Chapters 1-4 Summary and Analysis

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmalel Beah tells the story of a young boy whose life was invaded by the rebel army. He became a boy soldier who eventually became repatriated, becoming a spokesperson for children in Sierra Leone.

Chapters 1 - 4

In 1998, the author lived in New York City. He wrote that his friends suspected that he hadn't told them the whole story of his life regarding his time in Sierra Leone.

Chapter 1

The war sounded like it was happening in a faraway place. This changed when refugees began passing through the author's town. The people of his town were warned that the war would eventually reach their own town. Ishmael remembered how the children coming through were startled by sounds, and everyone seemed sad, malnourished, and exhausted. In 1993, Ishmael was 12 years old. He...