What is the What (Penguin Books)

Valentine Achak Deng ist noch ein Kind, als einer der brutalsten Bürgerkriege der neueren Zeit ihn von seiner Familie trennt und ihn zwingt, aus dem kleinen sudanesischen Dorf mit Tausenden von andern Waisen nach Äthiopien zu fliehen...At the heart of this astonishing, soul-wrenching novel is a true story of courage and endurance in the face of one of the most brutal civil wars the world has ever known. Valentino Achak Deng is just a boy when conflict separates him from his family and forces him to leave his small Sudanese village, joining thousands of other orphans on their long, long walk to Ethiopia, where they find safety - for a time. Along the way Valentino encounters enemy soldiers, liberation rebels and deadly militias, hyenas and lions, disease and starvation. But there are experiences ahead that will test his spirit in even greater ways than these Truly epic in scope, and told with expansive humanity, deep compassion and unexpected humour, What is the What is an eye-opening account of life amid the madness of war and an unforgettable tale of tragedy and triumph.