Although written by Dave Eggers, it is a narrative account of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. It details the plight of the Sudanese refugees.
The story begins with Valentino being robbed in his American apartment as an adult. When he is knocked out by one of the thieves, he thinks back to his life in the Sudan. He then begins his story of his exodus at the age of seven, when he and thousands of other boys cross the desert by foot. Wild animals, guns, bomb, death, militia, and starvation constantly threaten the boys chance for freedom and survival. “Should we stop? I whispered as we ran. No, no. Run. Always run.” But even if they survive the labyrinth of the desert, they must then find a country to host them so that war does not claim them.
Throughout his narrative account, the chapters sometimes resume back to his current state in America–stuck in a chair, a telephone chord wrapped around him while he is being robbed. I enjoyed his comparisons to being held captive in his own apartment to his turmoil in Sudan. While he could be whimsical and sarcastic at times towards his robbers, it was disheartening to hear the voice of the true refugee, “You would not add to my suffering if you knew what I have seen.”
I highly recommend What is the What for anyone interested in historical fiction, cultural anthropology, and social behaviors. It is a story to savor and one that you will never forget.