I knew when I picked up "A Long Way Gone" that it would not be a light read, and not your typical summer beach book. However, the compelling cover features a young boy holding two large weapons and broken flip-flops, walking alone through the jungle. This not only triggered my curiosity, but had similar effects to that of the dog shelter commercials with the depressing music in the background. Now that I had seen it I would feel guilty if I didn’t read it. I never would have anticipated this book to be as thought-provoking and challenging as it was. And after completing it, I found myself feeling guilty for feeling guilted into reading it, when in fact it was an honor to read. It broke my heart and at the same time made it feel so full. I was both repulsed by the acts capable by humanity and in awe of the human spirit and capacity to persevere, forgive and thrive.
"A Long Way Gone" follows the odyssey of a young boy from Sierra Leon as he flees from rebel soldiers, only to find himself in the hands of the national army who give him the choice to leave and be killed by the rebels or stay and train to fight as soldier. Ishmael Beah’s autobiography is a brutally honest depiction of his years as a child soldier. He suffers unimaginable losses -- his family, his friends, his mental health and his childhood innocence.
Throughout the story, I was disturbed to find I was seemingly unemotional and detached from the atrocities Beah was experiencing. I felt bad for him and his situation, but I struggled to really empathize for him. I felt as though I should be crying with every page turn but the book simply felt like fiction. My plight was that I could not relate to anything he was physically or mentally experiencing. While reading, I would put myself in his shoes and try to imagine myself in the same situation and I simply couldn’t. No matter what the predicament Beah endured I found myself muttering “I would’ve died,” “I would’ve just sat down and quit” or “You couldn’t pay me enough sleep in the jungle alone.” I just felt so far removed from Beah and from Sierra Leon itself. In perspective, at the same time, the average family in Seirra Leon was separated, fleeing the country or fighting for their lives, while the average family in the US was attending school, or watching their favorite sitcoms on the evening TV. I was baffled that my world and Beah’s world were existing at the same time, but our paths could not be more different.
As the story continues, Beah and his friends are taken to a rehabilitation camp for child soldiers. Rescued from war, but still in the grasps of guilt, Beah felt shame and sadness for what he had seen and done. Between being torn apart from the loss of his family and home, suffering from drug withdrawal and the continued violence he resorted to, the honesty with which Beah describes his experience is incredible. How often are we able to be purely honest with ourselves? Are we able to be vulnerable enough to voice our honesty and to share our faults and guilt? This is where the beauty of the book truly lies. In Beah’s ability to confront his past and not only be honest with himself, but on a national level share in his sins and his darkest secrets. Through Beah’s raw honesty I found myself in Him. Can I accept myself for what I have done? Can you? If put in these mortal situations would I be capable of the same crimes?
After a successful rehabilitation, Beah is offered a position as a spokes person for children of war. He goes to New York City and speaks as a victim and on behalf of all the other children who have been plagued by war. He transitions from a ruthless killer to a compassionate young man who has taken responsibility for his actions and, in turn, created a path to redemption. He used his story to better himself and better the lives of others.
His story is one that everyone can learn from. We may never know the burden of the trials he faced, but we can certainly learn from his brave honesty and resilience. Ishmael Beah’s story is a sobering reminder of life’s fragility and cruelness, but also a testament to the spirit of man. I will take his story with me through life and continue to reflect on the lessons and beauty it teaches. “If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen”- Ishmael Beah.
