What is the What
Ranked #8 in Author, Ranked #15 in Ethiopia — see more rankings.
This is the story of a man who, as a boy, was separated from his family in Sudan's brutal civil war; who trekked across Africa's punishing wilderness with thousands of other children; who survived aerial bombardment and attacks by militias and wild animals; who ate whatever he could find or nothing at all; who, as a boy, considered ending his life to end the suffering; and who eventually mad it to America, where a new and equally challenging journey began. His name is Valentino Achak Deng, and in this novel Dave Eggers tells the extraordinary true story of his incredible journey.
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Reviews and Recommendations
We've comprehensively compiled reviews of What is the What from the world's leading experts.
Barack Obama Former USA PresidentAs a devoted reader, the president has been linked to a lengthy list of novels and poetry collections over the years — he admits he enjoys a thriller. (Source)
Robert Eaglestone Eggers plays with the relationship between reality and fiction. What is the What might be thought of as containing chunks of reality (Source)
Rankings by Category
What is the What is ranked in the following categories:
- #16 in Africa
- #39 in African
- #73 in African History
- #37 in Events
- #63 in Human Rights
- #29 in Immigration
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