Father of the Lost Boys

[fred_mouse]

Father of the Lost Boys: A Memoir by Yout A. Alaak tells the story of Alaak's family during the Second Sudanese Civil War, as well as roughly twenty thousand 'Lost Boys' - boys mostly between the ages of 8 and 12, who had been sent to refugee camps unaccompanied.

Although some of the subject matter is dreadful, this is a beautifully written book that maintains a generally upbeat tone, and makes sure to talk of joy as well as sadness.

Also included is a brief history of South Sudan, which is one of the clearest summaries of several hundreds of years of history that I've seen in a long time.

Released by Fremantle Press in 2020

Content warnings for war related topics, child death.