life is on the line you would risk everything. Like when they decide to go back to town looking for food when they know there are rebels there. Ishmael is enduring many hardships.
Blog Comment #2 - I do not relate to any person in this book and I don't believe anyone relates unless they were in the war themselves. Just reading about the events that happened does not do justice to the hardships these kids went through. They killed innocent people and most people in the world don;t know how that feels. I have never killed anyone, never been in a war, and never lost anyone very close to me. All the kids in "A Long Way Gone" experienced all these feelings and I have no clue how they feel.
I don't feel like i relate to any of the characters in this book. Many of the characters are either escaping from war, or helping others who are affected by the war. If I were in a situation like the main character, Ishmael Beah,is in then I think I would act the same as him and try to get out of battle. In a way, because Ishmael is the author and the main character we all relate to him better then if it were a made up story.
Ishmael Beah is the author and the main character of this book. It is very difficult to make a connection to Ishmael Beah. In this book he is just a young child trying to survive the War in Sierre Leone. His home, his family get taken away and killed. All that is left is his older brother junoir and his four friends that try to survive the war. There are many times in the book where junoir and Ishmael (brothers) get seperated for a period of time, and it's interesting how they react because they are all they have. In a way it is kind of like me and my brother. My brother and I have a very strong relationship, you could say we are best friends. Some people say we are exactly alike. just the thought of me loosing my brother is unimaginable. And i could not imagine what it life would be like living on your own with no one to talk to.
This book is definitely worthy of being on this year's Abe list. This novel is so compelling because the reader gets a first-hand account of what it is like to try to escape a war, be part of a war, and try to forget all of the bad memories from a war. Throughout the novel, Ishmael Beah contrasts what things were like before war, and how he has lost almost all he had. In the novel, he includes interesting stories from his past, as well as his culture. This novel was great throughout and had a great ending that leaves the reader with something to think about.
To be honest, I really do not know if this book was worthy or not of being on this year’s Abe list. I may be unsure, but I can see why they chose to put it on. It was probably chosen because it shows the difference between kids our age in the United States compared to the kids our age in other countries. It shows that compared to them, us in the United States really have the life not having to deal with poverty and running and surviving a guerilla war within the country. It shows that they really have nothing except for the people they have, their family and friends and there will to survive and fight through it. They really have an amazing will and courage to walk around fleeing from war when they know that they could just be gunshots ahead. It is a really moving and touching story, for that fact that people actually have to deal with all of that nowadays. It is just terrible to hear about this and see it. But for the author to actually survive all of that and write a book about his hardships through it shows that he really persevered through it. Ishmael Beah writing this book wanting to promote the hardships and to see how the people actually react to his true hardships and what hardships that some countries go through.
i cant say that i relate to the people in this story given the events that are going on. there are issues happening in this book that would never occur in the western world so many of the feelings or events are unfamiliar to me.
1) I chose to read this book because it was a true story of a boy solider, and because it would be interesting to read about the army and him growing up.
2) I didn't relate to any of the characters in the book because I have never been in any of their positions before, especially the main character, Beah.
3) After completing the book, it was a very good book and it really grabbed my attention. Everything that happened in the book seemed real, and that is what made the book even better. Even though the book was sad in parts, it still told a very good story.
4) I really enjoyed this book a lot because it was very well written and attention grabbing.
#3 I think this book is more than worthy of being an Abe book this year. This was one of the best books I have ever read. I usually am not a fan of non-fiction but this book was so extreme that it was hard to believe everything in this book was real. It was very well put together, and it really sucks the reader right in with very in depth detail and gruesome descriptions. This is one of those books that is impossible to put down. Great Read. Everyone should read this.
I tohught this book was an excellent choice for the ABE list. It opens the reader up to conflicts that occur in our world but are often overlooked. I loved how the book was written in first person because it helped you visualize what was going on and made the book more emotional. Whereas if it had not been in first person, the book may have lacked the personal connection between the author and reader. A Long Way Gone also depicted the struggles that millions of children face around the world. Hunger, poverty, and death. In America we are less exposed to these things because our government is well established, but in other areas there is not much control. A Long Way Gone was a gr8 choice for the ABE list because it tuaght me about a growing conflict that I was previously unaware of.
A long way gone was very deserving of being on this years Abe list for a number of reasons. The author, Ishmael Beah, shares his life changing experiences and they truly are remarkable. In the novel, I noticed that Ishamel liked to use metaphors and similies to compare things. This made it easier to understand what he was going through. The author also sends the messgae that in harsh times there is no one you can trust but yourself. Learning this is a very valuable lesson because it is your responsibility to stand up for yourself, and know what the right decision is. Without a doubt, A Long Way Gone was worthy of being on this year's Abe list because it is such an intriguing story about a young man who struggles to survive.
I do believe that "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" does belong on the Abe Awards book list. The heartbreaking story about Ishmael gets the reader feeling bad for all the soldiers in Africa. The novel also opens up the readers mind to things other than you used to. To imagine being in war at such a young age is weird. The novel was also very well written, and many times made it feel like you were in the struggle along side them. The way Ishmael describes certain scenes makes you wish the novel was not his personal memoirs. This book defiantly belongs on the Abe Awards reading list.
I chose to read A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah because I was fascinated with the Movie Blood Diamond and Since this book was written by an actual Boy Soldier I thought it would teach me a lot about the situation in Africa. More specifically regarding the life of boy soldiers and if any of them are ever rescued and rehabilitated.
It is very hard for me to relate to the characters in this novel because I have never experienced events so great and so painful as those in the Sierra Leone. At the age of 12 all I could think about was getting an A on my next spelling test and playing video games. I could not begin to image the psychological consequences of being hunted by the RUF, starving alone in the forest, or being recruited by the Government Army. But on some level I can imagine the joy Ishmael felt when he finally overcame his drug withdrawal and realized that Nurse Esther actually cared about him, and was going to help him regain his old self. I can also relate to Nurse Esther in that when I helped out at the boys and girls club in Chicago, I got a great feeling of satisfaction in my heart and unintentionally I focused my effort on this one boy and made sure he was making progress, like Nurse Esther did to Ishmael.
I strongly feel that A Long Way Gone is worthy of being on this year's Abe List because not only was it extremely informational by explaining in detail the events of Ishmael's life and how he recovered but also what he saw and what he had to go through in order to survive. I think it is amazing that he was able to survive and escape the conflict, and even after he was able to accomplish that he mustered up enough courage to write about his experiences and inform United states politicians about what they can do to help. By Writing this book Ishmael gave the readers living in more developed countries an idea of how lucky they really are, and more importantly he put the reader in his shoes and showed us how in a life or death situation you will do anything to survive, even kill.
That is why it is a truly extraordinary book and my vote for the Abe Award
A Long Way Gone was very deserving of being on this years ABE list for a number of reasons. The author, Ishmael Beah, shares his life changing experiences and they truly are remarkable. In the novel, I noticed that Ishamel liked to use metaphors and similies to compare things. This made it easier to understand what he was going through. The author also sends the message that in harsh times there is no one to trust but yourself. Learning this is a very valuable lesson because it is your responsibility to stand up for yourself and know what the right decision is. Without a doubt, A Long Way Gone was worthy of being on this years ABE list because it is such an intriguing story about a young man who struggles to survive.
The reason i read this book was because i wanted to learn about what the children's life in Africa is like. You hear about the rebels and them recruiting young soldiers that just hit there teen years shooting AK-47's. I thought choosing "A Long Way Gone" was a good choice to get to learn about those things. I don't think I relate to anyone in this story. I am no where near anyone in this book. No one who did not experience Sierra Leone cannot compare or be compared to the characters in this story. I think that this book was appropriate for the Abe list. Why not teach us and show us what's happening and happened to the African culture. Especially being an author who experienced it in person writing these days about it. It's a story that should be told and shared with everyone. (Included Blog 1, 2, and 3)
I cannot relate my life in any way to the boys in this story. I dont think anybody can unless they too have gone through the horrors of war at such a young age. The things that Ishmael Beah describes are so extreme, and nothing in my life has even come close to being comparable. The only thing that I might be able to say, is that the boys want to be rappers, and they do everything they can to achieve that dream. I share that desire to be great with golf. So I know what it is like to really want something, but I cannot relate to the fear and anguish felt by anybody in this book.
This book definitely deserved to receive the Awesome Abe award because it gives the reader another perspective on life. Most kids our age are worried about what they got on the last math test, while the kids in this book were worried about whether or not they would live to see another day. They were doing drugs and shooting other people and they were only teenagers. I think it is good that people are recognizing how terrible it was in Sierra Leone, and Ishmael Beah did a great job in describing the horrors that occurred there.
I can not really relate to Ishamael or any of the characters in the book. I can relate with them going through tough times, but the position that they are in is so much more extreme than anything I have ever been through. I have never really lost a loved one, which is the completely opposite of the characters in this book. They have lost practically everyone and they still survive.
This book was a different experience for me. It really caught my attention with its simple, yet powerful writing style. It generates a window into a truly scarred life, a life that is rarely experienced. The way Ishmael writes memories of the horrors he experienced is handled calmly, yet expresses thousands of emotions. By his writing I could understand his feelings perfectly. He was in living in an insanity that could not be justified. His focus on surviving developed could describe his character as emotionless at times, which I thought was very appropriate because I believe the emotions he felt could not be justly portrayed. I think this book was definitely worthy of being on the ABE list because of its ability to capture its audience and create a story that is very unique. It is also about a subject that hasn't really been touched upon in my high school career, and I think it really taught me about the horrors of genocide.
Post a Comment