What is the What

This novelized account follows Valentino Achak Deng, a seven-year-old boy from Sudan who becomes one of the 'Lost Boys' during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Forced to flee his village, he embarks on a harrowing trek across the deserts of three countries, evading militias, government bombers, and wild animals. The narrative captures the physical and emotional endurance required to survive this journey, culminating in his resettlement in the United States. There, he navigates the complex transition from a war-torn childhood to a life of promise in a foreign culture, facing new challenges of identity, belonging, and heartache.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.