A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Characters

Meet the Cast

Ishmael Beah

Ishmael is our narrator, but he's not quite the same as narrators in some other books. For starters, Ishmael Beah is a real person. He was born in 1980 in Sierra Leone. In 1993, the civil war ragin...

Ishmael's Family

Ishmael never sees his family again after he and his brother lose each other in the chaos of the war, but he does come very close:"Your parents and brothers will be happy to see you. They have been...

Ishmael's Friends

Throughout the course of his story, Ishmael runs into a whole bunch of different friends. This is pretty lucky for him—he doesn't have to be alone—but also a little bit unlucky since large grou...

Esther

If Esther appeared in one of Ishmael's dreams, we'd probably guess that she was an angel. She's a nurse at Benin Center and is the first person who's able to get through to Ishmael after he leaves...

Lieutenant Jabati

Ishmael first meets Lieutenant Jabati when he and his friends roll up in Yele. They think they'll be safe there because the army is in control of this town and is actively fighting off the rebels....

Uncle Tommy & Family

When Ishmael needs a place to stay after leaving the rehabilitation center, Leslie is able to track down his Uncle Tommy to take him in. Even though Ishmael has never met his father's brother the g...

Gasemu

Ishmael and his friends run into Gasemu on their way to find their parents. Gasemu is collecting bananas, but recognizes Ishmael instantly from their hometown and lets him know that his father, mot...

Leslie

Leslie is basically Ishmael's caseworker when he's at Benin Center. He's one of the adults who takes Ishmael under his wing once his home and family are taken from him. After all, Ishmael is still...

Sheku & Josiah

Sheku and Josiah are two seven-year-old little boys who are recruited to fight in the army of Sierra Leone along with Ishmael. They're clearly afraid, but they try their hardest to fight even thoug...

Laura Simms

Laura Simms is a storyteller that Ishmael meets while travelling to New York City to give his speech in front of the United Nations. She eventually becomes his adoptive mom when he flees Sierra Leo...