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EPISODE · Aug 24, 2026 · 32 MIN

The Boys Who Refused to Become Monsters

from The Box of Oddities · host Kat & Jethro Gilligan Toth

What happens when six teenage boys are stranded on a deserted island for more than a year? Forget Lord of the Flies. The true story of the boys of Ata reveals something far more surprising—and far more hopeful—about human nature. Then, during World War II, a Muslim family in Sarajevo risks everything to hide their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis. Nearly fifty years later, with Sarajevo under siege once again, an extraordinary act of courage comes full circle. Two remarkable true stories of survival, kindness, and ordinary people choosing to become the helpers when the world is at its worst. Also: pets may be angels, Kat encounters one at a drive-thru, and we celebrate five astonishing comebacks—including species once believed extinct. Come fly the freak flag with us as we explore the strange, the inspiring, and the beautifully unexpected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 24, 2026

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The Boys Who Refused to Become Monsters

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This episode was published on August 24, 2026.

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