Radiance of Tomorrow - Ishmael Beah

⭐ 7.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

This is a novel written by the author of A Long Way Gone, a memoir about his experience as a child soldier in Sierra Leone. That was a tough but important read, and so I wanted to try his fiction. And guess what? This was just as depressing!

It's after the war in Sierra Leone, and people are trickling back to their hometowns, hoping to reunite with lost family members. They try to rebuild their lives, and it goes okay for a while, and the elders are able to give everyone hope. But literally everyone in power is corrupt, and a mining company comes to town and pollutes their water and their air and everyone has to work in very dangerous conditions. All the white men keep killing and raping people and it's terrible. We get to know quite a few villagers, and most of them are so kind and hopeful, but they just can't seem to change their situations.

The writing was wonderful and used interesting phrases that come from the author's native language, and the book shows the strength of the Leonese people. It's evocative, and I felt like I was there with them, choking on the dust. But it was just too depressing! I started to dread picking it up again. So the lower score is just based on my personal dislike for books that make me more depressed than I already am.