What Strange Paradise
A Novel
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What Strange Paradise
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Narrated by:
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Dion Graham
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Written by:
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Omar El Akkad
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.
©2021 Omar El Akkad (P)2021 Random House AudioYou may also enjoy...
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What the critics say
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, NPR, BuzzFeed • Winner of the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize • Finalist for the 2022 Aspen Words Literary Prize • Finalist for the 2022 Oregon Book Award
“Extraordinary . . . 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. I haven’t loved a book this much in a long time.” —Wendell Steavenson, The New York Times Book Review
“Riveting . . . Nothing I’ve read before has given me such a visceral sense of the grisly predicament confronted by millions of people expelled from their homes by conflict and climate change. Though What Strange Paradise celebrates a few radical acts of compassion, it does so only by placing those moments of moral courage against a vast ocean of cruelty.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post
“Hope and kindness light the story in unexpected ways . . . El Akkad's precise prose allows him to inject heartfelt observations throughout the novel . . . Perhaps El Akkad's biggest accomplishment with What Strange Paradise is that it manages to push past political talking points and shocking statistics to rehumanize the discussion about migration on a global scale, and it does so with enough heart to be memorable.” —Gabino Iglesias, NPR
Giller 2021 Shortlist Author Spotlight: Omar El Akkad
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What listeners say about What Strange Paradise
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alicia Gradson
- 2022-10-06
Catharsis
This is a stunning, breathtaking experience. A memorial book. One I recommend highly. You will weep.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- celia gjosund
- 2022-10-24
Story of refugees
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
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Olga Gonokhova
- 2025-02-20
Amazing, heartbreaking, true story
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.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-11-10
Through a child’s eyes.
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.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- lorraine
- 2022-03-17
fabulous
beautifully written. a very sweet story. great characters. i did not want it to end.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roberta W
- 2022-01-30
Perspectives on modern tragedies
I chose this book as it is part of Canada Reads 2022. I am glad it was selected as I’m not sure I would have found it otherwise. Very well written. Took me beyond the headlines of migrants arriving in terrible condition on the shores of the Mediterranean, simply headlines, or news headlines of islanders overwhelmed by the seemingly endless arrivals. The story of one boy migrant and one girl islander. Innocence and desperation in a touching tale. I am no closer in my thinking on solutions or responses, but I have a greater understanding of, and compassion for, the thousands impacted.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vanessa Espinoza
- 2021-12-24
Excellent
Great read from a different perspective. Seeing this side of the story is an important one!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-11
So moving
A beautifully narrated book for our times describing the horrific trials encountered by desperate people seeking a better life. Moving, sad, hopeful, encouraging, disgusting - all met in this one story.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-04-16
Boring and Slightly Confusing
I like the story idea overall but it was very confusing to keep track of the before and after parts because it skipped between the two every chapter. Also I would have never finished the book if it was for personal enjoyment rather than a school required read because he over explains and describes things to a point where you just want to skip half the book because its boring.
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