Skip to product information
1 of 2

Sarah Crichton Books

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Book Details
  • Author: Ishmael Beah
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books
  • Published: 2007-02-13
  • Edition: 1st
Regular price $6.95 USD
Regular price Sale price $6.95 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Condition

My new friends have begun to suspect I haven't told them the full story of my life.
"Why did you leave Sierra Leone?"
"Because there is a war."
"You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?"
"Yes, all the time."
"Cool."
I smile a little.
"You should tell us about it sometime."
"Yes, sometime."


This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.

What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.

In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts.

This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.

The More Than Words double bottom line: Every purchase provides hands on job training opportunities, and all revenue supports our nonprofit to empower youth to take charge of their lives.

Shipping Info

We offer standard and express shipping starting at $5.99. Live local? We offer local pickup on select items at our Boston Store and Mobile Bookstore location.

Returns

We accept returns within 30 days of purchase for a refund. Simply reach out to us if you have any trouble with your order.

Care Instructions

We are here to help with any questions or concerns you may have at any time. Reach out to us and we can't wait to help!

View full details

can't find what you are looking for...

We Can Help