Coming up with my top ten novels of all time is no easy task. And I'm sure once my list is complete I'll remember others that I enjoyed more, or wished I would have included because their inclusion would have made me sound so much smarter. Oh well.
Book #10 on the all time list almost didn't make it due to almost being non-fiction - listed as a novel but actually a retelling of a true life story, What is the What by David Eggers is the tale of a boy soldier from the Sudan. The frame of the story is Valantino Achak Deng's sponsorship by an Atlanta church and his ensuing move to the States. But the American city is an alien world to him, and his attempts to find work, succeed in school, and live in an apartment with a roommate are humorous/painful to watch. Humorous in that he doesn't know what to do with some of the food that is given to him and sticks the peanut butter in the freezer. Painful because, in his innocence, he allows just about anyone into his home and ends up the victim of burglary and assault.
But his reflections on growing up in Africa are even more eye-opening. When I was a kid my biggest fear was missing the bus, or showing up to school in my underwear. But Deng lives in a world where soldiers arrive as if out of no where and destroy his world. Fleeing through the desert at night with a troup of other orphaned kids, he witnesses a lion race through their line and carry off two boys. The remaining orphans freeze in their path, scared to move. Eventually they sit down, holding their breath, listening to the lion devour the children it took, hoping the lion would not still be hungry when it had finished.
Eggers storytelling, from the perspective of an adult Deng, is remarkable. If you care at all about the plight of the boy soldiers and refugees in Africa, this is a must read, ranking right up there with the documentary Invisible Children.
Highly recommended.
Join us next Thursday when the curtain will be pulled back on my 9th favorite novel of all time.
Now on to the contest winners. First I must apologize for the lack of organization. And also for the fact that some of the answers were on my profile page. Ha! Anyway, the winner's are John Perella and Stephen. If you guys could let me know your addresses, I'll mail a copy of Think No Evil to you.
Happy Reading!
New Release Spotlight: Cara Putman
1 week ago
That book sounds a lot like a documentary I recently watched on the Lost Boys of Africa. I highly recommend watching it if you haven't already.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.godgrewtiredofus.com/index.html
I read (and enjoyed) A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Eggers. It was a bit long and maybe too rambly at times for me (which is saying a lot). But an enjoyable read.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's been on my to-read list for a while. I'll try to bump it up a few places. I definitely enjoyed AHWoSG as well, Bryan - btw I'm a reader of your blog too, and because I am, I took an extra second to really savor the candy shell on my Advil today.
ReplyDeleteSo Shawn, do I have to wait to see just how many book I guessed correctly?
You know this is one of my favorites of all time. I think of Achak and his plight often. Usually when I find myself complaining about some silly inconvience and then I am reminded how blessed I am to have that luxury.
ReplyDelete