La Increible Libreria bookstore in Mexico City
Reading Lists

Read Around the World: Women in Translation

As you may already know, I like to read. A lot. So for this trip, I thought it would enhance my experience to read books set in the countries I’m visiting (or books by authors from those countries). To share my reading journey with you, I started a Read Around the World series on this blog. Usually I share books inspired by a particular country or geographic area, but today, I wanted to share a different reading list to celebrate Women in Translation Month (August). Enjoy!

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa book cover

The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Translated from Japanese

This short, charming story of a man and his adopted cat is told partially through the cat’s perspective. I recommend to “cat people” and animal people alike. (I’m more of a dog person, and I loved the cat’s voice. He was appropriately snarky.)

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The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende book cover

The House of the Spirits

Translated from Spanish

A modern classic, this is perhaps Isabel Allende’s best-known work. Set in an unnamed South American country (presumably based on Chile) during revolutionary times, this novel tells the story of the Trueba family with a healthy dose of magical realism.

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My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante book cover

My Brilliant Friend

Translated from Italian

Did you know the HBO series is based on the Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante (a pseudonym)? Well, if not–you do now! My Brilliant Friend is the first book in the series (and the only one I’ve read so far), chronicling the friendship between two young girls in Naples in the 1950s.

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The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald book cover

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

Translated from Swedish

This was one of the first books that got me into “lighthearted” or “feel-good” fiction. I typically read dark, heavy novels, but this one was absolutely delightful. It does start with a suicide but quickly turns into a story about a Swedish woman visiting the U.S. for the first time who opens a bookstore in a non-book-crazy town in Iowa. It’s just as heartwarming as it sounds.

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Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi book cover

Persepolis

Translated from French

And now, for one of the books that got me into graphic novels! I love a good graphic memoir, and Marjane Satrapi’s book about growing up during the Iran Revolution is probably one of the best-known in the genre. (At least to those who rarely read graphic novels, like myself.) Also, “graphic novel” seems to be a limiting term; there are also nonfiction graphic books (i.e. not novels), but “graphic books” sounds a little explicit….

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Flights by Olga Tokarczuk book cover

Flights

Translated from Polish

This book is the first Man Booker International Prize winner written by a Polish author (Olga Tokarczuk). It’s a book of short fiction about travels and the human body. That probably sounds weird, but it kind of is–in a good way!

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In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri book cover

In Other Words

Translated from Italian

This nonfiction book has a fascinating premise: Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, who speaks Italian, decided to write a memoir in Italian about language learning, then have someone else translate the memoir into English. Lahiri was worried if she translated it herself, she would be tempted to make her writing sound better (as her English is stronger than her Italian). The book includes both the English and Italian versions, so it’s actually quite short (assuming you’ll only read the book in one language), and I recommend the audiobook read by Lahiri herself.

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata book cover

Convenience Store Woman

Translated from Japanese

Another quick, charming story from a Japanese author. This one features a convenience store employee whose nontraditional lifestyle confounds her family. (It probably would confound her friends, too, but she doesn’t have any!) Why doesn’t she marry? Why doesn’t she have children? Why is she still working in this low-skill, low-wage job?

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Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin book cover

Fever Dream

Translated from Spanish

The title describes the contents of this book so well. I don’t actually think I understood this book, but I liked it anyway. So there’s that. Plus, it’s short! So you might as well give it a whirl and see if you can discern the workings of Schweblin’s probably-genius mind.

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Like Water for Chocolate (translated from Spanish) also deserves a mention here, but I’ve already raved about it in a previous Read Around the World post, and I’m trying not to repeat titles. (For now, at least.)

What are you favorite translated books by women? Leave your recommendations in the comments!

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Feature photo: La Increíble Librería, Mexico City

Megan

Megan is a librarian by training, currently on a journey around the world with her husband, Jonathan. She enjoys visiting bookstores, libraries and coffeeshops while traveling.

3 thoughts on “Read Around the World: Women in Translation

  1. I only just heard of Women in Translation Month this year while simultaneously, accidentally, reading a book that I think qualifies, haha. The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel (Turkish), translated by Mark David Wyers (thanks to Netgalley). I’m only 10% in, but so far I’d recommend 🙂

    1. Sweet! I don’t have any Turkish books on this list, so that’s good for me to consider. 😉 Thanks for sharing!

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