The Lost Boys of Sudan

Last year, I read What is the What by Dave Eggers, which tells the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Eggers tells the amazing story of Valentino Achak Deng who traveled from Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya and finally to the U.S. (Georgia) to escape the civil war in his homeland. The Eggers' version of the story is technically fiction, but it is based on fact and provides a pretty good picture of the struggles of Deng and the other Lost Boys. (To learn more about the Lost Boys who are known for walking thousands of miles to leave Sudan click here.)

Several months ago, I added a documentary about the Lost Boys to my netflix queue--inspired by Deng's story, and yesterday, I watched God Grew Tired of Us. Like What is the What, the film told the story of the Lost Boys through the experience of a few individuals. Like Deng, the subjects of the film fled Sudan for Ethiopia, then Kenya and finally the U.S. (Pittsburgh and Syracuse). The film brought to life the struggles and inspiration I had read about in What is the What. It is also fascinating to learn how John, Daniel and Panther, who are followed on their journey from Kenya to the U.S., adapt (rather quickly) to their new lives.

By the way, I also learned that there is another documentary out now about the Lost Boys--appropriately called Lost Boys of Sudan.