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What Strange Paradise

A Novel

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What Strange Paradise

Written by: Omar El Akkad
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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About this listen

 A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the widely acclaimed, bestselling author of American War—a beautifully written, unrelentingly dramatic, and profoundly moving novel that looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child.

"Told from the point of view of two children, on the ground and at sea, the story so astutely unpacks the us-versus-them dynamics of our divided world that it deserves to be an instant classic." —The New York Times Book Review

More bodies have washed up on the shores of a small island. Another overfilled, ill-equipped, dilapidated ship has sunk under the weight of its too many passengers: Syrians, Ethiopians, Egyptians, Lebanese, Palestinians, all of them desperate to escape untenable lives back in their homelands. But miraculously, someone has survived the passage: nine-year-old Amir, a Syrian boy who is soon rescued by Vänna. Vänna is a teenage girl, who, despite being native to the island, experiences her own sense of homelessness in a place and among people she has come to disdain. And though Vänna and Amir are complete strangers, though they don’t speak a common language, Vänna is determined to do whatever it takes to save the boy.

In alternating chapters, we learn about Amir’s life and how he came to be on the boat, and we follow him and the girl as they make their way toward safety. What Strange Paradise is the story of two children finding their way through a hostile world. But it is also a story of empathy and indifference, of hope and despair—and about the way each of those things can blind us to reality. Coming of Age Friendship Genre Fiction Islamic Heritage Literary Fiction Middle East Fiction

Giller 2021 Shortlist Author Spotlight: Omar El Akkad

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This is a stunning, breathtaking experience. A memorial book. One I recommend highly. You will weep.

Catharsis

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The author takes us on a journey deep into the heart of a big problem, a big problem for everyone, a problem for the whole of humanity. There are many ways to tell a story, especially this kind of story, we all know how much violence, criminality, oppression and pain is involved. At least we should know, if we are at all human and in touch with reality. The author chooses not to taint this book with any of the emotions we normally associate with loss, grief and violent danger. Instead, he chooses storytelling and innocence that resides in the hearts of children, like following a golden string of light (my words), giving the reader a glimpse of what this struggle looks like, knowing no reader could handle the alternative. For that I am grateful.

A delightful read

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a beautifully written and descriptive story of a family in flight from their own homeland, how they arecdeslt with and where they land after an awful sea voyage and how then they are accepted..or not. hardship is norm

Story of refugees

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I want the story of little Amir to stay forever in the hearts of people - more stories like that need to be heard and told.

Amazing, heartbreaking, true story

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Being transported back to childhood was remarkable. Each child’s perspective and opposing circumstances are overcome by their common humanity and innate wisdom, making the adults seem spiritually stunted by comparison. A worthy thought provoking beautifully read book that I put down knowing I will read again another time.

Through a child’s eyes.

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