In 2007, African writer Ishmael Beah published his first novel and it rapidly climbed best-seller lists. A Long Way Gone is a memoir of his life as a child soldier in war-torn Sierra Leone. Beah was only 12-years-old when his village was attacked by the rebel army. He watched as his parents, brothers, friends, and neighbors were slaughtered. He was able to run away, but with no where to run to for refuge, found himself homeless and on the move until being abducted, drugged, and brain washed into servitude as a frontline soldier. His early teen years were filled with violence, drugs, and the atrocities of war. He was eventually released from the army and rescued by a UNICEF rehabilitation facility. One of the lucky few to truly escape his violent past, Beah was reunited with family and given the opportunity for a future in the United States. He completed his final years of high school in New York and went on to Oberlin College, graduating in 2004 with a BA in Political Science. Beah is one of the lucky ones, however, and he has dedicated himself to a life of advocacy for the multitude of children in conflicts worldwide who are abducted and recruited as soldiers. His memoir is in unequivocal in its depiction of the horror and violence of war. In an NPR interview after the book was published he stated emphatically, “There is absolutely nothing romantic about war.”
His most recent book, Radiance of Tomorrow, is set in Sierra Leone and envelops themes of war, but it is a work of fiction. It is the story of two friends who have returned to their village after the civil war. Having suffered tremendous losses already, they grapple with rebuilding their lives amidst a continuing barrage of dangers and obstacles. Food is scarce, murder and theft is rampant, and the future is uncertain. The language Beah uses to tell his story is lyrical and beautiful, evoking strong images and emotions. Although you might never guess from reading Beah’s writing, English is not his first language and in multiple interviews he has talked about the challenges of translating stories, thoughts and emotions from the languages in his head into Engilsh. His writing certainly does not suffer because of this, but rather seems to come out all the richer. After only two novels, Beah is being heralded as the most read contemporary African author and he has barely crossed the threshold of his 30s. Imagine how much more we may hear from him in the years to come!
A Long Way Gone -- author website
Ishmael Beah talks about his experience with skeptical reporters after publishing his memoir, “A Long Way Gone,” and about his new novel, “Radiance of Tomorrow”
The Making and Unmaking of a Child Soldier
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/magazine/14soldier.t.html?_r=1&ei=5089&en=18db63db3854257e&ex=1326430800&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss&adxnnlx=&pagewanted=all
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