A Long Way Gone

​“We always walked to school slowly. I liked it because I was able to think about where my life was going. I was confident that nothing could get any worse than it had been, and that thought made me smile a lot.” (p. 202)

​A Long Way Gone was a gruesome tale with some glimmering hints of optimism. Extremely well written, this memoir was a compelling depiction of what life is like in a country torn about by civil war and the evil manipulation of child soldiers. At times I struggled to continue reading, as the depictions were so vivid, and as the narrative continued, with Ishmael casually describing the horrors, I too, grew somewhat numb to what was going on.

​There is little in this book that I can directly relate to. It is unbelievable what Ishmael experiences, and most of which I hope to never have to. However, Ishmael's inability to remember what his life was like before the war, his family and childhood, is something that I can understand to some degree. I do not really recall much, but for very different reasons than what he has experienced.
​While at times the book grew too heavy to continue reading, the music references and their escape for Ishmael, both for acceptance into a village or just psychologically, was a nice touch. It allowed for some compassion and empathy for him, it reminded me that this is just a child. Also, it helped me bear in mind that this is occurring in the 1990's, not too long ago.

​This underlining theme of music, along with other stories, made it difficult to see this as critically a completely factual story. However, the depictions of the war and more so the symptoms of drug withdrawal and post-traumatic stress disorder are vivid and could very well be true. Some of the tales may just be part of the solution to the stress and difficulties. There needs to be some space, some addition so as not to drawn the reader in sadness and disgust in humanity.

​Seeing as the metro area serves many refugees, this text would serve as a great addition to discussing some of these issues and allow the reader to relate to the stories. Even more so, as a multicultural text, Ishmael adds the occasional tidbits of facts about his culture. From the foods they ate, the ones he could not find in New York City, to the importance of music and dancing, as well as the storytelling nature of his people. These instances add depth to the story, making it much more than a plain spoken memoir, rather it is a vivid telling of his experiences.