APRIL 13, 2017 // 17
BOOKMONGER
Debut novel paints bleak
picture of near future
A century or so ago,
blight devastated the dom-
inant tree species of the
United States’ eastern for-
ests. The mighty American
chestnut, once estimated to
stand nearly 4 billion trees
strong, rapidly succumbed
to a fungus in what ranks
as not only a decimating
ecological disaster, but a
phenomenon that created
economic and cultural hav-
oc as well.
One suspects it can be
no accident, then, that the
principal characters in
the new dystopian novel,
“American War,” have
been given the family name
of Chestnut. Debut novelist
Omar El Akkad imagines a
second American Civil War
in the final quarter of the
21st century.
Now living just outside
of Portland, El Akkad was
born in Egypt, grew up in
Qatar, moved to Canada
and became an investi-
gative journalist. He has
reported on terrorism in
Toronto, the war in Af-
ghanistan, Egypt’s aborted
Arab Spring, the military
trials at Guantánamo Bay,
and the aftermath of the
Michael Brown shooting
by police in Ferguson,
Missouri. In short, the
author has seen dystopia
made real — over and over
again — in the first quarter
of this century.
In “American War,” the
Chestnut family is eking
out a life along the ruined
margins of the Mississippi
Sea. In a world belea-
guered with an assortment
of environmental catastro-
phes — rising sea levels,
desertification, relentless
storms, shrinking resources
— political and economic
dynamics are shifting on a
global scale.
The two superpowers
in 2075 are China and the
Bouazizi Empire, a North
African/Middle Eastern
alliance named in honor of
the Tunisian fruit vendor
whose self-immolation
sparked the first Arab
Spring uprisings.
The United States,
meanwhile, is breaking
apart. Refugees from the
coasts have crowded into
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the country’s interior, to
the aversion of the long-
time denizens there. The
desert southwest is aligning
more closely with Mexi-
co. And in the southeast,
Mississippi, Alabama and
Georgia have vowed to se-
cede from the Union rather
than obey the national
mandate to stop using oil
as their primary energy
source.
With the threat of war
moving ever closer, the
Chestnut family makes
plans to flee to the relative
stability of the North. But
chaos engulfs them before
they can make the move
and the family is swept
instead into Camp Pa-
tience, a sprawling refugee
settlement surrounded by
a wastewater trench of
human sludge.
The camp’s name sug-
gests that society expects
these displaced people to
bide their time, but life
does not stand still. “Amer-
ican War” focuses on
6-year-old Sarat Chestnut,
and how she is influ-
enced by the conditions
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American War —
Omar El Akkad
Knopf — 352 pp -
$26.95
that surround her as she
grows up. The family love
that envelops her in early
childhood cannot withstand
the corrosive forces of
disruption, deprivation and
violence. As time goes on,
Sarat’s actions reflect her
warped allegiances — and
have devastating repercus-
sions.
Although El Akkad
sketches a world 60 years
into the future, the reader
cannot help but under-
stand that the blighting
circumstances he presents
— climate change, sec-
tionalism, resource wars,
refugee camps, and sheer
desperation — are already
happening in our time. And
they are already having
their effect.
The Bookmonger is Barbara
Lloyd McMichael, who writes
this weekly column focusing
on the books, authors and
publishers of the Pacific
Northwest. Contact her at
bkmonger@nwlink.com
Native Astorian to talk about
Finnish epic poem ‘The Kalevala’
ASTORIA — Greg Jacob,
a retired linguistics professor
from Portland State Univer-
sity, will give a talk about
the Finnish national epic The
Kalevala at 7 p.m. Saturday,
April 15, at Suomi Hall, 244
W. Marine Drive.
Jacob will discuss the
epic’s origin and poetic
expression of traditional
Finnish culture. In particular,
he will explore its homespun
teachings, archetypal motifs,
larger-than-life characters and
an emerging ethnic identity,
while explaining the work’s
meter and poetic structure.
Born and raised in Asto-
ria, Jacob grew up listening
to his mother and grand-
mother speak Finnish. He
is president of the Finlandia
Foundation Columbia-Pacific
Chapter of Portland, and a
member of Astoria Lodge
No. 2 of Finnish Brother-
hood.
Sponsored by the lodge,
the lecture is one of the 2017
events celebrating Finland’s
100 year anniversary of
independence.
The event is free and
open to the public. Refresh-
ments will be served.
Learn leatherworking
for maritime activities
ASTORIA — An in-
troductory leatherworking
class will be held 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Saturday at the Barbey
Maritime Center.
Taught by instructor
Kenneth Meyer, the class
will focus on simple uses of
leather for boats.
The cost is $45 for
Astor Street Opry Company
presents
members, $55 for non-mem-
bers. Call 503-325-2323 to
register.
T he
Illah
ee
A partm ents
The REAL
Lewis and Clark Story or....
How the Finns Discovered Astoria
Written by: Judith P. Niland
(T HROUGH A PRIL 29 TH )
F RIDAYS
7 PM
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S ATURDAYS
7 PM
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S UNDAYS
2 PM
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Tickets on Sale ONE HOUR before all shows
***Reservations Recommended***
ASOC Playhouse
129 West Bond Street | Astoria
503.325.6104
www.AstorStreetOpryCompany.com
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1046 Grand Avenue
Astoria, OR 97103
503-325-2280