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Ishmael Beah is born in Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone.
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The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) starts to attack villages in Eastern Sierra Leone.
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The story begins when Ishmael is 12 years old. Ishmael lives with his older brother, Junior, in their father’s house. Their parents divorced when Ishmael was young.
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The boys learn that Ishmael and Junior’s town has been attacked by the rebels (RUF). They hear from others that Mattru Jong will be the next city the RUF is heading to.
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Along with four other friends, Ishmael and Junior leave their homes in Mogbwemo for a few days to go to Mattru Jong to enter a talent show. The brothers leave but don’t tell their parents. On the way there, they visit their grandparents, who live in Kabati.
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The boys anxiously wait at the Mattru Jong wharf every morning, waiting for their families to come. They do not arrive.
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Around a month later, Mattru Jong is attacked by the RUF. Anyone who is caught by the RUF is forced to join – or get killed. The boys are aware of this and run from the city. They are forced to travel through the woods for nearly a week, sleeping in abandoned villages with almost nothing to eat.
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The boys are still on the run, until they hear a rumour that there is a safe town to live in called Kamator. They arrive there and become farmers. But rebels soon find the village, and Ishmael gets separated from Junior and his friends.
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Shortly after the village is attacked, Ishmael flees into a forest. He stays there by himself for about a month, struggling to survive and to find things to eat.
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Ishmael finally leaves the forest, wondering upon six other boys. He travels with them in hope to find a village far away from the rebels.
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The seven boys finally find a safe village to stay at. They begin to feel like kids again. They mainly play soccer and tag with each other. Eventually, the village is raided by rebels. The boys flee once again, but without their shoes (they got stolen). They walk all the way to the next village with no shoes, their feet raw and sore. A fisherman feeds the boys and lets them heal in his hut. The head of the village eventually finds about the boys in the fisherman’s hut and sends them away.
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During the night, Saidu dies. The rest of the boys meet a man that tells them where their families are. He says they are in a town around two days walk away. When they arrive at the town with Gasemu (the man who brought them), the village is attacked by rebels. They are forced to flee again, but Gasemu gets killed. Ishmael does not find his family.
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The remainder of the boys find another town called Yele. The town is protected and has food - the government’s soldiers are there. But the rebels soon start attacking near the town. The boys are forced to fight or flee the town, and they choose to fight. They then begin their training with AK-47’s and machete’s.
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The boys are sent into battle for the first time. Many of his friends die. They are not prepared for the war. Ishmael kills a man for the first time. Before the battle, each soldier is given a white tablet along with many other drugs for ‘energy’. Eventually, the soldiers get immensely hooked on the drugs.
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One day, a handful of soldiers are chosen to go to a UNICEF rehabilitation camp. Ishmael begins his rehabilitation in the Benin House, struggling with withdrawal symptoms. Ishmael and the other boys resist orders and the rehab.
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Ishmael meets a nurse named Esther at the rehabilitation camp. She helps him to learn how to trust again. He begins to forgive himself for the horrible things he once did.
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Ishmael is reunited with his uncle, who lives in Freetown. His rehabilitation process is over, allowing him to live with others and live a normal life again.
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Ishmael travels to New York City to participate in a conference created by the UN to share his story and discuss children at war. He meets a very nice woman named Laura, who accompanies him during his trip. He enjoys his experiences in NYC. It shows him there is a place where he can be safe.
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Ishmael goes back to his home in Freetown and tells his family about New York. In a matter of time, the rebels attacked and took control of the city, forcing Ishmael and his family to hide in their houses for five months. During that time, Ishmael’s uncle becomes sick and dies. Ishmael decides he cannot stay in Sierra Leone any longer. He flees from Sierra Leone in attempt to get to New York.
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Ishmael arrives in New York. Laura Simms becomes his foster mother. Ishmael finishes high school, and also attends college. He is now an author and a human rights activist.
