Valentino Achak Denk is a real life hero, a refugee of the Sudanese civil war of the 1980s and 1990s. Separated from his family at 7 years old, when an Arab militia destroys his village, Valentino joins thousands of other “lost boys” on their harrowing march to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya.

After 15 years of disease, starvation and rebel attacks, Valentino finally reaches America where his quest for education and safety is threatened by thugs who robbed him and kept him captive in his own apartment. Eggers recorded hours of conversation with Valentino, and the tale is told in matter of fact, understated, even humorous, prose. This fictionalized memoir clarified the Sudanese “Lost Boys’ to me in a way that no history book or journalism article could.

--Recommended by Connie

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