What Is the What

Dave Eggers's 'What Is the What' masterfully fictionalizes the harrowing true story of Valentino Achak Deng, a 'Lost Boy of Sudan.' The narrative follows Valentino from his peaceful village childhood through the brutal onset of Sudan's civil war, which separates him from his family and forces him to join thousands of other orphaned children on an arduous journey across the desert to refugee camps in Ethiopia. Along this 'long, long walk,' he endures unimaginable hardships, including hunger, disease, encounters with hostile forces, and predatory wildlife. Yet, his spirit is tested even further by the challenges of adapting to new cultures and facing prejudice upon his eventual resettlement in America. Told with profound humanity, unexpected humor, and an epic scope, the novel is a deeply moving exploration of survival, identity, and the enduring human spirit amidst the madness of war and displacement.