What Is the What

By: Dave Eggers

Narrated by: Dion Graham

Length: 20 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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 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.

“A testament to the triumph of hope over experience, human resilience over tragedy and disaster.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"An absolute classic. . . . Compelling, important, and vital to the understanding of the politics and emotional consequences of oppression.” —People

©2006 Dave Eggers (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

"Engrossing." ( Publishers Weekly)

Both horrific and hopeful.

This story needed to be told. I cannot imagine a better narration. It is a wonder that any of the Lost Boys survived their ordeals.

A A book I will or member for a long long time

One of the best books I have ever read. Incredibly inspiring and moving. I highly recommend.

Thirsting to know more about the Sudan.

I have seen Sudanese people at my church and around my town. I learned about the cultural characteristics of the Sudanese. I have a better understanding of the conflict that took place in the Sudan and the involvement of the USA. I will rewind and listen again.

Best book on the historical Accounts of those Days

I love this book so much. As an adult who was not born during those early days, I have struggles imagining what it might have been like for those who fleet on foot during those horrific nights. This book put my imagination to ease. After listening to your story, I feel like I can contribute to the discussion and empathize with those resentful toward one ethics group.

Thank You, Achak, for sharing your story

Love,
Nyajuok Tongyik Doluony
An Upper Nile woman who recently returned from Aweil sharing her story.

A Stand-Out "Must Read" for All

This novel is compelling in its ability to describe the experiences of one young man who lived to tell the tale of the loss of his homeland and his journey through the dessert as one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan". The protagonist is able to relay his story with humility and humor while providing the reader with a glimpse of the suffering, hardships and adventures of a remarkable young man coming of age while traveling the dessert with hundreds of other boys (and some girls) and then while living in a refugee camp. I knew almost nothing about the civil war in Sudan until listening to this book and, therefore, there is no background knowledge required to experience and to learn from this study. Not only was David Eggers able to draw me into the "story" but the author was also able to provide a rendition of this young man's harrowing journeys while providing the reader with chances to laugh and cry and experience interesting characters of all types. There is boyhood adventure, romance, humor, loss, joy, and sadness all while providing a glimpse into the life of the refugees that have worked so hard to adapt to life away from their homelands. This particular young man comes to the U.S.A. and the author has very creatively set the stage so that the reader can begin to understand the differences between the two worlds of these refugees. To top off this deeply interesting book, the narration is top-notch. Listening to the voice of Dion Graham further added to my experience of "knowing" the main character. Mr. Graham reads this novel/biography as though he is telling the story of his own life. It's just beautiful. I learned so much about contemporary Sudan as well as about the ability of humans to persevere, find humor, and meaning through the toughest of times. Each and every minute of this listen will be worth your time. I highly recommend.

Gripping!

Excellent and deserving story of a "Lost Boy" of Sudan. Dave Eggers does a skillful job of framing Valentino/Achak's story and inserts just the right amounts of foreshadowing, tension vs.relief, and humor. The only thing I take exception with is that he calls it "a novel". Eggers' explanation of why he does this makes sense, but for a story that is so clearly biographical, where the political and physical settings are real, I think there are other, better, ways of saying this story is based on one person's memories - and memories aren't always the most reliable of sources. In this case, it doesn't make the story any less true.

Utterly overwhelming.

Dion Graham was brilliant in this performance!! He brought the story to life with the voices of all of the characters. The story is well written, heartwarming and eye opening. Eggers does a fantastic job of explaining the historical facts so the context is understood. Fabulous!

good book

i found it historically interesting. A little disjoint here and there but quite interesting. a good listen.

Captivating

An emotional ride worth taking. This book will be all you think about until it's finished. Graham is incredible lending his many voices to the characters, granting them each their own depth and individuality. And Deng's story, as written by Eggers, had me laughing and crying out loud by myself. I defy you to listen and not google Sudan and Garang and Kakuma. I got lost in research inspired by this story. My only complaint is that at 20 hours, it's too SHORT!

Story

This story was an awesome historical documentary of events that happened during the SALA and Red War in Sudan. The only disappointment for me was not knowing the results from Valatino's MRI headaches.