Since we've started prepping for Women in Translation Month, we've read so many translated works. It's been so good to learn about other places and experiences in a way that we might not have before. Here are some of the books we want to read next:
Touchstone, 2017
The History of Bees by Maja Lunde, Translated by Diane Oatley
I'm all here for amazing debut novels. Ever since I heard about this book on Booktube I knew I had to get my hands on it. This particular gem follows "three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees and to their children and one another against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis." I love history. I love multiple perspectives. I love bees! Sign me up! - K
Sphinx by Anne Garréta,
Translated by Emma Ramadan
The thing that most interests me about this 2016 PEN Translation Prize nominee is that neither of the main characters are specifically gendered. Also, the author is a member of a literary group called Oulipo whose mission is "to create literature based on mathematical and linguistic restraints." I can't even imagine what reading a book like this would be like, so, of course, I have to try it. - A
Deep Vellum Publishing, 2015
Knopf, 2016
In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri, Translated by Ann Goldstein
As you may have seen on my Instagram, I ADORED In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri. A few years ago, Lahiri started writing essays in Italian about her experience writing in a new language. This bilingual edition of those collected essays features Italian on one side and English on the other. Instead of translating the essays herself, Lahiri resists the temptation edit her essays in English, and Ann Goldstein, the translator of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, translates the book instead. Yes, please! - K
Three Strong Women by Marie NDiaye,
Translated by John Fletcher
"This is the story of three women who say no" or so the blurb says. Three Strong Women is actually three different stories that merge into one. It's about three African women with differing levels of status and education who immigrate to Europe and the difficulties they encounter once they arrive. But, of course, it's always more complex than that. It won the Prix Goncourt prize in 2009, but wasn't published in the U.S. until 2012. - A
Knopf, 2012
Portobello Books, 2017
The White Book by Han Kang, Translated by Deborah Smith
When I talk about Han Kang, I can't avoid gushing. Her style, her imagery, ah! Just too good. In The White Book, the narrator finds herself walking the streets of Warsaw while pondering the death of her sister and the many white objects around her. Described as Han King's "most autobiographical and most experimental book to date" The White Book is sure not to disappoint. Besides, I'm sure I will find plenty to fan girl about. ;) - K
The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson, Translated by Thomas Teal
Set in a snowy village in Scandinavia, The True Deceiver is a novel that centers around two women: Katri Kling and Anna Aemelin. Anna is a respected children’s book illustrator and Katri is a social outcast with a nameless dog. Despite these differences, the two become friends and gossip ensues. I love stories set in tight-knit communities and the drama they can cultivate, so I am absolutely planning on reading this. - A
NYRB Classics, 2009
