Uzbekistan ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฟ: The Dancer from Khiva by Bibish, tr. Andrew Bromfield

Posted on by jessenana

I finished this book whilst spending Christmas last year on Koh Rong Island, Cambodia. In a Nutshell: This memoir recounts Bibishโ€™s childhood in Uzbekistan, getting married and time spent living in Russia with her husband and children. Themes: Love, loss, family, identity and the many hardships women worldwide have to endure. Warning: there is mention … Continue reading Uzbekistan ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฟ: The Dancer from Khiva by Bibish, tr. Andrew Bromfield

Poland ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ: Ellis Island: a people’s history by Malgorzata Szejnert, tr. Sean Gasper Bye

Posted on by jessenana

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 ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ: Ellis Island: a people’s history by Malgorzata Szejnert, tr. Sean Gasper Bye

Belarus ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡พ: Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories by Svetlana Alexievich, tr. Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky

Posted on by jessenana

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 ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡พ: Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories by Svetlana Alexievich, tr. Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky

Bosnia and Herzegovina ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฆ : Zlataโ€™s Diary by Zlata Filipoviฤ‡, tr. Christina Pribichevich-Zoriฤ‡

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: Zlataโ€™s Diary is the diary of Zlata Filipoviฤ‡, 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 ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฆ : Zlataโ€™s Diary by Zlata Filipoviฤ‡, tr. Christina Pribichevich-Zoriฤ‡

Nicaragua ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฎ: The Country Under My Skin: a memoir of love and war by Gioconda Belli, tr. by Kristina Cordero

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: This book is Belliโ€™s account of the Nicaraguan revolution, of meetings with Fidel Castro and Gabriel Garcรญa Marquez and exile in Costa Rica and of her own political and romantic awakenings. A brilliant book, I was gripped from the very first page. I have now thought to myself of all the people … Continue reading Nicaragua ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฎ: The Country Under My Skin: a memoir of love and war by Gioconda Belli, tr. by Kristina Cordero

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Let’s Play Gonggi

Posted on by Klem-Marรญ Cajigas

Many of us adults now look back on our decidedly low-tech childhood pastimes with fondness. I remember playing hopscotch, for example, and partaking in neighborhood baseball games. In my family literacy work, I often encourage parents and caregivers to share their "old-school" games with their children. After all, play is a child's workโ€” and adults … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Let’s Play Gonggi

Mozambique ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฟ: Neighbours: The Story of a Murder by Lรญlia Momplรฉ, tr. Richard Bartlett and Isaura de Oliveira

Posted on by jessenana

My dad and step-mum are champions of this project and for my birthday this year, they gave me two books, one representing Namibia and this one. In a Nutshell: This 130 page novella is part of the AWS (African Writers Series). It is a sort of whodunnit, it takes place on the eve of Eid, starting at … Continue reading Mozambique ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฟ: Neighbours: The Story of a Murder by Lรญlia Momplรฉ, tr. Richard Bartlett and Isaura de Oliveira

Gabon ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ฆ: Awuโ€™s Story by Justine Mintsa, tr. Cheryl Toman

Posted on by jessenana

Some time last year, I tweeted that I was looking for books by women from certain African countries, someone recommended this book, and it doesnโ€™t disappoint. In a Nutshell: Awuโ€™s Story is a story of Awu and her marriage to Obame, and of old traditions in Northern Gabon grappling with the change of modern customs in … Continue reading Gabon ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ฆ: Awuโ€™s Story by Justine Mintsa, tr. Cheryl Toman

Fiji ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ฏ: A Privileged Life Denied by Sarote Fotfiri Erasito (tr. Sarote Fotfiri Erasito) in Poems from the Edge of Extinction: An Anthology of Poetry in Endangered Languages (Ed. Chris McCabe)

Posted on by jessenana

In 2021, I started a podcast interviewing a different woman each month asking her twenty questions. You can listen to the podcast here. As a thank you gift, I bought each woman a copy of this book. This is one of my favourite discoveries in this project, a wonderful anthology on the worldโ€™s languages/dialects that … Continue reading Fiji ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ฏ: A Privileged Life Denied by Sarote Fotfiri Erasito (tr. Sarote Fotfiri Erasito) in Poems from the Edge of Extinction: An Anthology of Poetry in Endangered Languages (Ed. Chris McCabe)

Azerbaijan ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ: Days in the Caucasus by Banine, tr. by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova

Posted on by jessenana

In a Nutshell: Days in the Caucasus, originally published in Paris in 1945, is Banineโ€™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 ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ: Days in the Caucasus by Banine, tr. by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova