how familiar were you with the civil wars of sierra leon proir to reading a long way gone
I suppose this depends on how familiar you were with the wars. I knew that Sierra Leone was in a civil war for quite some time. I also knew about child soldiers and roughly how they came about. The book really filled in the personal details for me the only way a good book can. It gave me a reference point for the ordeal and personalized the struggle through Ishmael. The conflict is very complicated and I don't pretend to know any answers. Stories like this must be told to the world so they know what they are buying (often diamonds) frequently come with the price of children's blood.
