How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
After the meal, the villagers started playing drums, and we all joined hands and danced in circles under the moonlight. During an interval after several songs, one of the men announced that when the dancing had been exhausted, "whenever that will be," he jokingly said, "the strangers will tell us stories about where they are from." He lifted his hands and motioned for the drummers to continue. During the festivities I thought about the biggest celebration we used to have in my town at the end of the year. The women would sing about all the gossip, the dramas, the fights, and everything that had happened that year. Would they be able to sing about all that will happen by the end of this war? I thought. (10.9)
It's obvious the war hasn't come to this town yet. If the people aren't worried about being attacked they can be warm and welcoming. This welcoming community was a taste of home for Ishmael.
Quote #8
The house was big enough to hold all fifty-seven of us. First, we sat around in Laura's living room and told stories; then we danced into the night. It was our last night in New York and it was the perfect place to spend it, because the house was as interesting and filled with amazing stories as our group was. Everyone felt comfortable and saw something from their home. (20.30)
In New York City, Ishmael finds community with kids from all around the world who have lived through the horrors of war. They might be from different places, but they've all been affected by the same terrible realities. It's a community based on shared experiences.
Quote #9
I was sad to leave, but I was also pleased to have met people outside of Sierra Leone. Because if I was to get killed upon my return, I knew that a memory of my existence was alive somewhere in the world. (20.31)
This is a really sad thought, but also a bright moment for Ishmael. He feels as if his life has gotten bigger. His story has touched more people. The world is his community now and he won't be forgotten.