The Moth

Unusual Normality

The moth thumbnail

Ishmael Beah comes to New York as a teenager after years of fighting as a child soldier in Sierra Leone and gets a second chance at childhood.

Tags Coming of age Immigration ond chance Gun violence Historical event Military Mental health Refugee Proving oneself Family Thought-provoking Inspiring Serious Mature content Hopeful Wistful

Storyteller

Ishmael Beah

Featured on

Boyhood

Recorded Date

May 6, 2015

“All I had come to know since I was 11 was how to survive, I didn't know how to live.”

Photo by Sarah Stacke
Ishmael Beah

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