Almost unbelievable

I believe his account of his life as a child soldier in Sierra Leone, but Ismael Beah's story is almost unbelievable to someone who has never traveled to Africa or personally experienced war. Being married to a soldier myself, I know how war can transform a person, how hard it is for a soldier to talk about what he has seen or done in battle, and the many casualties of war, both civilian and soldier, on and off the battlefield. Beah's story opened my eyes so that I can only begin to imagine what he lived through. I think it took a lot of courage, on his part, to put his story into words and on paper. Beah wrote with such emotion and clarity, as if he had been keeping a diary through his entire experience. He wrote about painful memories, especially the loss of his family, his friends, and his childhood, and I really admire him.

Toward the end of the book (page 200), he is fifteen years old and returning from his first trip to New York where he spoke at the UN on his experiences as a rehabilitated child soldier, and he says, "Because if I was to get killed upon my return, I knew that a memory of my existence was alive somewhere in the world." Since then, Beah has done so much more than provide just a memory of his existence. Throughout the book, he ponders why he was the only person from his family to survive and why he was not killed during battle, and it is now clear that God had a bigger purpose for Ismael Beah. He was able to escape Sierra Leone and eventually make his way back to New York where he attended the United Nations International High School and then college. He spoke on the effects of war on children and works for children's rights. Beah is an inspiration and a source of hope for anyone who feels they are in an inescapable place or situation.

After such a graphic and heavy read, I thought it was time for a complete change of pace. Next, I will be reading a book by Jodi Picoult. I have heard so much (good stuff) about her, so we'll see if her writing lives up to her reputation. This is not a book I would normally read, but I got it off the freebie shelf outside the library, so we'll give it a try. My #24 book is The Tenth Circle, by Jodi Picoult.