Armenia 🇦🇲: Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan, tr. Lisa.C. Hayden

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I read this book during last year's #WomenInTranslation Month (August 2021), a tradition started 10 years ago by Meytal Radzinki.  It is thanks to Meytal and the #WIT twitter community that I have read as many books as I have. If you are on Twitter, look for the hashtag #WiTmonth and  follow people like TranslateWomen,  MillieMargretta and Read_WIT and @GlobalLitIn. It is especially … Continue reading Armenia 🇦🇲: Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan, tr. Lisa.C. Hayden

Montenegro 🇲🇪: Catherine the Great and the Small by Olja Knežević, tr. by Paula Gordon and Ellen Elias-Bursać

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In a Nutshell: This is a book about the life of Catherine. Split into two sections: Catherine the Small is about her childhood and youth growing up in Montenegro and then studying/living in Belgrade, Serbia. The second half, entitled Catherine the Great is about her time as a mother and wife. The novel takes us … Continue reading Montenegro 🇲🇪: Catherine the Great and the Small by Olja Knežević, tr. by Paula Gordon and Ellen Elias-Bursać

Malta 🇲🇹: Night by Loranne Vella, tr. Kat Storace, in Scintillas: New Maltese Writing, ed., Jen Calleja and Kat Storace

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In a Nutshell: Praspar Press’ first anthology of Maltese writing showcases new prose, poetry and literary nonfiction by a selection of emerging and established Maltese writers from across the world. Split into two sections, Fables/Ħrejjef and Reflections/Riflessi. Some Observations: Founded in 2020 by Jen Calleja and Kat Storace, Praspar Press was created in order to … Continue reading Malta 🇲🇹: Night by Loranne Vella, tr. Kat Storace, in Scintillas: New Maltese Writing, ed., Jen Calleja and Kat Storace

Serbia 🇷🇸: Feminine Genealogy by Ljiljana Habjanović Djurović

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In a Nutshell: I found this wonderful read thanks to a recommendation from my friend, Anja. I read this on my kindle. This multigenerational novel tells the story of five female generations, within the same family, told from the perspective of Iva, who’s the youngest of the five generations. The feminine genealogy goes from Krstinja, … Continue reading Serbia 🇷🇸: Feminine Genealogy by Ljiljana Habjanović Djurović

Poland 🇵🇱: Ellis Island: a people’s history by Malgorzata Szejnert, tr. Sean Gasper Bye

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My copy was a Christmas present from my dad and step-mum, staunch supporters of this project! I remember reading this when my now toddler was 7-8 moths old, I used to take him to the rooftop, whilst he napped, I read this book, with a nice breeze and a sip of my coffee. What a … Continue reading Poland 🇵🇱: Ellis Island: a people’s history by Malgorzata Szejnert, tr. Sean Gasper Bye

Belarus 🇧🇾: Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories by Svetlana Alexievich, tr. Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky

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In a Nutshell: This book was published in 1986 and it was translated into English and published a couple of years ago. It tells the story of the children, now adults, who survived the Nazi invasion on the eastern front of WW2. This book documents the memories of children who survived. Over 100 testimonies, which … Continue reading Belarus 🇧🇾: Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories by Svetlana Alexievich, tr. Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky

Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 : Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipović, tr. Christina Pribichevich-Zorić

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In a Nutshell: Zlata’s Diary is the diary of Zlata Filipović, with entries from September 1991-December 1993, it starts just before her 10th birthday. It is a moving, sometimes funny and very sad account of her experience of the Bosnian war as it hit her home city of Sarajevo. Themes: War, friendship, politics, love, childhood and … Continue reading Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 : Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipović, tr. Christina Pribichevich-Zorić

Azerbaijan 🇦🇿: Days in the Caucasus by Banine, tr. by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova

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In a Nutshell: Days in the Caucasus, originally published in Paris in 1945, is Banine’s memoir of her childhood in Baku, from when she was born (1905) until she left for Paris in 1923. It was translated into English in 2019. Parisian Days, the kind of sequel to Days in the Caucasus was published earlier … Continue reading Azerbaijan 🇦🇿: Days in the Caucasus by Banine, tr. by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova

Italy 🇮🇹: The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg, tr. Dick Davis

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Back in 2o19, I was living in Tanzania. The week before Christmas, my husband and I were visiting family and friends in the UK. On one of the final days of our trips, I went Christmas shopping, the final stop was in Daunt Books in Marylebone, London, I was just about to pay for my … Continue reading Italy 🇮🇹: The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg, tr. Dick Davis

Georgia 🇬🇪: The Eighth Life (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischvili, tr. by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin

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Observations: The Eighth Life (for Brilka) is the 2020 winner of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. For more about the prize, read here. I read this wonderful book whilst away on holiday with my husband, I was 3-4 months pregnant, we were on a road trip around Cambodia: visiting Chhlong/Kratie, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. This … Continue reading Georgia 🇬🇪: The Eighth Life (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischvili, tr. by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin