A ship full of refugees sinks off the coast of a small island, leaving only one survivor – nine-year-old Amir. Vanna, a teenage girl who lives on the island, rescues Amir and hides him from the local authorities. Told in alternating chapters from before and after the shipwreck, What Strange Paradise is a riveting page-turner as Vanna and Amir make their way toward safety. But it is also a story of courage and compassion
that reminds us of the human stories behind the headlines. – Diana