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Ishmael’s uncle Tommy, a friendly and compassionate man, comes into Ishmael’s life at a pivotal point and marks Ishmael’s return to civilian life. At the rehabilitation center, Leslie tells Ishmael that he needs to find a family member to take care of him, since he is still a child. Ishmael has never met his uncle, but he is the only family member he can think of. Rather than be afraid of Ishmael or avoid the responsibility of caring for this child he doesn’t know, Tommy fully accepts and loves Ishmael right away. Ishmael’s uncle’s family accepts Ishmael as well, reintroducing Ishmael to what it feels like to live in a home and giving Ishmael the unconditional love he needs to move on from his life as a child soldier. Later, Uncle Tommy falls ill and dies just as fighting begins in Sierra Leone once again. Uncle Tommy’s death contributes to the climax of the story, since it makes Ishmael’s choice clear: he must leave Sierra Leone.
