{"product_id":"2940169296006","title":"The Boy Who Runs: The Odyssey of Julius Achon","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn the tradition of Uzodinma Iweala's \u003ci\u003eBeasts of No Nation \u003c\/i\u003eby way of Christopher McDougall's \u003ci\u003eBorn to Run, \u003c\/i\u003ethis is the inspirational true story of the Ugandan boy soldier who became a world-renowned runner, then found his calling as director of a world-renowned African children's charity.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eJulius can't remember who first saw the men. He heard no warning sounds-no dog barking or twig snapping. Until this point, events had moved too swiftly for Julius to be afraid, but now panic seized him. In another instant, he realized that his old life was finished.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThus begins the extraordinary odyssey of Julius Achon, a journey that takes a barefoot twelve-year-old boy from a village in northern Uganda to the rebel camp of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army, where he was made a boy soldier, and then, miraculously, to a career as one of the world's foremost middle-distance runners. But when a devastating tragedy prevents Julius from pursuing the gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, he is once again set adrift and forced to forge a new path for himself, finally finding his true calling as an internationally recognized humanitarian. Today, Julius is the director of the Achon Uganda Children's Fund, a charity whose mission is to improve the quality of life in rural Uganda through access to healthcare, education, and athletics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile pursuing his destiny, Julius encounters a range of unforgettable characters who variously befriend and betray him: the demonic Joseph Kony, a \"world-class warlord\"; John Cook, a brilliant and eccentric U.S. track coach; Jim Fee, an American businessman who helps Julius build a state-of-the-art medical center deep in the Ugandan bush; and finally Kristina, Julius's mother, whose own tragic journey forms the pivot for this spellbinding narrative of love, loss, suffering, and redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten by award-winning sportswriter John Brant, \u003ci\u003eThe Boy Who Runs\u003c\/i\u003e is an empowering tale of obstacles overcome, challenges met, and light wrested from darkness. It's a story about forging your true path and finding your higher purpose-even when the road ahead bends in unexpected directions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47150251901168,"sku":"2940169296006","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169296006_p0.jpg?v=1763679113","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169296006","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}