Refugee of Sudanese civil war to speak at library

Valentino Achak Deng will speak at 7 p.m. Thurs., April 5 at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road.

Deng, a refugee of the Sudanese civil war, is the subject of the novel "What is the What" by Dave Eggers.

As a young boy living with his family in southern Sudan, Deng survived a violent attack on his village. Separated from his family, Deng became a refugee and began his journey from Sudan to Ethiopia and Kenya on foot.

Along the way, other groups of orphaned children joined the march, and they became known as the "Lost Boys of Sudan." The story is filled with the boys' encounters with enemy soldiers, liberation rebels, hyenas and lions, disease and starvation, and with militias on horseback.

Deng will tell his story and afterwards will answer questions and sign copies of the book, which will on sale before and after his talk.

The event is free, but seating is limited.

For more information, call (805) 449-2660, ext. 204, or visit www.toaks.org/library.