"Ishmael's story shows both the horror and the possibility of redemption. This is an unbearable book that has to be borne. Read it.” - The Globe and Mail

“The book is raw, run though with melancholy, but so honest and longing that hundreds of thousands have read it and it’s made Beah … arguably the most read African writer in contemporary literature.” - Dave Eggers, Vanity Fair

“Everyone in the world should read this book. … We should read it to learn about the world and about what it means to be human.” - Belinda Luscombe, The Washington Post

“No outsider could have written this book, and it’s hard to imagine that many insiders could do so with such acute vision, stark language, and tenderness. It is a heart-rending achievement.” - Melissa Fay Greene, Elle

“One of the most important war stories of our generation.” - Sebastian Junger