Summary of A Long Way Gone; Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

When Ishmael Beah's life is turned upside down because of the war taking place in the African country of Sierra Leone, he, his older brother, and his close friends are forced to leave behind their village and flee for their lives. Their innocence is robbed from them as they experience gruesome deaths and suffering right in front of their faces. Not knowing whether their families survived the attack from the rebels, the boys wander for hundreds of miles, continuing on without food, water, or shoes, in order to stay one step ahead of the constantly advancing violence. During an unexpected attack, Ishmael is separated from his brother and friends and, not knowing if they came out alive, continues alone, with the invisible force known as hope helping him press forward.

Soon, after living in the relative safety of the jungle for a short amount of time, Ishmael joins another group of boys about his age and is once again on the move, traveling from village to village in search of a shelter from the waging war. In one village, the boys are told that their families are alive, waiting in the neighboring village. Unfortunately, due to the delay caused by the death of one of their comrades, the boys don't reach their families before the rebels attack - killing everyone in the village. Ishmael is torn to pieces; the hope that his family was still alive extinguished. Only days later, Ishmael and his friends are picked up by the government army and, over time, turned from frightened boys to bloodthirsty warriors. Under the influence of drugs, an AK-47 in their hands, and revenge in their hearts, the children, some as young as seven years old, are thrust into the front lines of the war, killing without an ounce of guilt, fighting without the fear of their own death.

The next three years of Ishmael's life become a blur of killing and drugs, but when he is sixteen, he and some other boys are abruptly removed from the war by UNICEF and taken to a rehabilitation center. Confused and angry, they fight against the attempts of helping them recover. Throughout their drug withdrawals, insecurity without their weapons, and the destruction they cause to both the center and the workers, the only response they receive is a pitying smile and the repeated phrase, "It's not your fault". Finally, Ishmael finds a kindred spirit in Esther, one of the nurses. After a bit of hard work, a new cassette player, and a cold bottle of coke, she gains his confidence and through patience and listening sets Ishmael on the road to recovery.

After an amazing recovery, Ishmael is sent to live with his only known relative, his uncle, who is a kind carpenter with a large heart. He learns to feel again, love again, and soon the memories of war are pushed to the back of his mind - not close to being forgotten, but healing. He is chosen to be Sierra Leone's representative at the United Nations (UN) in New York City to speak at a convention about the problems children have been going through during the war. After the convention, Ishmael returns home, his life slowly returning back to normal, hope and happiness once again becoming part of his life.

One morning, Ishmael was awoken by gunshots and rebel soldiers running through the city. Once again, war takes over his life; only this time he is not one of the armed soldiers: he is one of the helpless civilians. Starvation takes over the city and his uncle dies, leaving Ishmael with nothing else - everything he had ever loved was gone. He decides to go back to New York, start a new life, and maybe teach other people about the problems Sierra Leone is facing, so he runs away. Evading the soldiers and the dangers that once again lurked around every corner, Ishmael reaches the airport and leaves Africa, to begin another chapter of his life.