Lost Youth

What Is the What, Dave Eggers. I feel a little weird writing about this book at all, and in fact, wasn't going to, just because we (that is, Jenny) know and work with the author. The subject matter, furthermore, is so serious and the format is so unfamiliar to me, that I feel ill-equipped to evaluate the book. Anyway, as you probably know, Eggers worked with Valentino Achak Deng, a Lost Boy of Sudan now living in Atlanta, and produced What Is the What, which is described as both a novel and as Deng's autobiography. I am having a similar experience to that of reading The Man Who Loved Children: I frequently have to put the book down and pace, because it is so troubling, but I keep reading it because the writing is so beautiful and clear.  -- Peter