Member Reviews

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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 5 stars

  “"-God said, 'You can either have these cattle, as my gift to you, or you can have the What.' My father waited for the necessary response. '– But' . . . Sadiq said, helping out, 'What is the What?' My father shrugged. – 'We don't know. No one knows.'" This colorful Dinka creation story provides the title and theme to the spell-binding Sudanese refugee story of Valentino Achak Deng, as recounted by Dave Eggers. It includes stories of crocodile-infested river crossings into Ethiopia and nighttime horrors of hearing Lost Boys of Sudan being eaten by lions while trying to escape Sudanese attacks and atrocities. It also tells of crowded life in a dusty UN-sponsored refugee camp in Kenya. However ultimately this novel is a riveting story of survival and hope, contrasted by the protagonist’s challenges experienced in his newly adopted home in Atlanta. I highly recommend this book, it is truly an eye-opener!”

  tapbirds wrote this review Tuesday, May 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 0 stars

  “This is not the sort of book I ever would have bought for myself, let alone even picked up in a bookstore. But my boss gave it to me for Christmas; he was reading it himself and very excited about it. I have to say, it was a pretty depressing read! This poor guy has been through more horror than any person deserves ... and the thing is, bad things seem to keep on happening to him. He realizes this too, and occasionally he expresses how much he just wants it all to end. Yet he keeps on going, keeps striving for what he knows he deserves as a human being and as a decent person. I'm not exactly sure I can recommend the book, simply because it IS depressing, but I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it either.”

  londonpenguin wrote this review Friday, January 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 0 stars

  “My research on Cambodian refugee identity has given me an appetite for refugee narratives. Thought that Dave Eggers would give this an interesting framework for one of the stories of the "lost boys of Sudan" and it's true. I found it a terrific read, strong and effectively connecting the many problems refugees encounter in resettlement with the story of war, flight, refugee camps. Read it!”

  kpoethig wrote this review Sunday, September 9 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “I didn't read this book, technically, I listened to the audiobook, which "counts" as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, the reading by Dion Graham was brilliant. He is a terrific narrator / reader.”

  moik wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “One day i was searching in the library just looking for a book to read for work later that day. i came across this book and was interested by its cover.
  
  What a weekend i had, this book was amazing, its about a young boy in the Sudan who is separated from his family and village during the 80s and 90s due to a genocide.
  
  The book was well written, extremely moving, in many chapters i had tears in my eyes but it gives you an idea or even a glimpse of people living through a horror like a genocide.
  
  Powerful book, nuff said.”

  Dante The Platano Eater wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “This is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. ”

  celeste b wrote this review Monday, October 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “I loved this book even though it was hard to take all of the atrocities that happened to the main character and so many others. The fact that finally getting to America didn't even end all of his troubles was a lot to bear. This book was able to be humorous even when upsetting things were taking place.”

  Colleen T wrote this review Wednesday, October 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “Enjoyed the book, though it was a hard read. It took my 4 months to get through it, because it was so depressing at times. I feel that more of us should read this book in order to appreciate what we have and to help others achieve a better life.”

  Valerie B wrote this review Monday, October 6 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “This was a wonderful book. The narrative style (a first-person account) is very lean, without flourishes. Just simple story telling of the ravages of war-torn Sudan, and the young life of a Sudanese refugee. ”

  Alex D wrote this review Wednesday, October 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Extremely difficult to read because of the subject matter, but very informative. It helps to explain the situation in Sudan that drove so many people out of the country in the 80's. The writing style reads like a fictional story which helps to keep it moving.”

  Suzy P wrote this review Friday, September 19 2008. ( reply | permalink )