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Even though I’m no fan of the heat, August is one of my favorite months, because I spend most of it inside, enjoying the AC and reading. What am I reading? Why, women in translation, of course! For more than a decade now, lovers of international literature have spent the month of August reading books written by women that have been translated. The idea is to promote female authors and encourage publishers and readers to discover great authors not writing in their native language. Honestly, I find it a great excuse to read books I’m already interested in. And stay out of the heat.
Recent Releases
To Go On Living: Stories by Narine Abgaryan, translated by Margarit Ordukhanyan and Zara Torlone
Buy the To Go On Living: Stories ebook here
This novel is a collection of interconnected short stories about the people in an Armenian town near the border with Azerbaijan. The war takes a toll on everyone in the town, and while there is great sadness and loss, there is also hope and perseverance to go on living. At times, this is a tough read, but I will also say it’s probably my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. The structure is utterly astonishing.
The Evin Prison Bakers’ Club: Surviving Iran’s Most Notorious Prisons in 16 Recipes by Sepideh Gholian, translated by Hessam Ashrafi
The stories of the women in Iran’s Evin prison are mingled with 16 recipes inspired by these women or dedicated to them. During the author’s time in the prison, she and some of her fellow inmates found solace in their access to the kitchen, and when she could, she smuggled the recipes and the women’s stories out to her publisher. Occasionally heartbreaking, but also beautiful, take heart that at least as of this writing, Gholian has been released.
We Do Not Part by Han Kang, translated by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris
Buy the We Do No Part ebook here
Buy the We Do No Part audiobook here
The latest from the newest Nobel Prize winner, Kang’s novel follows an author of a book about a massacre. The writing of the book has left the character with nightmares, and yet she contacts a filmmaker about developing a film around her book. But years later, following an accident, the author must care for the filmmaker’s pet bird, during which time, secrets of the massacre are revealed. The novel doesn’t always go in the expected direction, but Kang’s poetic prose makes the journey worthwhile.
Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi
Buy the Heart Lamp audiobook here
This story collection became the first book ever translated from Kannada to win the International Booker Prize, as well as the first story collection to win. In the collection, Mushtaq examines the lives of Muslim women in southern India, from newlyweds, to a religion teacher, to a harried mother trying to find some peace and quiet. Mushtaq writes lovingly of these women, giving an intimate look into the lives of ordinary women.
No Place to Bury the Dead by Karina Sainz Borgo, translated by Elizabeth Bryer
Buy the No Place to Bury the Dead ebook here
Buy the No Place to Bury the Dead audiobook here
An inexplicable plague has descended on the land, and Angustias leaves her home with her family. But when her twin sons die, she must find somewhere to bury them. Enter Visitación Salazar, who will bury anyone, regardless of ability to pay. Yet, are the dead even safe in this fictional Latin American country? Sainz Borgo, a Venezuelan journalist, examines the search for safety and decency in this moving book, touched with magical realism.
Old Favorites
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Bela Shayevich
Buy the Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets ebook here
Buy the Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets audiobook here
Alexievich is another Nobel Prize winner on this list, and a truly remarkable oral historian. Here she collects the memories of people from all over the Soviet Union and what life was like under the Soviet government and how things have changed since the regime’s collapse. Funny, informative, sad, and brutal, Alexievich offers a broad view of what this monumental transition was like for the average people trying to survive it.
Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang, translated by Karen S. Kingsbury
Buy the Half a Lifelong Romance ebook here
Buy the Half a Lifelong Romance audiobook here
A sweeping, swoony love story, Chang’s masterpiece is the story of Shijun and Manzhen, who meet and fall in love at work in 1930s Shanghai. Their love faces many obstacles, though, including terrible family secrets, but through the years they are forced to live apart and the tragedy they experience, they never forget each other. Never forget what might have been. The writing is lovely, but bring your box of tissues.
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas Teal
Buy the The Summer Book ebook here
Buy the The Summer Book audiobook here
Like To Go On Living, Jansson’s beautiful novel is comprised of vignettes. Set on a serene island in the Gulf of Finland, Jansson tells the story of little girl and her relationship with her grandmother over the course of the summer. The beautiful simplicity is hard to describe, but also hard to oversell; it’s just that good. And you will definitely want to check it out before the movie starring Glenn Close comes out later this year. (Aside—Kanopy will be the place to stream the movie.)
Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono, translated by Emily Balistrieri and Yuta Onoda
Buy the Kiki’s Delivery Service ebook here
Buy the Kiki’s Delivery Service audiobook here
A witch can’t live at home forever, and Kiki is ready to head out into the world! She just needs to find a place that needs her and then figure out what she can do to help them. Luckily, she finds the perfect little town and then realizes what they need more than anything is a really good delivery service. Yes, this is ridiculously charming, and you will love it whether or not you’ve also seen the equally charming Miyazaki film.
Abigail by Magda Szabo, translated by Len Rix
Buy the Abigail audiobook here
Szabo is a giant of Hungarian literature, and most people will recommend her novel The Door, (buy the ebook here) which you should absolutely check out. But I’m passionately fond of Abigail. In WWII, Gina is sent by her father, an army general, to an isolated and strict boarding school. An only child of a widowed father, Gina is very used to having her own way. (Think Jane Austen’s Emma.) It takes her a while to start fitting in at school, but those problems begin to fade to the background as the war encroaches.
If you’re interested in exploring more titles that center around Women in Translation, you can explore our full Readers’ Advisory Lists.
Shop the Women in Translation collection here.
Shop the New and Noteworthy in Translation collection here
Hot Off the Press
The New York Review of Books
In addition to publishing some great women in translation, like Tove Jansson and Magda Szabo, The New York Review of Books also has a literary magazine, which is included in OverDrive’s robust magazine collection of over 4,000 titles!
Must-Watch Films
The Lover, 1992
Watch The Lover on Kanopy here
Based on the novel The Lover by Marguerite Duras, translated by Barbara Bray. Buy the ebook here
From the studio: Nominated for Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards and Best Foreign Film at the Cesar Awards THE LOVER is an acclaimed period romantic drama. In 1929 French Indochina, a French teenage girl embarks on a reckless and forbidden romance with a wealthy, older Chinese man, each knowing that knowledge of their affair will bring drastic consequences to each other. “Tough, clear-eyed & utterly unsentimental. Produced lavishly but with such discipline that the exotic locale never gets in the way of the minutely detailed drama at the center.” – Vincent Canby, The New York Times.
The Wall, 2012
Based on the novel The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, translated by Shaun Whiteside. Buy the ebook here
From the studio: Martina Gedeck, star of the Academy Award(r)-winning film The Lives Of Others, brings a vivid intensity to this mysterious and riveting tale of survival set in a spectacularly beautiful Austrian mountain landscape. In a tour-de-force performance, Gedeck stars as an unnamed character who suddenly finds herself cut off from all human contact when an invisible, unyielding wall inexplicably surrounds the countryside where she is vacationing. Accompanied by her loyal dog Lynx, she becomes immersed in a world untouched by civilization and ruled by the laws of nature. As she grapples with her bizarre circumstances, she begins an inward journey of spiritual growth and transcendence. Based on Marlen Haushofer’s eponymous classic novel, The Wall is a gorgeous, mesmerizing adventure film that raises profound questions about humanity, solitude, and our relationship to the natural world. Winner! Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Berlin International Film Festival 2012.
A Little Extra Something
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About the author: Shelia did everything from answering questions at the Reference Desk to tech training to running a classic lit book club in her 17 years in public libraries. Now she helps other public libraries make the most of their OverDrive collections. In her spare time, she’s either writing or reading, usually with an opera playing in the background. If you ever run into her, ask Shelia about #WITMonth.