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Mar 16, 2012danielestes rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Dave Eggers' writing in What is the What magnificently captures the plight of the lost boys of Sudan. It is told from the point of view of real lost boy Valentino Achak Deng from a blend of his own history, other boys' stories and fictional recreations. Valentino's hardships in Sudan and his eventual escape are paralleled in the the present as he adapts to his new life in America. This book works on multiple levels and I suppose the most important tale here is the larger story of the lost boys. The author, from interviews with Deng himself, eventually settled on a type of partially fictional narrative blending the stories of many into one. This works to tell the story in the best way possible (and also pays homage to the Sudanese own cultural predisposition towards embellishment). This doesn't work when you're wondering which parts of Deng's life are real or fictional. Does it matter? For me only a little since there's a greater story here that's bigger than one man's personal history.