What Is the What

By: Dave Eggers

Narrated by: Dion Graham

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....

©2006 Dave Eggers (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

"Read Dave Eggers. What Is the What - it's the best book of the year." ( Guardian)

"A remarkable book: harrowing, witty, wretched, delightful; and always compelling, always surprising." ( London Review of Books)

Incredible story of survival and grit

I thoroughly enjoyed this,although it’s quite long,the narrator was excellent.
This story will make you count your blessings,and have faith in man’s ability to rise above hardship and triumph!
Well worth it!

Incredible story

Unforgettable and impactful. A story that has changed the way I think about what people ( children ) are capable of. I realised I’m not so brave.