Praise for A LONG WAY GONE

Vaseline lotion, a Walkman and some cassettes, two long-sleeved shirts, and two pairs ofpants and a tie—these had been bought for me to wear for my conference talks. I waited, myheart beating faster, the way it had when my mother dropped me off for the first time at aboarding school. The van was heard galloping on the gravel road, making its way to thecenter. Picking up my plastic bag, I walked to the hospital building where I was to wait.Mohamed, Alhaji, and Mambu were sitting on the front steps, and Esther emerged, smiling.The van made a turn and halted at the side of the road. It was late afternoon, the sky was stillblue, but the sun was dull, hiding behind the only cloud. Leslie sat in the front seat andwaited for me to board, so he could take me to my new home.“I have to go,” I said to everyone, my voice shaking. I extended my hand to Mohamed,but instead of shaking it, he leapt up and hugged me. Mambu embraced me while Mohamedwas still holding me. He squeezed me hard, as if he knew it was goodbye forever. (After Ileft the center, Mambu went back to the front lines, because his family refused to take himin.) At the end of the hug, Alhaji shook hands with me. We squeezed each other’s hand andstared into each other’s eyes, remembering all that we had been through. I tapped him on theshoulder and he smiled, as he understood that I was saying we were going to be fine. I neversaw him again, since he continually moved from one foster home to another. At the end ofour handshake, Alhaji stepped back, saluted me, and whispered, “Goodbye, squad leader.” Itapped him on the shoulder again; I couldn’t salute him in return. Esther stepped forward, hereyes watery. She hugged me tighter than she ever had. I didn’t return her hug very well, as Iwas busy trying to hold back my tears. After she let go, she gave me a piece of paper. “Thisis my address. Come by anytime,” she said.I went to Esther’s home several weeks after that. My timing wasn’t good, as she was on