A long way gone; Memoirs of a boy soldier - Ishmael Beah

Imagine you were a little boy in some distant African country where the sun seems to kiss the earth and nature speaks in subtle tunes. You have always anticipated what it would look like to grow up in such a serene atmosphere when all of a sudden, war broke out between some factions in the society and you watch as your loved ones were butchered mercilessly like animals by some ruthless soilders. Against your wish, you were forced to enlist into the army and ever since then, all you have ever known is blood, war and death!
What future awaits the blood sucking animal that this once innocent African boy has been turned into?
Here is a review on a book titled, "A long way gone; Memoirs of a boy soldier - Ishmael Beah". A must read for every lover of the African art!



A captivating story of a young boy caught up in the Sierra Leone Civil War whose childhood suddenly changed in a dramatic and horrific manner from that of a young boy full of hopes and dreams to that of a boy soldier bred by an army of sociopathic and unruly rebel armed forces. He later finds redemtion at a rehabilitation camp funded by UNICEF and other NGOs which is where some hope of a normal life was restored until another way riddled the nation sending Ishmael Beah and his family on a flight for safety to the US where he now resides.


Here is a response sent by FREDRICK PASCAL MWAMBANDA on September 15th, 2007 at 1:00am.


This story is very touching and should serve as source of inspiration to the current africa continental leaders, to detest from using any means of violence to resolve their domestic differences.Our cultural diversity should instead solidify and strengthen us, since it shows our very rich history that has been enjoyed by our forefathers.If i may quote a swahili saying that goes; ‘the one who departs from his/her tradition is a slave’ rigtfully portrays how important our diverse culture is important to our identity.
The greed for power is one of the major causes of civil war, and the people who suffer most are children and mothers.These are the main elements of a family, and the family is the nucleus or core of the society.It can therefore easily be demonstrated that the repurcersion of a broken family set up will eventually disturbalise the society and the nation at large thanks to Ishmael Beah.

yours truly

Fred Mwambanda