A Long Way Gone

Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

It is the tale of one boy who struggled to survive the civil war in Sierra Leone. While it is not exactly where we live, there is much that is similar to the place we live in terms of faith and culture. It was a hard read but a good read. Many of the people who live in our vicinity have come from neighboring countries and have lived through similar experiences, I would imagine. The first half was riveting though gruesome at times, which cast a dark cloud over my spirit. I knew I would have to finish the book quickly to get out from under the cloud. However, I would have been more disturbed if I had remained unemotional or unaffected by the accounts given.

I had a couple of favorite quotes.
"To survive each passing day was my goal in life."
"I knew that it was temporary and that we were only passing through. So I couldn't bring myself to be completely happy."
"I was never disappointed, since I always expected the worst to happen."
"Even though our journey was difficult, every once in a while, we were able to do something that was normal and made us happy for a brief moment."

I finished the book today. I am so glad I did.  It was good to see that some good people remained throughout the war. It did not end immensely happy, but it ended truthfully. Please read this book. It will change how you see the world truly.