WHAT IS THE WHAT

By Dave Eggers
Vintage Books, 2006

“What Is the What” is an autobiographical account of a young boy who fled his village in the Sudan when it was attacked my government sponsored militia. The boy, Valentino, became one of “The Lost Boys of the Sudan,” who received world-wide attention because of their long dangerous trek on foot to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Though it is autobiography, the account is published as a novel because the storyteller, Valentino, is relying on memory of events that happened more than a decade ago. Everything in the book happened, but it may not have happened to Valentino, and it may not have happened when and where the book says it happened.

The book is an interesting and gripping read. It opens in the near present when Valentino, now an American, is the victim of a home invasion in Atlanta. Bound and gagged, he begins to recall the tragic events of his life, imagining that he is telling them to his muggers. The book uses this literary device to the end, interchanging the story of his life as a refugee with the story of his attempt to get help for the beating he received in Atlanta.

The original event- the attack on his village by government sponsored militia- occurred in the 1980s. Valentino does not offer dates, but makes references by his own chronological age. The events in the book should not be confused with modern day events in the Darfur region of the Sudan. These modern events are but one more new atrocity perpetuated by the Sudanese government.

The book is not a complicated read, but neither is it light reading. Each chapter is filled with tragedy, and the book is 538 pages long. However, it provides incredible insight into the life of a refugee- a sort of survival guide for both the body and spirit. Those who read it will not be pleased with the world’s system of responding to massive situations of urgent human need.

In particular, I was struck by the discordant appearance of life in America when the refugees finally arrived. They were shown massive displays of wealth, but they had a very difficult time adapting to life in America. Life in America was supposed to be filled with opportunity, but his sometime girlfriend was murdered. Americans seemed no better at responding to individual need than the world did responding to massive suffering. In particular, Valentino spent hours and hours waiting for treatment of his wounds, while pondering the fact that he was having difficulty in his college courses. He could not identify the reason for his struggles, he was having trouble getting admitted to a four year school, and people who had helped him settle in Atlanta were beginning to lose interest in him. The book closes with Valentino deciding to make a new home for himself in another town, but it left me wondering about the way we Americans care for each other.

I think this would be an excellent book for group discussions, if the readers can get past its length. It is a definite read for persons passionate about issues of social justice.

George R. Pasley
January 14, 2008