WHAT STRANGE PARADISE

This is a remarkable, timely listen about an event taken from today's headlines. El Akkad's novel follows the journey of a very young Syrian refugee who survives a shipwreck and washes up on a small island. There, he ends up being rescued by a teenage girl who is in many ways no better offer than the young protagonist. Not surprisingly, Dion Graham gives an assured and compassionate narration. In lesser hands, this story could easily have been maudlin or sensationalistic. Instead, Graham carries the listener along on a remarkable journey that is at times life altering and life affirming. This listen will engage and give a sense of just how far some will go, and the costs and sacrifices they'll make, to try to have better lives. J.P.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2021]