For my independent memoir, I have chosen to read A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Baeh, with Mckayla Peebles (blogger of the week hayooo). This memoir takes place in the 1990's in Sierra Leone Africa, during the civil war. The author of the memoir, Ishmael Baeh, tells the story of how he was forced to run from the war at the age of 12, recruited as a child soldier to fight for his country at the age of 14, and forced into doing terrible acts that no 12 year old should be capable of.
I found an article that I thought connected very well to this novel. This article covers the dangers of sexual abuse on young girls and the long-term psychological damage that can come from it, such as anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder. In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael recalls how he acted when he first got into the rehab facility, "The rebel boys drew out the few bayonets they had and rushed toward us. It was war all over again...As the boys rushed toward us, I threw the grenade, but the explosion was delayed. We leaped out from underneath the stoop where we had taken cover and charged into the open yard, where we began to fight." (135). The war greatly changed Ishmael as a person from who he was at the beginning of the book and lets you see the true dangers of using child soldiers in battle.
This book made me realize that the events of our lives shape us into who we are today. Life is about savoring the great moments, and learning to become stronger from the hard times. My question for you to consider: Has there ever been a major event in your life that has changed you as a person?
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