A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy SoldierA Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Score Modern
What it's about
Ishmael Beah was twelve when rebels attacked his village during Sierra Leone's civil war. Separated from his family, he wandered the country with other boys, running from the fighting, until at thirteen he was taken in by the government army and turned into a child soldier, fed drugs and taught to kill. At sixteen he was rescued by UNICEF and slowly learned to live again.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list and is one of the most powerful accounts of what war does to children. It's honest, devastating and finally hopeful.
You'll love it if you liked
The Diary of a Young Girl
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Educated: A MemoirGood to know
It describes killings, massacres and drug use by a child, in plain language. Some details of Beah's timeline have been questioned by journalists.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #110 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #315 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #629 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving, Dark
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Quick answers
Is A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list and is one of the most powerful accounts of what war does to children. It ranks #629 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier about?
Ishmael Beah was twelve when rebels attacked his village during Sierra Leone's civil war. Separated from his family, he wandered the country with other boys, running from the fighting, until at thirteen he was taken in by the government army and turned into a child soldier, fed drugs and taught to kill. At sixteen he was rescued by UNICEF and slowly learned to live again.
How long does it take to read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier?
About 6 hours (238 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier?
If you liked it, try The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah or Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.