Ibrahim Kamara

The Sierra Leone Civil War Ibrahim Kamara

Why would anyone want to read a book like this? Firstly, it's a true life story of a young man's search for his beloved mother; a story of love that everyone can relate to; secondly, the protagonist's venture into rebel zones captures on paper some of the tense moments that will leave readers at the edge of their seats. Furthermore, anyone who has experienced war in a third world country such as Sierra Leone, will easily relate to the author's narration, as he lays bare the horrors of war. Also, the author's first-person narrative, makes his account personal and so real that readers can easily empathize with his ordeals, pains, fears and restlessness as he escapes near-death experiences. Relatedness aside, the book is also presented in a sequential fashion; the linearity of the story takes the reader along the timeline of the war, which will be of interest to historians and other scholars in the study of conflicts and its resolution. To make the book easier to navigate and reader-friendly, each chapter is subdivided into sections with headings to give the reader a gist of that section. How about details relating a grand mother's love for her grandson? Then, there are other gruesome events: like the death of Gbui and the author's younger brother Sammy. Then there are themes of love, survival, self-preservation, faith, tension added to a gritty narrative power makes this book as novel for leisurely read as well as an academic resource.