Around here we’re longtime advocates of reading works in translation as a way to experience the vast and varied types of storytelling from around the world. Works in translation take readers beyond armchair tourism: not only do they allow readers to travel far away thanks to the written word, they go a step further, immersing us in cultures that are different from our own.
Fiction—and to a lesser extent, nonfiction—helps us empathize with and understand other people and cultures. When we read only books written in our own language, we miss a crucial opportunity. As a friend once quipped, “I’m stuck in my head, I read to escape my own head, and my head happens to be an American head.”
While reading great books in translation isn’t new for me, I’ve found myself doing so with increasing frequency in recent years. My theory on why is twofold: though a notoriously small percentage of books sold in the United States are translated works (just 3% as of 2011), I’ve found a few favorite small presses who regularly publish works in translation, and my auto-read list of translators and authors in translation has grown longer.
I’m glad to see works in translation getting more attention in recent years. In 2014, Meytal Radzinski established Women in Translation month in August, dedicated to reading and promoting the works of women in translation, and the works of women whose work has not yet been translated.
Today we’re featuring 20 books in translation—some brand new, some backlist—that I’ve especially enjoyed or, in a few cases, are high on my To Be Read list. Our works in translation book list features titles from more than a dozen publishers, in nine different original languages. It features books published in English this year and books published a century ago. And it features books in a variety of genres: I hope there’s something for everyone here, but please share your favorite books in translation to broaden our list!
20 new and backlist books in translation
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I Lived on Butterfly Hill
A middle grade historical novel about Celeste Marconi, an eleven-year-old growing up in Valparaiso, Chile. When warships come to town and her classmates start disappearing, she doesn’t know what to make of it. No one is safe, not even her parents who are now considered dangerous to Chile’s future under Pinochet’s takeover. Before they go into hiding, they send Celeste to Maine but she never stops longing to return to Chile and be reunited with her parents. Marjorie Agosín is an award-winning poet who based this on her own life experiences. Translated from the Spanish by E.M. O'Connor. More info →
Painting Time
This breathless French coming of age novel (translated by Jessica Moore) was a delightful surprise; I went on to read everything else I could snap up by de Kerangal. This is the story of Paula, a once-floundering French student who stumbles into her calling almost by accident, and enrolls to study trompe l’oeil, or “the art of illusion,” in Brussels. In her distinctive impressionistic style, de Kerangal invites us to accompany Paula as she throws herself into her craft and learns to flawlessly imitate rare and expensive materials with her brushstrokes—marble, tortoiseshell, the heart grain of oak. As Paula finds work abroad as a decorative painter—in studios and on film sets in Paris, Moscow, and Italy—she wrestles with the meaning of her work, and what to do about the relationships she left behind. To sound like a total nerd: I couldn’t get enough of de Kerangal's voice. More info →
Kitchen
Mikage is raised by her grandmother after her parents pass away. She’s left unmoored after her grandmother dies and turns to the kitchen, as well as her friend Yoichi and her mother, who takes her in. A lovely exploration of grief, found family, and the ties that bind us. Banana Yoshimoto is renowned in Japan. This is her first book to be published in English, translated from the Japanese by Megan Backus. More info →
The Summer Book
This 1972 novel by Finnish author Jansson reads almost as a series of short stories about a grandmother and her 6-year-old granddaughter spending the summer together on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland. The pacing is gentle, the descriptions of the natural world lush and beautiful, and both the heavy and light are handled with gentleness. If you enjoy the works of L.M. Montgomery or Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea, this short, contemplative novel might work well for you. Translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal. More info →
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Have you ever wondered what cats are really thinking? Meet Nana, a sarcastic feral cat who was rescued by Satoru five years ago. It’s a good arrangement: Satoru gives him treats and sometimes he lets Satoru pet him. One day Satoru puts Nana in the van and they set off on a road trip around Japan, final destination unknown. As they meet Satoru’s old friends, Nana tries to make sense of why they’re on the trip and why these strangers are so interested in him. Needless to say, Nana and Satoru have different opinions, culminating in a heartwarming tail. I mean, tale. Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel. More info →
The Eighth Life
This was the Georgian novel that I didn't know my life was missing, and one of my favorite books of 2021. This family saga spans one hundred years, beginning in Tbilisi, Georgia in the years just before the 1917 revolution, and carrying almost to the present day, unfolding the story of each new generation. I couldn't wait to find out where the story would carry each character. The family possesses a magical chocolate recipe that they mix up at opportune moments, but whether it's a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. This book is a commitment but I'm so glad I read it. The ending is amazing. Broad content warnings apply; if you're a sensitive reader, please do your due diligence before diving in. Wonderful on audio, as narrated by Tavia Gilbert, and translated from the German by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin. More info →
Whereabouts
A quiet melancholic literary exploration of a woman in her 40s making sense of her life. She wavers between wanting to be known and wanting to cut ties. We follow her as she goes through her days, seeing the places she frequents and the people and family in her orbit, all ultimately leading to change. After studying the language for years, this is the first novel Lahiri wrote in Italian and self-translated into English. An impressive feat. More info →
The Memory Police
Our unnamed protagonist in this 1994 Japanese novel, as translated by Stephen Snyder, is a novelist who lives on an island controlled by the Memory Police. The feared group’s sole purpose is to periodically "disappear" objects and ideas from the town—first small objects like emeralds, ribbons, and candy, but over time, the disappearances grow more profound. Birds vanish, then photographs. But the truth is that not everyone "forgets" what they are supposed to, which puts them in great danger from the Memory Police, whose duty is to make sure the disappeared items are fully eradicated. If any citizens stand in their way, they will be disappeared as well—which is how our young novelist ends up putting herself in danger. The gentle prose is lovely in its own right, and perfectly suits the story's eerie feel. This novel went places I didn't expect, right up to the stunning conclusion. More info →
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
A quirky noir/murder mystery with a dash of fairytale set in the rural mountains of Poland. Janina prefers animals to humans and spends her days translating poetry, studying astrology, and looking after the summer homes belonging to rich people. Then a neighbor dies unexpectedly. And another one. And another one. Soon Janina begins investigating herself, certain mistreated animals are enacting their revenge. She wouldn’t blame them. Now if she could just get the police to listen to her. Translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. More info →
A Woman in the Polar Night
"A year in the Arctic should be compulsory to everyone. Then you will come to realize what's important in life and what isn't," writes Christiane Ritter. In 1933, Ritter, an Austrian painter, arrived on the island of Spitsbergen to live with her hunter husband in a tiny little hut. In her vividly detailed diary entries, she used her artistic eye to paint a picture of the barren landscape, its wonders, and its dangers. Introspective yet expansive, this memoir is one of very few 20th century accounts of the Arctic tundra by a woman. Translated from the German by Jane Degras. More info →
Diary of a Void
The premise of this Japanese debut (translated by David Boyd and Lucy North) hooked me immediately: when 34-year-old Ms. Shibata begins working at the cardboard tube manufacturer, she initially finds it a welcome change from her old job, where sexual harassment was a constant threat. But she quickly realizes her new position has problems of its own: as the only woman in her department, her colleagues expect her to serve the tea, do the dishes, and sundry other menial tasks unrelated to her actual work. Then one day, fed up with waiting on the men, she impulsively tells them she can't clear the tea: she's pregnant and the smell makes her nauseous. The thing is, she's not pregnant—but because her work life instantly gets a whole lot better, she determines to find a way to keep the ruse going for the whole nine months. A satisfying blend of clever, playful, and subversive. More info →
My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels Book 1)
The first installment of Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet revolves around the friendship between Elena and Lila who grew up in a poor neighborhood in Naples during the 1950s and 1960s. The story begins when the girls are in first grade and carries them through adolescence. Their coming-of-age journey also tells the story of a changing nation. This isn't a quaint friendship story, though. The girls' relationship is complex. Thought-provoking, beautifully written, and realistic enough to be quite difficult in places. But readers who love this LOVE IT. I adored this series on audio. Originally written in Italian and beautifully translated by Ann Goldstein. More info →
The Postcard
The premise of this 2023 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide selection is rooted in real life. In 2003, Anne Berest’s mother Lelia received an old postcard addressed to Berest’s deceased grandmother. The card is blank except for four names written in a shaky hand: Ephraim, Emma, Noemie, and Jaques. These names belong to her grandparents, aunt, and uncle, all of whom were murdered at Auschwitz. Anne was about to give birth so the postcard was put away and then forgotten. But when Anne remembers the postcard nearly two decades later, she becomes determined to find out who sent it and why. This sweeping French novel deals with history and memory, hope, grief, and trauma. Translated from the French by Tina Kover. More info →
Kristin Lavransdatter
Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset tells the epic story of her heroine in 14th century Norway with great love and attention to detail. Kristin is devoted to her father until she meets Erlend at convent school and marries him against her parents’ wishes. Their passionate but tumultuous marriage leads to seven sons and ultimately estrangement. This is a much-beloved story, all the more impressive given its 1000+ pages. Translated from the Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally. More info →
Barbara Isn’t Dying
In this tragicomic tale, Herr Schmidt wakes one morning to discover nobody has made the coffee yet—and his immediate thought must be that his wife has died in the night, because what other explanation could there be? Barbara is in fact alive, but unwell, and as the story progresses, we see this curmudgeonly husband learn to do things he's never thought twice about doing for himself, let alone someone else, in all his long decades of married life: purchase ground coffee, cook a potato, run the vacuum. And that's just the beginning of the adaptations this couple will have to make to their relationship as they enter a challenging new stage. Bronsky covers a lot of emotional ground in just 182 pages; I recommend Fredrik Backman fans take a look. Translated from the German by Tim Mohr. More info →
Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies
Set in turn-of-the-century Mexico, Laura Esquivel imbues her novel with magical realism to great effect. As the youngest daughter, Tita De Garza is forbidden to marry as she must care for her mother until she dies. When she and Pedro fall in love, he marries her sister so they can at least be near each other. If that sounds like a recipe for torture, you're right. As the family deals with one tragedy after another, Tita pours her emotions into her cooking as she preserves their recipes, causing everyone who eats the food to react in different ways. It will have you yearning for Tita and Pedro to somehow find a way back to one another. Translated from the Spanish by Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen. More info →
The Wind Knows My Name
Allende’s 27th novel begins in Vienna on Kristallnacht 1938. Following this night of antisemitic terror, a Jewish mother puts her five-year-old son on a rescue train bound for England. She will never see him again. A parallel narrative begins in 2019 in El Salvador, where a mother flees for her life with her 7-year-old daughter, only for mother and child to be separated at the U.S. border. In unexpectedly long chapters, Allende slowly weaves these stories together like a fine tapestry. This novel might be criticized for being heavy-handed, but I couldn’t wait to discover what would happen next, and found the tidy ending immensely satisfying. Translated from the Spanish by Frances Riddle. More info →
The Murmur of Bees
A small Mexican town is forever changed when an abandoned baby is discovered under a bridge, disfigured and covered in a protective swarm of bees. His adoptive parents Francisco and Beatriz love Simonopio and also view him with wonder for he’s gifted with foresight. A gift that, along with his ever present bees, will protect the family as the country goes through the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Flu of 1918. This is bestselling Mexican author Segovia’s first novel to be translated into English, beautifully translated by Simon Bruni. More info →
The Disaster Tourist
In this eco-thriller, Jungle is a travel company that specializes in disaster tourism, sending guests to places affected by natural disasters and climate change. When trip coordinator Yona is sexually harassed by a colleague, the powers that be opt to send her to a remote island whose selling point is a less-than-impressive sinkhole. But this is no vacation: she must pretend to be a tourist and assess whether Mui should remain one of their travel packages. When Yona learns the resort plans on faking a catastrophe in order to stay in Jungle’s good graces, she’ll have to choose between company loyalty and starting fresh—that is, if the citizens of Mui even survive. Translated from the Korean by Lizzie Buehler. More info →
Disoriental
This coming of age story begins in the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic. While awaiting the treatment she hopes will result in a child of her own, Kimiâ Sadr can't help but reflect on her own childhood and family history. She was born in Iran, but fled to Paris with her family after her journalist father criticized the ruling regime and subsequently became a target. Now at 25, Kimiâ plunges into the pool of memory to revisit her tomboy youth in a country that doesn't understand the concept, her close-knit yet contentious family and her relationships with all her aunts and uncles one through six, and her current status as an uneasy immigrant. I loved the voice here ("Just be patient a little bit longer, dear Reader") and the way this semi-biographical novel explores cultural and sexual identity, family tradition, and storytelling as a means of finding oneself. Translated from the French by Tina Kover. More info →
What are your favorite books by women in translation? Please tell us in the comments section!
P.S. Expand your literary horizons with these 20 books in translation and 12 books to read for Women in Translation Month, plus What Should I Read Next episode 389: Anne and Will’s European Reading Adventures.
55 comments
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is INCREDIBLE!
Also, highly endorse Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin. It was her English debut and just absolutely stunning.
Totally agree about Fresh Water for Flowers. What wonderful story telling.
That’s a wonderful title for this list! Perrin is one of the French novelists I’m happy to discovered (finally) in the past few years.
In addition to Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin, please add The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It’s a gem.
As always, a great list Anne! I will add Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin.
Yes!
I was going to say the same! That was such a gorgeous book.
I always feel so lucky to be able to read in multiple languages in the original. I come from a small country where we learn to read literature in different languages from an early age. I will always be working at becoming a reader in additional languages. Spanish is the one I’m working on right now as my seventh language (still a beginner) and one day I want to be able to read the Russian greats in the orginal language. Ideally I would never want to read anything in translation and understand every language but that’s a crazy dream:)
Rachel, what an amazing perspective. Thank you for sharing! I am in awe of SEVEN languages.
Oh my!!! What a list! I can’t wait to get started! And I think I will read Eighth life (?).
My first book in translation for Shadow of the Wind – and I loved it – I’ve read the whole series of brilliant Friend and I must say it took me a few years – those were some hard ones but so much depth / i of course still have Postcard waiting – thanks for sharing all these!
Oops!! Too many typos 🤣!! I should have reviewed my comment!!
I came here to add Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)! Great book, evocative of Spain in the early 20th century, a little bit wild in its story.
I’ve had his stuff on my tbr list for so long! Haha
Anne~Seeing your list reminded me of some great recent reads and added to my TBR! I always learn so much more about a culture by reading books in translation…I want to add THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS by Japanese author Sosuke Matsukawa. A gem of a book for readers!
Such a great addition!
Wonderful book!!
So many good ones on this list. I Read “The Traveling Cat Chronicles” a while back and absolutely adored it, definitely cried a few times in that one. Still working through “My Brilliant Friend” series and I love it, and I’ll read anything Allende puts out. I recently started “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” series that was originally published in Japanese.
I really enjoyed the Coffee series! (Though I’m not quite done yet …)
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George remains one of my top ten books of all time. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is another popular translated book.
Great additions!
I love A very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japrisot. It’s one of the few books I’ve read three times!
That title is new to me. Thanks for putting it on my radar!
I really enjoyed Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami!
Such a good one!
This list looks so great! Thanks Anne for suggesting titles with a different eye and mindset than many of us have been reading. Can’t wait to add these to my TBR.
I was originally enticed by the title but I found Barbara Isn’t Dying a lovely and profound exploration of a marriage and the evolution of a man.
The Summer Book is perfect if you’re in the mood to read a quick and quiet but affecting story.
Krisin Lavransdatter was one of the sparks that led me to start our family book club. I had just finished it and mentioned it to my brother who had to read it in school at some point. We had a great conversation where we both agreed Kristin was the WORST, but we loved all the parts around her. It made me think, we should be having these conversations more often…
I’m CRACKING UP at your joint assessment of Kristin.😂
found several I want, thanks!!!
I enjoyed a few of the books listed in the post or comments and look forward to exploring a few more. Here are some more I suggest:
The Secret Diary of Hebdrik Groen by Hendrick Groen (Dutch) (fiction)
Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke (German) (fiction)
The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata (Indonesian) (fiction)
Zlata’s Diary: a Child’s Life in Sarajevo (Croatian (?)) (nonfiction)
My Family For the War by Anne Voorhoeve (German) (fiction)
Bright by Duanwad Pimwana (Thai) (fiction)
Brazen: Rebel Ladies who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu (French) (nonfiction)
Thank you for these suggestions!
Fresh Water for Flowers. LOVED it. Also really enjoyed Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda.
I would to offer The Queens of Sarmiento Park by Camila Sosa Villada. The author is a transgender women from Argentina. The book is translated from the Spanish. This is the story of a boarding house of trans sex workers who discover and raise a baby in Cordoba. It is a story about hope and found family with a splash of magical realism.
It is lushly written…almost ferocious. It is filled with both hope and sadness. Broke my heart but also filled me with joy.
It is not an easy book to read. Be sure and read the author’s note where she speaks of this is the Trans experience in South America. It is not the same experience as the US or western Europe.
Michelle, this is a new title to me. Thanks for putting it on my radar!
My goal for 2024 is to read some looong books I have been putting off, one being Kristen Lavransdatter (the others being The Count of Monte Cristo, Lonesome Dove and Angle of Repose). Thanks for the nudge!
Bookish serendipity is real!
I’m about halfway through Kristen Lavransdatter, it’s my 2023 long read. A note to anyone planning to pick this one up: be sure to get Tiina Nunnally’s translation! I ordered my copy last winter without being aware of the 2 editions; received the 1922 version. In addition to very old-style English, it featured a very old-style font! I donated it to the locate thrift shop & am enjoying the more current translation (& font!).
I am trying to read round the world this decade, so have been reading loads in translation (although according to my rules, diaspora stories count).
I find it interesting how much comes out of Japan versus other countries. Are Japanese publishers particularly effective at selling translation rights? Is it an extension of interest in anime / manga?
I’m weaker on Latin America generally, mostly because I hate magical realism… which is a controversial hot take but it is what it is…
I loved The Time in Between ( originally in Spanish)by Maria Duenas.
It’s about espionage during WW2…
I LOVE that book!
The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum – I loved this science fiction/fantasy novel that is so unique and original that I’ve never looked at coincidences the same since reading it.
Susan, you have no idea how grateful I am for this comment! For reasons you couldn’t know, I have been trying to remember the name of this book all summer. THANK YOU!
You’re welcome! I too could not remember the title till today’s post inspired me to go hunting back through my reading logs. I see from the author’s website that he has written some other books with equally fascinating premises though I don’t know if they have been translated yet.
I would like to recommend Novel Without a Name by Duong Thu Huong. It’s very interesting. It’s about a soldier in the North Vietnamese army during the war. Actually, everything I have read from her is great. She gives an interesting perspective to Vietnam during and after the civil war.
I will check these out. You might like The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.
I recently stumbled upon The Last House Before The Mountain by Internationally bestselling & award winning Austrian novelist, Monika Helfer. I believe this is her first work translated to English. I absolutely loved this charming story.
The English title was translated from the original German: Die Bagage, which I actually liked better. Thankfully this was well translated and did not feel stilted or awkward, which to me, The Postcard did.
Set during World War I in Austria, the husband & father, Josef of a poor family is sent away to fight, and must leave behind his beautiful wife, Maria. He asks the mayor of the town to please look after her.
In reviews I saw that several people were bothered by the structure of the story. I on the contrary thought that was what made the book so interesting.
Originally published in 2020, this 192 page turner is a little gem.
I offer these suggestions: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.
This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Anata Toer. The 1st book of the Buru Quartet. About post colonial Indonesia.
This is probably the best list I’ve seen (for me) on this site. I have saved so many books to read!
I would recommend “The Mountains Sing” by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. This is an excellent fictional story about a family in Vietnam and how they survived Vietnam’s traumatic recent history. It is very well written and shows a history we are not taught.
I would add:
Embers by Sandor Marai (translated from Hungarian): An elderly man awaits the arrrival of his formerly closest friend…whom he hasn’t seen for 41 years. Accusations of murder, infidelity, and betrayal have kept them apart for all that time. Now, they’re about to get answers…but do they truly want them?
Another book by Alina Bronsky: The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine: Meet Rosa—the mother/mother-in-law from hell. An unreliable narrator, if there ever was one, Rosa bulldozes her way through life, trampling everyone in her path, especially her daughter, “stupid Sulfia.” It’s at times disturbingly funny, hilarious, sad, and tragic. Believe me, you will never forget Rosa!
I must add “The Door-to-Door Bookstore” by Carsten Henn. It’s translated from German. A wonderful and touching story!
Books in translation are rapidly becoming some of my favorite reads. Two to mention:
When I Sing, the Mountains Dance by Irene Sola. Translated from Catalan. I don’t know how to describe it. Personal, historical, geological, fatalistic, lyrical. Humans, dogs, mushrooms, witches, ghosts, mountains, clouds – all narrators. Take time to find the flow. Quietly stunning. A recommendation from Strong Sense of Place – Spain episode.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Murial Barbery. Translated from French. Lovely book. In an elegant hôtel particulier in Paris, Renée, the concierge, is all but invisible, but she secretly devours art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. Biting humor. Paloma is a twelve-year-old who lives there. Talented and precocious, she sees life as futile and, logically, decides to end her own on her 13th birthday. Their lives, with others in the building, intersect and I won’t say more.
Second The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.
I loved Fresh Water for Flowers too. It’s my favorite book of the year so far! Such a beautiful voice!
Like Water for Chocolate is my favorite from this list. I have read it in English and in Spanish and let me tell you, if you want to read a hot book, read it in Spanish. With a glass of sangria.