Father of the Lost Boys

During the Second Sudanese Civil War, thousands of South Sudanese boys were displaced from their villages or orphaned in attacks from northern government troops. Many became refugees in Ethiopia. There, in 1989, teacher and community leader Mecak Ajang Alaak assumed care of the Lost Boys in a bid to protect them from becoming child soldiers. So began a four-year journey from Ethiopia to Sudan and on to the safety of a Kenyan refugee camp. Together they endured starvation, animal attacks and the horrors of landmines and aerial bombardment. This eyewitness account by Mecak Ajang Alaak’s son, Yuot, is the extraordinary true story of a man who never ceased to believe that the pen is mightier than the gun.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

‘This valuable book deserves a global audience and will be a disquieting read for those of privilege; this country is a better place for it having been published.’ Books+Publishing

‘This memoir is a life-affirming story which proves yet again that so many refugees have courage and initiative that – quite apart from any humanitarian motives – show how much the fortunate West has to gain in opening its doors.’ ANZ LitLovers

‘… this is not a story of sadness, but of a family’s triumph; of love, loyalty and choosing the power of the pen over the power of the gun.’ Sydney Morning Herald

‘… it is a jaw-dropping memoir, punctuated by inconceivable tragedy but underpinned throughout by the powerful hope that kept them moving.’ Weekend West

‘This is an important story.’ Magpies