The Older Women in Fiction around the world begins with fiction from North America. This is a choice from a writer friend of mine. Like many writers she is a reader and her choice continues the theme of older women who thwart expectations. Another former schoolteacher, like Olive Kitteridge, Eleanor Bannister might be expected to … Continue reading Eleanor and Abel by Annette Sanford
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Loneliness in old age. It’s the biggest killer. An old woman has an idea about how to deal with it, especially at night when it hurts most. She approaches an acquaintance, Louis Waters with an unusual proposition and they begin a friendship with unexpected consequences for them both. This is the fourth post in the … Continue reading Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
In this first week of older women in fiction around the world I am exploring some fiction from Canada and the USA. My fourth choice of North American older women in fiction is recent and very engaging. All four show older women who others might label as difficult. None of them is a gentle old … Continue reading Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis
My second choice in this section of older women in northern America comes from the Yukon, and is a retelling of an ancient legend celebrating the resilience, fortitude and wisdom of the two old women of the title: Two Old Women In its retelling Velma Wallis draws on the complaints one hears about older people … Continue reading Two Old Women by Velma Wallis
The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence
Here is the first book in the August series of Women in Fiction around the world on this blog. I began exploring this theme six years ago. I challenged my blog readers to find me some examples of strongly drawn older female characters. This was the first response Hagar Shipley, from The Stone Angel by Canadian … Continue reading The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence
Older women in fiction around the world
Welcome to a month of older women – more specifically, older women in fiction around the world. And where possible I will feature older women in translation. I am Caroline Lodge, a book-blogger and one of the most popular themes on my blog, Bookword, is older women in fiction. Dream invitation It’s a blogger’s dream, … Continue reading Older women in fiction around the world
World Languages Review: Der Mann, der den Regen fotografierte (Germany)
It seems an impossible coexistence: German Grundlichkeit in one of the Amazonian cityscapes, filled with myths, religions, folk tales, and superstition. Yet, this is exactly what Cramer – scouting locations for a movie – has to grapple with if he is to survive in this personally exotic environment. Already with his first steps out of … Continue reading World Languages Review: Der Mann, der den Regen fotografierte (Germany)
World Languages Review: La sonrisa de los peces de piedra (Spain)
La sonrisa de los peces de piedra (The Smile of the Stone Fish) by Rosa Huertas (Anaya). This book is written in Spanish and set in Spain. In 2017, it won the XIV Premio Anaya de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil (Anaya Children’s and Young Adult Literary Prize). In 2017, it was included on the Lista … Continue reading World Languages Review: La sonrisa de los peces de piedra (Spain)
World Languages Review: Jaçanã – poética sobre as águas (Brazil)
A postcard from the Amazon When we talk about Brazilian literature, more often than not, we find ourselves talking about works by authors from the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro regions or, less often still, those related to the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. There are, of course, exceptions proving that other Brazilian … Continue reading World Languages Review: Jaçanã – poética sobre as águas (Brazil)
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Wild Book
I love a sweet first-love story. Here’s one set in Mexico in summer that is bound to charm a middle grader near you. The Wild Book by Juan Villoro, translated by Lawrence Schimel, features a thirteen-year-old boy named Juan whose summer begins in the worst possible way: with news of his parents’ divorce. He learns … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: The Wild Book
