We will be discussing What Strange Par adise \;by Omar El Akkad\, this year's Meet the Author title.&nbs p\; After the discussion\, join us for our virtual author event on Decembe r 1st at 7pm. \;
\nMore bodies have washed up on the shores of a
small island. Another overfilled\, ill-equipped\, dilapidated ship has su
nk under the weight of its too many passengers: Syrians\, Ethiopians\, Egy
ptians\, Lebanese\, Palestinians\, all of them desperate to escape untenab
le lives back in their homelands. But miraculously\, someone has survived
the passage: nine-year-old Amir\, a Syrian boy who is soon rescued by V&au
ml\;nna. Vä\;nna is a teenage girl\, who\, despite being native to the
island\, experiences her own sense of homelessness in a place and among p
eople she has come to disdain. And though Vä\;nna and Amir are complet
e strangers\, though they don&rsquo\;t speak a common language\, Vä\;n
na is determined to do whatever it takes to save the boy.
\;
In alternating chapters\, we learn about Amir&rsquo\;s life and how he c
ame 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 c
hildren finding their way through a hostile world. But it is also a story
of empathy and indifference\, of hope and despair&mdash\;and about the way
each of those things can blind us to reality. (From the publisher)
Registration will close two hours before the program begins and registrants will receive a link to join shortly thereafter.
\nPlease email community@wilmetteli brary.info with any questions about how to access the program via Zoom.
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