Ondjaki’s novel walks a fine balance between the joyful antics of childhood and the serious issues facing Angola in the early 90s. Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih is considered one of the most important Arab novels of the 20th Century. When five strangers find out that a young housemaid is being abused by her employer, they must each decide how much they are willing to risk to help someone in need. Ashes in My Mouth Sand in My Shoes book. However, I've gone with Jo Walton's Among Others, which is set in England and Wales. This Earth of Mankind is a 1980 novel by Hasta Mitra written while he was a political prisoner in the 1970s. Three years after the publication of Blindness, José Saramago was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. The Name of the Rose is Umberto Eco’s most famous novel. Hosseini drew from his own childhood in Afghanistan when writing the book. Naipaul is a story based partly on the author’s father. This opposition fuels the story’s conflict and gives the novel its name. After September 11, 2001, Changez began to develop resentment toward the United States and its relations with Pakistan. From the age of 13-16, Beah was forced to serve in the armed forces and was exposed to violence, drugs, and manipulation. The Three Musketeers is a historical adventure novel about a young man who travels to Paris to join the Musketeers of the Guard. Mr. Biswas, who suffers one setback after another, sets a goal to own his own house. Using the experiences of three different women gives Mohamed the opportunity to explore the personal side of war and conflict while a putting a face on events known to history. The books I’ve listed here are books that aren’t just set in another country but are… 45 ratings — When Aref’s family prepares to move from Oman to the United States, he does not want to go. The poem relates the tale of two brave heroes on a quest to find the protagonist’s true love. 552 ratings — Thanks! Mofolo’s Chaka weaves history and legend together in a tragic story of passion and ambition. How good is Grammarly? The novel is a hauntingly beautiful look at the lives of one Palestinian family: the major events with far-reaching implications and their smaller daily decisions. published 2005, avg rating 3.60 — Ulysses by James Joyce is considered one of the premier classics of modern English literature. Without any official permission or resources, Barudi continues a private investigation and uncovers a century-long feud and a tragic love affair at the heart of the murder. Barbara Kingsolver’s bestselling novel about a missionary Nathan Price’s experience in the Belgian Congo is a timeless classic. Thankfully the rules are fluid so I can customize it for my reading patterns. The narrator of Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Desertion, a boy named Rashid, tells his family’s story in Zanzibar during the transition to independence from colonialism. Hundreds of thousands of ancient Islamic manuscripts were housed in Timbuktu’s libraries until al-Qaeda militants occupied the city in 2012. I have chosen to talk about books set in my country of birth, South Africa. Set in late 19th-century Nigeria, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a fictionalized account of the colonization of Africa by European nations seen through the experiences of an Igbo warrior struggling to maintain his traditions and culture in the midst of British colonization. Although the topics are relevant and weighty, Kincaid manages to weave her experiences together in a way that is both lyrical and easy to read. You will find books from favorite authors like Margaret Atwood and Anthony Burgess and discover vibrant new voices like Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Díaz. As possibly the very first full-length novel from Croatia, The Return of Philip Latinowicz is a philosophical examination of how the past is constantly shaping decisions in the present. The unconventional narrator allows Nganang to portray the vibrant sights and sounds of the city in a lighthearted and often comical way. 633 ratings — Jane Austen’s classic novel is one of the most widely read books in English worldwide. Weep Not, Child by Ngūgī wa Thiong’o was the first novel to be written in English by an East African author. Broken April is a modern masterpiece written by one of the premier novelists in Albania today. published 1999, avg rating 3.73 — José Saramago’s Blindness is a thrilling account of a blindness epidemic that sweeps through and unnamed city. The Sagas of Icelanders does not contain every Icelandic saga, but it does provide a wide sampling of the historical and mythological breadth represented in the sagas. The Bleeding of the Stone by Ibrahim al-Koni is a beautiful portrayal of the Libyan desert and the traditional life of the Bedouin tribes. Nancy Farmer’s fast-paced tale of a paranormal detection agency hired to find the Chief of Security’s missing children combines the culture and traditions of Zimbabwe with a fantastical imagining of its future. Through the experiences of five Russian families, Tolstoy examines the effects of the French invasion of Russia in the early 1800s. 727 ratings — The stories in No Sweetness Here take place after Ghana’s independence in the 1960s. The bulk of the novel takes place in conversations between Zorba and the narrator. Unbeknownst to his wife and superiors, however, he also has a plan of his own. This is Rome by Miroslav Sasek; 13. The Pillar of Salt by Albert Memmi is a semiautobiographical account of Tunisia as a French colony on the brink of war. published 2011, avg rating 3.73 — Patrice Nganang’s uses an unexpected approach in Dog Days by having a dog narrate his story of political unrest and change in the capital city of Yaounde. Voices from Chernobyl is non-fiction that reads like the most gripping fiction made all the more heartbreaking by the fact that it is true. Book rights, and especially eBook rights, can be messy. 75 ratings — We reveal the verdict in our ProWritingAid review. When Alonso Quixano decides to leave his quiet study to become a noble knight, hilarity ensues. The book is full of his travels, striking aspects of Uzbek culture, and his run-ins with the local police. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is an imagined prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. While the native tribes believe they are made of maize, foreign investors see the corn as a way to turn a profit. published 1988, avg rating 4.25 — Occasionally an author will fall deeply in love with a new place, however, and base a fantastically evocative setting on an adopted home instead. Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo has been hailed as one of the most influential pieces of 20th-century literature by authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges. Graham Greene’s Loser Takes All is the story of a man and a woman fighting for their marriage in the middle of all the glitz and glamor of 1950s Monaco. The novel examines Dutch colonialism without portraying all Europeans as villains or all native Indonesians as heroes. Sit back, get comfortable, and read your way through our list of books set in 150 countries around the world. The novel, which is required reading in many Filipino schools, follows a young man returning to the Philippines after being educated abroad. In The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, a Pakistani man named Changez tells an unnamed American tourist the story of his life and a recent love affair with an American woman. Stieg Larsson’s international sensation, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a psychological thriller centered on the disappearance of the grandniece of a wealthy businessman. The complex plot features over 100 historical characters and gave rise to many of China’s most popular proverbs. William Kamkwamba and Brian Mealer detail the inspiring true story of how Kamkwamba brought electricity to his village after countless hour studying old textbooks and tinkering with scrap metal and discarded machinery. Degas and the Little Dancers by Laurence Anhold; 11. You can migrate your account from one country to other and back. Both the family’s story and the backdrop of Egypt on the brink of independence are compelling features of the story. Before you update your information, you need to spend your store credit, cancel your subscriptions, and get a payment method for your new country or region. At the beginning of Zorba the Greek, the narrator meets the enthusiastic Alexis Zorba who is looking for work. Harry Pendel is a British Intelligence agent and a tailor to Panama’s elite. Many fantasy, sci-fi and historical novels are set in or inspired by countries across the world, but English language YA contemporary stories disproportionately take place in the US and UK – … To my mind this would risk getting old, as the author strains to make the children of the story anything other than excuses to explain the main event–a bit of history or nature writing. One of the four great novels of classical Chinese literature, Romance of the Three Kingdoms details the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history with equal parts history and legend. Recommended reading for 18,947 destinations worldwide. Some of the main characters, including Genji himself, may have been styled after real people close to the Imperial court during Shikibu’s lifetime. Beowulf is widely believed to be the oldest surviving epic poem in Old English. The Crocodile by Vincent Eli is the first novel published in English by a native of Papua New Guinea. First, Thailand. When the boy’s mother dies, he and his siblings must work together to eke out a living on their own. The collection’s strength comes from the variety of stories it tells and the authentic voice of its author. published 2007, avg rating 3.93 — The novel’s titular character is a femme fatal that is said to rule the Venezuelan countryside wit a combination of seduction and witchcraft. When Bertram’s boss fails to show up with the yacht, they are stuck in Monaco with no plans and no money. The White Tiger was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 2008. The sagas continue to recount tales and histories through the time of Leif Eriksson and the Viking journeys to North America. The original Gothic vampire novel, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is set in Transylvania—part of present-day Romania. One of the greatest works of Brazilian literature, The Devil to Pay in the Backlands is the story of Riobaldo, a former bandit at the turn of the 20th century. The Mountain Wreath by Petar II Petrovic Njegos is a play set during the 18th Century detailing the spread of the Turkish empire through Europe and the massacre of Montenegrins who had recently converted to Islam. This post may include affiliate links. It serves as a beautiful introduction to the culture and traditions of Chad, complete with folk tales and national pride. The protagonist is a roguish anti-hero that represents a collection of people that rule the towns and streets of the formerly communist country. published 2010, avg rating 3.59 — The Vegetarian by Han Kang follows a young wife in Seoul as she decides to become a vegetarian after a series of disturbing dreams. published 2009, avg rating 2.78 — Today we're going with "A book set in a different country." Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton opens with a provincial minister’s summons to Johannesburg to help his sister. However, if a book is not available for a particular country it will not be accessible even after claiming it. Both the historical and mythical Shaka and his mother were exiled in his childhood due to his illegitimacy, but he rose to become on of the greatest Zulu warriors of all time. The Singapore Grip is the second of three novels that make up Farrell’s Empire Trilogy. The novel is full of symbolism and dark humor alongside poetic depictions of the city itself. 4 ratings — Another kind of “story book,” not as much to my liking, would focus only on stories about children in the country, perhaps in different historical or geographical settings. The Tale of Aypi by Ak Welsapar tells the story of a group of fishermen fighting to keep their homes and their community out of the hands of the ruling authorities. Hurramabad by Andreī Volos is a collection of short stories all set the fictional city of Hurramabad in Tajikistan following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Heidi by Johanna Spyri is a beloved classic about a young orphan girl who goes to live with her aging grandfather in the Swiss Alps. Bitter Grounds, Sandra Benitez’s American Book Award winner, takes place on a lush coffee plantation in the heart of El Salvador. 128 ratings — D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire; 12. Tom Bissell first fell in love with Uzbekistan during a brief stay as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1996. The Earth is Singing was inspired by the experience of the author’s own ancestors. She remembers the things she has done and sacrificed for her family’s honor, struggling under the cultural expectations of children’s responsibility to their parents. The novel is broken into three sections, each of which shines light on another result of Yeong-hye’s decision. Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel follows a young Samoan girl as she comes of age on an island torn between tradition and Western cultures. The Blind Assassin, winner of the 2000 Booker Prize, may be her most ambitious book to date. 54 $50.00 $50.00. The book’s narrators often use Spanglish and other Spanish slang in the middle of the English narrative, as is typical of children who grow up in America in Spanish-speaking homes. Looking for a good read with the setting in any place other than the US. Seven Years in Tibet is a memoir of Heinrich Harrer’s travels and stay in Tibet during the Second World War. Under the cover of his day job, Pendel keeps tabs on the corruption and political unrest in Panama. The story alternates between Preciado’s point of view and that of his father, Pedro Páramo, decades earlier. The 1957 film adaptation of the novel won the Academy Award for Best Picture that same year. Welcome back. If purchases are made using these links, we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you! In selecting books for a specific location , I attempted to cover that country's customs, folklore, traditions, cuisine, art, fashion, cultural attitudes to childhood, as well as famous historical figures. The Sagas of Icelanders is a compilation of stories of the Norse men and women who first populated Iceland. The story follows the main character, Leopold Bloom, through an ordinary day in his life in Dublin. As the war looms, however, he is forced to confront both his history and his heritage. Through the often-intertwined experiences of the women in the families that own and staff the plantation, Benitez paints a portrait of El Salvador during the decades following the peasant massacre of 1932. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a witty novel about the adventures and escapades of young Tom Sawyer growing up on the banks of the Mississippi river. Required reading for anyone wanting to know more about Armenia, Passage to Ararat takes a closer look at the country’s history through the stories of its people. Cipote by Ramón Amaya Amador is the story of a young boy that earns money by shining shoes in the capital city of Tegucigalpa although he cannot afford any shoes himself. Take a trip around the globe and explore the people, history, and landforms of several fascinating countries. Books for Kids. Graham Greene’s classic novel, The Comedians, opens when three men bound for Haiti during the under the reign of Francois Duvalier. His novel is both thoughtful, satirical, and painfully close to reality. Newberry honor book, The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is a futuristic science fiction novel set in Zimbabwe. Alamut was inspired by Mussolini’s rule, but it has become a classic in fascist regimes around the world ever since. 46 ratings — Harrer’s intricate descriptions of Tibetan culture and customs have introduced millions of readers to the isolated country in the mountains between India and China. The Turtle of Oman is heartwarming, humorous, and full of details that bring modern Oman to life for readers wherever they are. The Invisible Mountain is about the bonds that tie mothers and daughters together and the path each woman must walk on her own. Anne Frank’s remarkable diary, discovered in the attic where she hid from the Nazi Gestapo for the last years of her life, offers a personal look into the tragedies and experiences of Jewish families in Holland during the Nazi occupation through the eyes of a young girl as she lived it. In desperation, his mother calls his grandfather to talk some sense into Aref. And I'm actually okay with that. $2.55 coupon applied at checkout Save $2.55 with coupon. Beowulf, already a famed hero, arrives on the island and promises to vanquish the monster Grendel. Dictionary of the Khazars by Serbian author Milorad Pavić is less of a historical narrative than an allegorical one; he uses the Khazars as a symbolic people to represent small cultures and countries stuck between two larger powers. Proffy’s love for language and literature leads him to befriend a British officer despite his loyalty to the Israeli resistance. published 1987, avg rating 3.58 — Few novels capture the sights and emotions of the Nepalese countryside like Palpasa Cafe. The book was banned in Saudi Arabia after its publication in 2007 but was an instant sensation across the Middle East. Artistic and literary merits of the book, as well as its current availability were taken into consideration. When Juan Preciado visits the town where his mother grew up, he finds a town inhabited entirely by ghosts. In his National Book Award winner Passage to Ararat, Michael J. Arlen tells the story of Armenia by telling the story of his father’s life. The anthology, published in both French and English, is responsible for bringing Madagascar’s modern literature to a larger audience. 516 ratings — 432 ratings — The novel follows American tourists on the Burma Road from China to Myanmar as one misunderstanding after another leads to a humorous mix-up with a village of Kayin people in rural Burma. The essay explores post-colonialism, the effect of tourism, and lingering racism in the West Indes. The books I am sharing with you are ones that I have read even though I no longer have copies of them. He travels through the center of the kingdom in an effort to find the king until a surprising end forces both the narrator and the reader to face their own prejudices and assumptions. The Circle of Karma follows its young protagonist on an epic journey across Bhutan and beyond on her quest to light ritual lamps to honor her mother’s memory. The village’s traditional way of life is irreversibly changed when an English agricultural expert and South African refugee work together to try to modernize the village. Bohumil Hrabal’s novel is both ambitious in scope and intricately drawn: the small details and day-to-day experiences give the story a personal feel even as the characters face the overwhelming changes brought on by war and occupation. Post navigation ← Previous Post. I hope this post can help you all claim your copy of The Coworking Handbook. Farrell uses a heavy dose of satire to describe Singapore during World War II in The Singapore Grip. In the early 1960s, a young man born in the Mongolian high country returned from Germany to lead his people back to their home. Many books are written by a local author who knows the back streets and unspoken history of a place. published 1997, avg rating 3.77 — The Crystal Boys was recently adapted to a popular TV miniseries in Taiwan. Required fields are marked * Type here.. Name* E-mail* Website. With breathtaking detail, Moses Isegawa paints a picture of the many faces of Uganda in Abyssinian Chronicles. Travel books can change the way you explore the world. Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 novel tells the story of two young boys in Kabul against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s tumultuous political changes in the 1970s. published 2003, avg rating 3.38 — A disparate cast of characters in the city of Vilnius deals with the occupation in their own ways. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is about favorite books set in another country. Pan Tadeusz is an epic Polish poem published in 1834. There she stumbles upon a pristine Japanese garden and its reclusive owner. Through her story of romance, misunderstanding, and marriage, Jane Austen provided witty commentary on the societal structures of her day. Pai Hsien-yung’s story of a group of young outcasts on the streets of Taipei examines universal themes of love, belonging, and poverty in a setting that evokes the sights and sounds of Taipei. Through a series of coincidences, d’Artagnan joins forces with three famous musketeers to foil an assassination plot against the Duke of Buckingham. published 1989, avg rating 4.03 — When Philip Latinowicz, a painter and art critic, returns to his childhood home in Croatia, he is dismayed at the conditions of the townspeople and the apparent uselessness of the aristocracy. The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the 11th century, is often considered to be the world’s first novel. Almustafa, the book’s titular prophet, is journeying home after more than a decade abroad when he stops to visit with a group of travelers to discuss life and philosophy. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is about favorite books set in another country. Like many war veterans, Stefan Hertman’s grandfather was forever changed by his experiences at war. The book includes authentic recipes and comical stories of her adventures both in the United States and among the Bedouin tribes in Jordan. For most modern books by big authors, you’ll see the hardback and eBook versions being published at pretty much the same time around the world. A Golden Age and the sequels The Good Muslim and The Bones of Grace follow a young widow through Bangladesh’s transition from part of Pakistan to a sovereign nation of its own. Although The Bleeding of the Stone was originally published in 1990, it took until 2002 for an English translation to become available. Next Post → Leave a Comment Cancel Reply. x Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger is a darkly humorous look at class division in modern India. Once in Johannesburg, Reverend Kumalo searches for a sign of his son Absalom. Nasula, a young Zambian widow, dreams of a better life in the midst of intense poverty and depravation. 131 ratings — Jorge Icaza’s 1934 novel The Villagers chronicles a landlord’s exploitation of his native tenants and neighbors. Pierre Boulle’s famous novel, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, is a fictionalized account of the construction of the Burma Railway during the Second World War by British prisoners of war. The novel centers on the life and love affairs of a Genji, an Imperial officer, and son of the Japanese emperor. In his desire to understand everything, Faust makes a deal with Mephistopheles: Faust’s soul for the devil’s power. The novel follows Buendía family through multiple generations of successes and failures in the fictional village of Macondo, which may have been inspired by García Márquez’s childhood home. Watch her full TED Talk: See more at Ted.com, or explore interactive maps of Morgan's reading journey here. Figiel’s novel is written in the style of traditional Samoan storytelling to further enhance the disparities between Samoa’s past and its future. Mia Couto’s novel Sleepwalking Land follows an old man and a young boy as they travel through war-torn Mozambique during the civil war. The Long Way Back has been a staple of Arabic literature and is now finally available in English translation. 27 February 2014 . The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill is the first novel in the Dr. Siri Paiboun murder mystery series. Tales of the Tikongs is a collection of satirical short stories focusing on the missteps of islanders and developers alike. Then the book shifts to homes in other parts of the world that may look different or be made from different materials. 30 ratings — Read 13 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A Long Way Gone is his record of his experiences and escape. Next up is Togo, a country in Africa with soil houses. When war comes to Grenada, Pynter must reconcile the small world of his rural neighborhood and the greater issues facing his country. Based on the regular rise and fall of militant dictators throughout Latin America, I, the Supreme by Augusto Roa Bastos imagines the election of a Supreme Dictator for Life in Paraguay. Cry, the Beloved Country is a story about a father and about the racial divides that separated South Africa in the 1940s. My Uncle Napoleon from Iranian author Iraj Pezeshkzad was an instant success when it was published in 1973. William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy of jealousy, revenge, and love takes place in both Venice and the island of Cyprus. The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, by Shota Rustaveli, is a poetic masterpiece from the 12th century. Svetlana Alexievich presents the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in a new way. The social structure of the city falls apart under the panic caused by the fast-moving illness. Palpasa Cafe is the story of the Nepalese Civil War through the experiences of a young artist named Drishya. The Circle of Karma is the very first novel written in English by a woman from Bhutan and offers a clear glimpse of the country through a native’s eyes. published 2012, avg rating 3.68 — Like most of Allende’s works, The House of the Spirits incorporates elements of magical realism throughout the story. Account of a miniature painter in the world the bulk of the 2000 Booker Prize, may be her ambitious... A Blindness epidemic that sweeps through and unnamed city poverty and depravation, Leopold,! To ensure their continued survival as possible develops friendships both in the city in 2012 past, an books set in different countries! Most influential Spanish-language writer in the 1940s highly successful Swedish films to film and since! Thrilling final battle occurs outside the U.S., so Long a letter by Senegalese author Bâ... 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