Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone

by Betsy Small

Sierra Leone is often sensationalized as a place of extreme violence and suffering—of blood diamonds, child soldiers, war amputations, and Ebola and now the highly addictive drug Kush. Before Before captures daily life in a different country, one Betsy Small first encountered as a Peace Corps worker between 1984–1987, and then rediscovered when she returned decades later with her daughter. Living in Tokpombu, a remote community of forty rice-farming families, the author faced struggles that changed her forever and witnessed the growing tensions in this rainforest village—between the young and old, between the traditions of oral history and honoring the ancestors valued by the elders and the siren call of the illicit diamond mines faced by the youth. 
 
Before Before offers a rare portrait of everyday people, with particular focus on the lives of women and girls, before the brutal war of 1991 tore the country apart. Through Small’s account of immersion in another world as she witnessed injustice and was welcomed as a friend, readers are invited to explore the shared ground of our humanity.

Genres: Travel

218 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2025

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betsy Small recounts her life as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone before the 1991 war. It is a first-hand look at day-to-day life with all its challenges and cultural differences.

I met Betsy and heard her read a few weeks ago at my favorite bookstore. She still carries her love for West Africa and its people. Many thanks to Betsy and all Peace Corps volunteers. You make the world a better place.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir of a Peace Corps volunteer looking back at her years in Sierra Leone. I always wondered what it would be like to volunteer and live in a village of people with such a different lifestyle. One of the things I really enjoyed about this memoir was the author's honesty in how she experienced this immersion. She was technically prepared, and somewhat culturally prepared, but not really for how isolated she would feel at first. I enjoyed meeting some of the main people she interacted with in the village, especially as a woman in a culture that had segregated roles for men and women and when the last volunteer was male. I came away feeling the tempo of the days.

The latter part of the book didn't have as much depth and I wished for more about what difference, if any... at least in the short term, her work had in the village (did the fish pond continue after she left, did they request another volunteer?) and about her take aways when she did return to the US. How did this amazing experience change the person she was and how she lived moving forward? I wished for a little more reflection on the return visit as well, but the fact that she has that section is amazing and another great feature of the book. Sierra Leonians went through an atrocious war and it was sobering to learn how the war affected individuals we had gotten to know, and how they were living life in the aftermath. The author always said she would come back, and she did. I love that she continues to stay in touch with some of them, something that wasn't as easy to do years ago. An interesting memoir and thanks to Odyssey Bookstore for bringing this book to my attention and giving me the opportunity to meet the unassuming and pleasant author.

[Helene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the CALL book for June and though I had wanted to read it, the trip to France took precedent. So though it looks like it took me forever to read this book, but in reality, it was probably just a week or so that I actually took to read it. Other books and activities took precedence.

We had an opportunity to interact with the author, so I really wanted to be at the discussion and I had read about three chapters before going. Betsy is authentic, sincere, thoughtful, and well spoken. She speaks from the heart in her book and in person.

Memoirs are probably my least favorite genre, though we seem to do a lot of them in this group, and that is probably the only reason I gave it a 4 and not a 5 rating. It is well written but it's just not my preferred type of book. That said, she shares her thought and insights in such an authentic way that the book is well worth reading and I would certainly recommend it.

[Lorilei Beer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betsy's memoir of her time in Sierra Leone (1984-87) as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tokpombu, a remote village in Kono district, where she is sent to teach new rice farming techniques, which she herself only learns in training prior to posting. The book is about what she learns -- the invaluable, intangible moments of daily life with the villagers who embrace her, invite her into their lives, customs, homes. She vividly portrays the rhythyms, smells, tastes, sounds, and feelings of life in a farming community in West Africa. Betsy returns there in 2013, a decade after the brutal Blood Diamond war devastated the community and country, and finds many who survived and celebrated their still deep connection.

[Deborah Bruss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and heartbreaking, especially since my daughters were born in Sierra Leone and survived the 1st five years of their lives during the war. Thank you, Betsy Small, for giving me a glimpse of life and history during your time there.

[Kelly Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think many Africa RPCVs will relate to the stories and feelings Betsy recounts in her book. This book made me feel nostalgic and was a fascinating reflection not only on the time Peace Corps volunteers spend during their service but also on the thoughts and emotions we feel after returning home.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an extraordinary memoir, more than a mere account of a life-changing volunteer experience, this goes deeper and draws connections and shares cultural insights. I found this thoughtful and engrossing every step of the way.