"Told with humor, humanity, and bottomless compassion for his subject. . . . It is impossible to read this book and not be humbled, enlightened, transformed."
-Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner
"Lit by lightning flashes of humor, wisdom and charm. . . . An extraordinary work of witness, and of art."
-Francine Prose, The New York Times Book Review, December 24, 2006
"A moving, frightening, improbably beautiful book."
-Lev Grossman, Time, November 6, 2006
"A testament to the triumph of hope over experience, human resilience over tragedy and disaster."
-Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times, November 7, 2006
"An absolute classic. . . . Compelling, important, and vital to the understanding of the politics and emotional consequences of oppression."
-Jonathan Durbin, People, November 6, 2006
"A sweet and sometimes very funny story of one boy's coming of age. . . . Strange, beautiful and unforgettable… a tremendous story, all the more affecting because it is true."
-John Freeman, San Francisco Chronicle, December 24, 2006
“What Is the What does what a novel does best, which is to make us understand the deeper truths of another human being's experience.”
Booklist, November 15, 2006
“In his new novel about a Sudanese refugee, Dave Eggers delivers nothing short of genius…the results are stunning. What Is the What is a portrait of a character that forces us to examine our world and ourselves, and how our struggle for identity is more of a collective battle than we're often willing to admit.”
David Amsden, New York, October 30, 2006
“Hands down, Dave Eggers' What Is the What stands as the single most thought-provoking, unusual and moving book I have read all year…makes comprehensible the jumble of news stories and TV reports about refugee camps, orphans and boy soldiers.”
Deirdre Donahue. USA Today, December 7, 2006
See even more reviews at the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation.