I recently finished What is the What, by Dave Eggers (author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius), and would definitely recommend it. What is the What is a fictionalized, though still biographical, account of Achak Deng's early life as one of Sudan's Lost Boys. Eggers befriended Deng and wrote the novel based on Deng's story. The best part is that Eggers was at that point a best-selling author, meaning his book would presumably draw much praise (read: attention) and money. All the proceeds from this book went to Deng's foundation, which is currently building a school in his village in Sudan.
Eggers is a very unique author, mixing humor with grief in a way that can be simultaneously difficult and understandable for one who has been through a prolonged period of hard times. For anyone who has read A Heartbreaking Work, you probably understand what I mean when I say that at times I wanted to throw the book at the wall. While What is the What sometimes had that feeling (mostly in the beginning), it was easier to sink into Achak's sadness. I think this was partly because I knew the story was based on mostly true events, thus allowing me to convince myself of the importance of reading the story. Also, when beginning this book, I think I felt as though it was a repeat, albeit a fictionalized one, of Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone, which in some ways it was. I soon realized that this was not the case, and would actually recommend reading them both. Beah's account is a memoir about being a child soldier in Sierra Leone, focusing solely on his time there. The book ends just as he is arriving in America, where he would soon attend Oberlin College. Deng's story is one of a refugee, and the book goes back and forth between his time in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya and America, highlighting that this Lost Boy remains lost, even when he has been given a new lease on life in the US.
Both books are generally about war-torn Africa and the effects these various conflicts have on young people, young people who are now part of this country. Yet, it is also important to understand the variety of conflicts and reasons for them, as well as experiences had by those involved. These stories are told by very different voices, but ultimately, are told to shed light on a world that too often we consider to be farther away and more separate than it really is.
