American War
A Novel
-
-
4.3 • 136 Ratings
-
-
- $5.99
Publisher Description
Shortlisted for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize
A Globe and Mail Best Book
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A Quill & Quire Best Book of 2017
An audacious and powerful debut novel: a second American Civil War, a devastating plague, and one family caught deep in the middle -- a story that asks what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons upon itself.
Sarat Chestnut, born in Louisiana, is only six when the Second American Civil War breaks out in 2074. But even she knows that oil is outlawed, that Louisiana is half underwater, that unmanned drones fill the sky. And when her father is killed and her family is forced into Camp Patience for displaced persons, she quickly begins to be shaped by her particular time and place until, finally, through the influence of a mysterious functionary, she is turned into a deadly instrument of war. Telling her story is her nephew, Benjamin Chestnut, born during war as one of the Miraculous Generation and now an old man confronting the dark secret of his past -- his family's role in the conflict and, in particular, that of his aunt, a woman who saved his life while destroying untold others.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In the near future, fossil fuel is outlawed, the seas rise catastrophically, and the U.S. North and South are engaged in bloody conflict. American War is a chilling allegory of nationalism and blood thirst, as seen through the eyes of Sarat, an orphaned Louisiana-born girl who becomes radicalized in a refugee camp in Tennessee. Omar El Akkad writes Sarat convincingly from the ages of six to middle age, covering a wide swath of emotional ground in this gripping dystopian novel. An Egyptian-born investigative journalist, El Akkad skillfully explores how loyalty, power, and revenge motivate those affected by war.
Customer Reviews
Riveting
An amazing read. Troubling and plausible. Gave me sleepless nights. Writing is crisp. Characters well developed. Essential reading today.
Riveting page turner
Of all five books for Canada Reads Debate, this, my least favourite in anticipation, has become my very favourite read of all five excellent books. All have the capacity to open our eyes, but this one opened my eyes and my heart......
American Dud
Was very disappointed with this story, after listening to all that hype it got on CBC radio and making it to #2 on Canada Reads.
Bland. Not engaging.