Home › Fiction › American War

American War

by Omar El Akkad

A family caught in a divided America

Regular price $17.10 USD
Regular price $28.51 USD Sale price $17.10 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

A family caught in a divided America

Set during a second American Civil War in 2074, the novel links national conflict to the life of Sarat Chestnut, a child growing up amid a drowned Louisiana, outlawed oil, and displacement. After her family enters Camp Patience, the story traces how wartime pressures and a mysterious official shape Sarat’s path toward becoming an instrument of war. Her choices reach beyond her immediate family, connecting personal consequences with the country’s future and the lives of later generations. The speculative setting brings together civil conflict, environmental upheaval, and the costs of political violence.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in speculative fiction about civil war and political conflict.
  • Readers who enjoy stories connecting one family’s experience with consequences across generations.
  • Readers interested in climate-disrupted settings and displacement.

Themes

Civil war and political violenceDisplacement and familyEnvironmental upheavalConsequences across generations

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A second American Civil War, a devastating plague, and one family caught deep in the middle--this gripping debut novel asks what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons upon itself. From the author of What Strange Paradise

"Powerful ... as haunting a postapocalyptic universe as Cormac McCarthy [created] in The Road." --TheNew York Times


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, and that unmanned drones fill the sky. When her father is killed and her family is forced into Camp Patience for displaced persons, she begins to grow up shaped by her particular time and place. But not everyone at Camp Patience is who they claim to be. Eventually Sarat is befriended by a mysterious functionary, under whose influence she is turned into a deadly instrument of war. The decisions that she makes will have tremendous consequences not just for Sarat but for her family and her country, rippling through generations of strangers and kin alike.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews