Women in Translation

It’s August and it’s time for Women in Translation, WIT2020! If you aren’t familiar with this reading event, please check out Biblibio who started this project. I love the idea of a month to focus on women in translation.

I have plenty of books that I can use for this reading project but here’s a stack of some of the ones that I would love to read this month. The last two mentioned are not shown because they are are eBooks on my Kindle:

Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor translated by Sophie Hughes. This book has been on my radar for a while and it was recently shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It all starts with the death of a witch and the violence and corruption that permeates this small Mexican village.

Flowers Over the Inferno by Ilaria Tuti and translated by Erin Oklap. In this thrilling series debut set in the Italian Alps, an instinct-driven detective won’t let her aging body and mind prevent her from tracking a brutal killer.

The Houseguest by Amparo Davila and translated by Matthew Gleeson. A collection of short stories following characters who suffer from fear, paranoia, obsession and insomnia.

From the Land of the Moon by Milena Agus and translated by Ann Goldstein. A young unnamed woman reflects on the life of her bewitching, eccentric, and fiercely emotional grandmother, whose abiding search for love spans much of the twentieth century

The House by the River by Lena Manta and translated by Gail Holst-Warhaft. An emotionally powerful saga following five young women as they realize that no matter where life leads them, the only constant is home.

Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi and translated by Marilyn Booth. In the village of al-Awafi in Oman, we encounter three sisters: Mayya, who marries after a heartbreak; Asma, who marries from a sense of duty; and Khawla, who chooses to refuse all offers and await a reunion with the man she loves, who has emigrated to Canada.

Don’t they all sound good? Let me know if you’ve read any of these titles. And, let me know if you are planning to join WIT Month. Would love to hear what you are reading.