Book · 2021 · New York Times reviewed
What Strange Paradise
- mentions
- 6
- people
- 3
- podcasts
- 2
- episodes
- 2
- recommendation
- 1
And to me, you know, I think about there's there's a book that came out by a writer named Omar Alkad. One day, everyone will always have been against this.
What they say about it
- Discussing the new novel“discuss his new novel”2
The best things said about it
It's a reinterpretation I suppose of Peter Pan. It's a story of Peter Pan retold as the story of a contemporary child refugee and it's a much shorter quieter book than American War.
American War is not how I think a literal second civil war would go down. What Strange Paradise is not a literal interpretation of the migrant journey.
Why people recommend it
What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad is a contemporary novel that reinterprets the classic story of Peter Pan through the lens of a child refugee surviving a perilous migrant journey. Zohran Mamdani recommended the book on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, using the narrative to illustrate how public sentiment toward historical atrocities and modern conflicts inevitably shifts over time. Gilbert Cruz hosted the author on The Book Review to explore the thematic origins of the story, comparing its quieter, more poetic tone to the author's previous novel, American War. Omar El Akkad discussed how the book serves as a metaphorical exploration of displacement rather than a literal depiction of a migrant journey, noting its structural roots in fairy tales. Across these discussions, the novel is highlighted as a devastating, deeply humane literary work that captures the emotional weight of global refugee crises through an intimate, imaginative narrative lens.
Every mention
Zohran Mamdani And to me, you know, I think about there's there's a book that came out by a writer named Omar Alkad. One d… 1
“And to me, you know, I think about there's there's a book that came out by a writer named Omar Alkad. One day, everyone will always have been against this.”
Gilbert Cruz Omar El aad will be here to discuss his new novel what strange Paradise 3
“Omar El aad will be here to discuss his new novel what strange Paradise”
“his latest novel is called what strange Paradise”
“so this novel what strange Paradise is not one of those three from the bottom drawer”
Omar El Akkad it's a reinterpretation I suppose of of Peter Pan it's a story of Peter Pan retold as as the story of a con… 2
“it's a reinterpretation I suppose of of Peter Pan it's a story of Peter Pan retold as as the story of a contemporary child Refugee and it's a much shorter quieter book than American war”
“again I you know American war is not how I think a literal second Civil War would go down what strange Paradise is not a literal interpretation of the migrant Journey”
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“well let's talk about that first novel for a moment before we go on to what strange Paradise the American war imagined a future second American Civil War breaking out in the year 2074”
“Omar thank you so much for being here thank you Omar lad's new novel is called what strange paradise”