Two 2007 Memoirs Similar in Wisdom

     A Long Way Gone - Memoirs of a Boy Soldier was published by Sarah Crichton Books in early 2007.  The young author, Ishmael Beah, is a native of Sierra Leone who has lived in the U.S. about ten years now and, since his book's publication, has been interviewed widely by notables in the media.  I watched his appearance on The Lehrer News Hour (PBS) on 4-5-07.  That was the month I was working intently with the Scarletta Press editors on Willow in a Storm, preparing it for publication in September 2007.  The similarity, amidst obvious differences, of the stories and the lessons-learned struck me immediately and intensely.  I knew I would read the book by this remarkable young man, Beah.

     I did just that this spring 2008, and I absorbed the story in greater detail.  Reading the book verified my first impressions:

     1) Ishmael, a 12 year old African boy, 2) who suffers a loss of everything he knows (family, home, community), 3) and inflicts pain and death after becoming a soldier in the army of the government ("It is easy to turn anyone into a killer." "You do what is necessary to survive."), 4) is impacted, saved actually, by others who offer understanding, compassion, encouragement, and a way out to another, respectable life.  5) Ishmael, after initial reluctance to trust and believe in others and himself, grabs the opportunity and 6) with the continued support of others, makes a new life for himself, 7) including in his new life a commitment to help others through this inspirational memoir and advocacy work for human rights, especially for the abolition of child soldiering. 

     1) Jim, an elderly American man 2) who starts life with unstable, neglecting and abusive parents, loses them, his home, community , and then his dreams, 3) and strikes out against others, kills, and is sentenced to life in prison, where he does what is necessary to survive, 4) is impacted by a few others who show concern and encouragement.  5) Jim, after initial reluctance to trust and believe in others and himself, grabs the opportunities available and 6) through prayer, repentance, and fortitude, reforms himself into a new man who is kind, generous and wise. 7) He finds that to help others is a satisfying and respectable way to live, and he centers his reformation on that wisdom; he writes his memoir as an offering to others who struggle.

     I strongly encourage the readers of either of these memoirs, if they felt more knowledgeable and inspired by the one, to read the other book.  These are two most remarkable stories and, although most of us never imagine ourselves facing the challenges these men faced, the authors offer each of us lessons for how we might face the challenges in our own lives.