What is the What

I picked up a copy of the book What is the What at Costco, that bastion of local wares and goods.

Written by Dave Eggers, it retells the story of one young boy who made the great march in the Sudan. Thousands upon thousands were orphaned as the government attacked many villages, killing family members. The boys were often in fields, herding, and were able to escape into the jungles hiking, sometimes for years, to Ethiopia or Kenya. So, this book retells the story of one boy and his long hike. It's very informative regarding the social injustice of this 2nd Sudanese Civil War. Moreso, it's deeply personal. It also provides a window into this guy's experience coming to America. (Around 4000 Lost Boys came to the U.S. and were given relief, but the "relief" was short-lived and resulted in significant social difficulties for them.)

Wow, that all sounds pretty depressing, yet it is really a triumph of a read.