First edition

What Strange Paradise is a novel by Canadian writer Omar El Akkad, published in 2021 by Penguin Random House.[1] The novel centres on Amir, a young boy from Syria who has survived the sinking of a ship that was carrying him and other refugees, and his developing bond with Vänna, a teenage girl who resides on the island where Amir washed up after the shipwreck.[2]

The novel won the 2021 Giller Prize.[3]

Reception

According to the book review aggregator website Bookmarks, the novel received rave reviews.[4]

Writing for The New York Times Wendell Steavenson described how, "This extraordinary book carries a message, not of a trite and clichéd hope, but of a greater universal humanism, the terrifying idea that, ultimately, there are no special distinctions among us, that in fact we are all very much in the same boat."[5] Ron Charles of The Washington Post called the novel "riveting" and noted that, "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."[6] Similarly, Robert J. Wiersema writing for the magazine Quill & Quire said "What Strange Paradise is an immediate, visceral reading experience. El Akkad offers no easy answers, save the reminder of our common humanity and the importance of the simplicity of right and wrong. And that is, truly, more than enough."[7] The Guardian's Sukhdev Sandhu specifically pointed to how "El Akkad’s vignettes of life at sea are especially textured."[8] The reviewer concluded, "There are many passages in What Strange Paradise that startle and are hard to forget."[8]

The novel was selected for the 2022 edition of Canada Reads, where it was defended by entrepreneur Tareq Hadhad.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Ron Charles, "‘What Strange Paradise’ is a visceral account of a refugee’s desperation". The Washington Post, July 26, 2021.
  2. ↑ Adil Bhat, "Omar El Akkad’s Odyssey of Hope". The Nation, November 8, 2021.
  3. ↑ Adina Bresge, "Omar El Akkad wins $100K Giller Prize for 'What Strange Paradise'". CTV News, November 8, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Book Marks reviews of What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad". Book Marks. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  5. ↑ Steavenson, Wendell (July 20, 2021). "'What Strange Paradise' Explores Two Sides of a Migrant Crisis". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  6. ↑ Charles, Ron (July 26, 2021). "'What Strange Paradise' is a visceral account of a refugee's desperation". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  7. ↑ Wiersema, Robert J. "What Strange Paradise". Quill & Quire. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  8. 1 2 Sandhu, Sukhdev (September 1, 2021). "What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad review – desperate journeys". The Guardian. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Meet the Canada Reads 2022 contenders". CBC Books, January 26, 2022.
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