Simms shares the story of meeting her adopted son, Ishmael Beah, a storyteller in his own right and author of the heart-wrenching memoir of a former child soldier, A Long Way Gone. It was through story that they he was able to cope with the atrocities of his childhood and to begin to heal. It was through story that they were able to find a common ground and to begin to build a relationship based on love and trust.
While it may seem anachronistic for one to have storytelling as a vocation, Simms demonstrates how storytelling has and should continue to endure and why it is a cultural element that we should all embrace. It is nothing less than a key part of our very humanity.
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Article comments
1 - laura simms
I very much appreciate this review of my book. I feel that the author (I would love to write to you personally) got what I was aiming to do by interweaving commentary, experience and stories.. to open a new way to look at storytelling beyond focus on the story alone. thank you so much Laura
2 - Brina Dokich
This book sounds very interesting and inspiring. As a student who loves history, I have explored the root of storytelling within some of my college courses. In my communication classes, we have discussed the element of oral storytelling, and how history was often shaped by stories and word of mouth. We also talk about how storytelling is a dying art. Media, the internet, and rapid forms of communication are where we find all of our information now. How does the author suggest that we keep storytelling alive? I would really be interested in reading this book to see how she uses storytelling as “compassionate problem solving”. Is it in the way a story is told? The content of the story itself? Thank you for bringing this book to my attention!