CONTENT NOTIFICATIONS
Discrimination: Xenophobia,Language: Strong Language,Violence: Death
What Strange Paradise
By Omar El Akkad
Edition
By Omar El Akkad
Hardcover edition
Publisher Penguin Random House Imprint Knopf (Adult) ISBN9780525657903
What Strange Paradise
25.95
In stock
SKU
9780525657903J
From the widely acclaimed, best-selling author of American War: a new novel—beautifully written, unrelentingly dramatic, and profoundly moving—that looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child.
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.
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.
|
Standard MARC Records Cover Art |
Adult Crossover High Plus (Grades 11 & Up)
Adult Crossover High Plus
Adult Crossover High Plus (Grades 11 & Up)
For Grades 11 & Up
For the more advanced high school reader who is ready for adult reading, our ACH+ Category is a great choice. With more sophisticated and challenging themes, the 14 books in ACH+ open up new worlds for teen readers.
Take note: These selections often contain mature situations and language that could be considered controversial.
14 books per Year
$309.26 per Year
Interests
Fiction, Mature Readers, Novels, Realistic Fiction
Related Products
-
The House Party: A NovelAdult Crossover High Plus
September 2022
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Crime: Drug Trafficking/Dealing,Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Drug Use/Abuse,Language: Strong Language,Sexual Content: Strong Sexual Content/Themes,Violence: Sexual Assault/Rape
27.99
-
Sister Mother Warrior: A NovelAdult Crossover High Plus
July 2022
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism,Language: Mild Language,Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes,Social Issue: Slavery in Historical Context,Violence: General
27.99
-
Take No Names: A NovelAdult Crossover High Plus
July 2022
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Crime: General,Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism,Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Drug Use/Abuse,Language: Strong Language,Violence: Gun Violence
28.99
-
Counterfeit: A NovelAdult Crossover High Plus
June 2022
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Crime: General,Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism,Language: Strong Language
27.99
-
Fake: A NovelAdult Crossover High Plus
February 2022
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Crime: General,Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Drug Use/Abuse,Language: Strong Language,Sexual Content: Strong Sexual Content/Themes
26.99
-
Reprieve: A NovelAdult Crossover High Plus
October 2021
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Crime: General,Crime: Human Trafficking,Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism,Discrimination: Sexism,Language: Grotesque/Disturbing Imagery,Language: Strong Language,Sexual Content: Strong Sexual Content/Themes,Violence: General
27.99
-
The Lightness: A NovelAdult Crossover High Plus
June 2020
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Alcohol Abuse,Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Drug Use/Abuse,Language: Strong Language,Sexual Content: Strong Sexual Content/Themes
26.99
-
TrinityAdult Crossover High Plus
October 2018
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes,Violence: Mild Violence,Violence: War/Harsh Realities of War
26.99
