Look back to the short “New York City, 1998” prologue that begin this memoir. What is it, exactly, that Ishmael’s friends find so “cool” about his past? Do you think his friends, after reading this book, would still feel that way? Why or why not?
This quick exchange sets the tone of Beah's memoir. As a teenager in New York City, Beah is gained a few years' distance from his traumatic experiences in Sierra Leone, yet he is still unable or unwilling to to into detail with his friends. This is a constant struggle for Beah; though he later speaks at the UN about the atrocities he witnessed, he is reluctant to share memories of his own violent deeds - to spare himself both pain and alienation.
