Marc's Reviews > A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Gut-wrenching and virtually unbelievable to a modern, Western-minded suburban sheltered life, this compelling first hand account of contemporary struggle and tragedy landed like a thud in my soul. I read the book in about three days, and unfortunately it tempered my view of the people around me, wondering what atrocities they were capable of committing, what sort of terror these faces or even my own hands could carry out under the right circumstances. In the end, though, it is a tale of individual redemption, and hopefully a glimpse of possibilities on a national scale. 'Memoirs' provides a helpful introductory glimpse to the ravages of war: it does not discriminate and it is a hideous prospect.

And what of the manipulative irony used by leaders from both sides to motivate young minds and hearts: they killed your parents, your siblings. I find this a plausible explanation for some of the enduring squabbles not just for child soldiers within nations, but between whole societies and nations as well (perhaps the phraseology is different, but the underlying sentiment is the same - revenge and fear).

My main critique, apart from the occasional stilted writing, was the unresolved ending. We knew enough of Ishmael to desire an account of his transition to the States, of his ongoing work, and of some sense of how we can be involved to help in the efforts he promotes. Can we? I'd like to know, and the perfect time to present the information is with an epilogue of some sort.