New York Times Notable Book New York Times BestsellerWhat Is the What is the epic novel based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng who, along with thousands of other children —the so-called Lost Boys—was forced to leave his village in Sudan at the age of seven and trek hundreds of miles by foot, pursued by militias, government bombers, and wild animals, crossing the deserts of three countries … the deserts of three countries to find freedom. When he finally is resettled in the United States, he finds a life full of promise, but also heartache and myriad new challenges. Moving, suspenseful, and unexpectedly funny, What Is the What is an astonishing novel that illuminates the lives of millions through one extraordinary man.
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This is the story of a real person named Valentino Achak Deng. He was one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. When Achak was a boy, the Civil War wipes out his Dinka village called Marial Bai. The militia attacks his town and Achak flees with other boys and fears that he will never see his family again.
The boys become “The Lost Boys” who walk from Sudan to Ethiopia to a refugee camp. They experience danger and hardship along the way, and a lot of boys die. They keep going on the promise that when they get to Ethiopia there will be houses and food and school. But when they arrive the conditions of the camp are depolorable. They are not there long before they are forced to move on when soldiers open fire on them. They flee to another camp in Kenya where Achak spends many years. He grows up in a camp called Khartoum. There he actually gets reunited with some of his friends from Dinka. He goes to school, makes friends, and hopes that someday he can return home and find his family that he hopes is still alive.
Little by little the Lost Boys and Girls are sent by UNICEF to the United States to start over. After 13 years in the camp, Achak is picked to be sent to the United States to start a new life. Before he goes, he has one request – say goodbye to his family in Dinka.
The book goes back and forth from when Valentino (Achak’s name he takes when he moves to the United States) is in the United States and has just been a victim of a robbery, to his time in the Sudan and part of the Lost Boys. He talks to people in his present about things they could never imagine about his past. How far he has come and what he has survived is like nothing they have ever seen.
This book was fantastic. The story telling was superb, the narrator (Dion Graham) did an excellent reading, and the story something you need to read. What Valentino and the Lost Boys and Girls survived was a story everyone should know.
Valentino does the preface for this book and does state that he told his story to the author and then gave the author the go ahead to add to the story as he sees fit. It is known right from the beginning that this book was full of facts about Valentino’s life, but with added embellishments from the author.
Dave Eggers at his finest.
It was honest about humanity, both the evil and the good. And honest about searching for God in the wreckage.
The trials and tribulations that the Lost Boys of Sudan endured and survived are nothing short of incredible. If you ever feel sorry for yourself, read this book. Truly inspirational!
Just when you tbought the Lost Boys story had been told. Along comes the best rendition yet.
Reminds us of what a beacon of hope America has been for many throughout the world how easy it is to lose that when sectarian and political turmoil allow hatred and violence to run rampant.
Unbelievable life for one child…see him on the Ted Talks at the end.
An eye-opening journey with one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Historical and heartbreaking. Dave Eggers at his best.
I liked this book a lot, it is based on a true story of an immigrant coming to the United States and all of the racism that he had to endure. He had many problems finding housing and getting into college, but he never gave up. He asked David Eggers to write his story. All of the profits from this book were donated to the town the man was from. They were used to build an upper level school. You need to read the afterword to find this out.
Takes you on the true walk out of Africa, into refugee camp, and resettlement in the US by one of the lost boys who has survived the loss of family and home because of war. All of Dave Eggers books are engrossing and thought provoking!