Study Tools
A Long Way Gone is Ishmael Beah’s noteworthy memoir published in 2007
. Beah gives a firsthand account of his experiences as a child soldier during the Sierra Leone civil war in the 1990s. Written by Beah in the United States after he returned to civilian life, the narrative gives real-life insight into how children can be coerced to commit terrible acts of war. His story is ultimately a striking portrayal of the horror of war, the innocence it crushes, and the small acts of kindness amidst the carnage.