Beasts Of No Nation

BEASTS OF NO NATION

by Uzodinma Iweala

 

Award: LA Times Winner 2005

 

Nominations: Dayton Literary Peace Longlist 2006, Dublin Longlist 2007, James Tait Black Finalist 2005

 

Date Read: September 17, 2023

 

How an American was able to capture the horror of a child soldier in Nigeria I will never know. Agu is a young child and after his father is killed and his mother and sister disappear, he joins a militant sect fighting in Nigeria. But all Agu has ever wanted to do is go to school. An adept reader, he spent the better part of his early years begging to be let into the school and he was admitted earlier than most.

 

With nowhere else to turn and the pictures in his young mind of the stateliness of soldiers, Agu becomes a soldier. He quickly learns the violence and disregard for human life that are required of him. Agu is also subjected to starvation, beatings, rapes and constant fear. For such a young life, the reader just knows his life will always have been profoundly affected by this experience. PTSD is sure to follow.

 

After rain and chronic hunger, Rambo who has become the Lieutenant, ends up killing the Commandant. Why no one had thought of this before baffles me. Nearly everyone in their group decides to go home to try and reconnect with family. Agu is eager at the chance although he has no idea how he will find his mother and sister.

 

This disturbing novella is brilliant and it’s difficult to believe it was written by a 23 year old. Iweala is of Nigerian ancestry but is an American. He was able to get inside the head of a child and explore what their thoughts and beliefs might be around a never-ending war. Simply brilliant.

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