They were known simply as ‘The Lost Boys.’ Orphaned by the brutal civil war in Sudan, which began in 1983, these children travelled hundreds of miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3,600 Lost Boys, as well as girls, to America. The Good Lie brings the story of their survival and triumph to life.
When an attack by the northern militia destroys their home and kills their parents, a tattered group of survivors makes the difficult trek to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Thirteen years later, the now young adults are given the opportunity to leave the camp and resettle in America. Upon arriving in Kansas City, Missouri, they are met by Carrie Davis (Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon), an employment agency counsellor who has been enlisted to help find them jobs.
Although Carrie has successfully kept herself from any emotional entanglements, these refugees, who desperately require help navigating western culture and rebuilding their shattered lives, need just that. So Carrie embarks on her own journey into unchartered territory.
Together, against the backdrop of their shared losses, the Lost Boys and this unlikely stranger find humour in the clash of cultures, and heartbreak as well as hope in the challenges of life in America.
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