Ishmael Beah

On Tuesday September 15 Ball State University had an exciting author come to school! His name was Ishmael Beah and he wrote our freshman book “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Solider.” Walking in I was not sure what to expect because I tried to read the book but did not get very far into it before putting it down because it felt farfetched. When Ishmael began to talk about how he did not include details that he did not remember happening I questioned if some of the things he did put in were exaggerated. This is how I felt reading the book also. I understand that I was not there to experience what he went through but he was drugged and young. You know when you were young how you thought things were always a lot bigger or scarier when you were a child? I am just not sure all of the things he put into the book were 100% correct. On a lighter note I liked how he talked about using soccer to help him overcome what he had been through.