Happy May, SHC! We are on the verge of summer break! As one final installation of this year’s book columns, Lily and I wanted to pay homage to international authors because reading a book translated from another language, or one written by an author from a different culture, stretches the mind in ways reading a book through your own cultural lens will never have the ability to do. International authors open readers’ eyes to the societies we aren’t able to see. They highlight facets of humanity unmarked by Western society, and they showcase the beauty of the expansive and extraordinary world we call home. Here are a few of our favorites:
Martyr by Kaveh Akbar
Placed on the New York Times’ list of top 10 books of 2024, Martyr commands all attention whenever it’s displayed in a room. The novel follows an Iranian immigrant’s son, Cyrus, delving into the internal war raging through his whole being. The fusion of Akbar’s Iranian culture with his unique chronology, deeply evocative premise of martyrdom, and even more dexterous imagery all unite to forge a novel of deep contemplation and rapture. Martyr rebels against the line society draws between life and death, leaving both Cyrus and its readers teetering over a liminal edge of finality or endless existence.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Italian author Elena Ferrante delivers an austerely raw account of friendship. Her talented ability to narrate with a neutral tone whilst still reberating undertones of hurt and resentment for her “best friend,” the person she is supposed to love the most, creates a prolific and eye-opening portrait of friendship’s many complexities. My Brilliant Friend shadows best friends Lila and Elena through the mountainous highs and the even lower pitfalls of their friendship. Ferrante easily transports you directly onto the ravaged, rough, soiled-diamond 1950s streets of Naples filled with Lila and Elena’s love-soaked laughter and pained tears. To read Ferrante is to experience pure passion, putting My Brilliant Friend at the top of our Best Books List.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
When we first picked up Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we were nowhere near prepared for the fantastical universe erupting from its pages. Kawaguchi’s innovative narrative hones in on a question many of us frequently ponder: If you had the chance, would you go back in time? If someone twisted the key to bend time, would you wander back to your past? The Tokyo café, Funiculi Funicula, offers customers a bridge connecting past, present, and future by letting them travel back through time to see lost or loved ones, to remedy a running wound, or to simply remember. However, your trip is limited to the time before your coffee gets cold. Let your drink cool, take your hands off its rim, and time can be altered forever; but follow the rules, enjoy one euphoric wrinkle of existence, and perhaps your life will change. Kawaguchi not only opens your eyes to regret, loss, and anger, but also uses his prolific writing to confront our morality and morals.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Indian author Arundhati Roy’s novel, The God of Small Things, exudes pain, betrayal, sacrifice, and tragedy. The complex and detailed narrative traverses three generations of the Ipe family in Ayemenem, India. Spanning from 1969 to 1993, Roy challenges readers to endure the painful consequences of social judgment, conformity, and the caste system by not only spotlighting the fractured relationship of fraternal twins Estha and Rahel, but by retracing each of their family member’s horrific, tangled, and star-crossed branches springing out of the their family tree. Readers, get ready to dive headfirst into a tumultuous sea of family schisms, tragic love stories, and unforgivable falsities among one’s own blood line.
Simone’s Standout Read:
Breasts and Eggs by Meiko Kawakami
An international phenomenon, Breasts and Eggs took my breath away the first time I read it in 2023. Kawakami’s rich and lyrical prose makes her words jump off the page, materializing right in front of you like a scene from a movie. The infusion of her rhythmic writing style into her moving story of three women, Natsuko, her sister, Makiko, and her niece, Midoriko, alchemized all my expectations towards authors and transmuted me from a reader barely willing to scratch the surface of literature to one unafraid of burying herself in the underworld of true literary art.
Student Reviews:
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, recommended by Violet Williamson ‘28
Persepolis has made waves as one of the world’s most beloved graphic novels for its mixture of vivid storytelling and intense political innuendos. This “mawkish” graphic novel had a very compelling story,” and SHC’s own Violet Williamson ‘28 found it “interesting to see the life of someone from another place.” The story wades into the life of Marji Satrapi, the author herself, during the 1970s and 80s of Iran, diving in and out of heated family and social dynamics. Persepolis is the perfect fusion of art and reality for all readers ready for a compelling graphic novel.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhà Lai recommended by Ashley Wang ‘27
Vietnamese-American author, Thanhà Lai broke innumerable barriers with her incomparable, 2011 novel, Inside Out and Back Again. The poetic, free verse novel drops you straight into young Vietnamese girl, Hà’s, arduous journey with her family from Saigon to Alabama. “Memorable” and radiantly simplistic, this children’s novel became Ashley’s “first exposure to poetry and Vietnamese culture.” The power of Lai’s rhythmic prose and heartfelt story creates an exquisite lens into Vietnamese history, fabricating a very delightful read.
Teacher Reviews:
City of the Beast by Isabel Allende, recommended by Ms. Betteo
A Chilean-American author whose books are famous in the Spanish-speaking world has slowly made her way into the wider world. This venturesome novel follows the adventures of a teenage boy, Alexander, sent to live with his grandmother in the Amazon. This “rebellious young man…takes you into the heart of the Amazon” and makes readers dive “into the indigenous practices of the Amazon,” according to Ms. Betteo. The book is imbued with Allende’s trademark magical realism, which creates a vivid and animated world that lets readers immerse themselves in the narrative.
Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet, recommended by Monsieur Baptiste
A graphic novel written by Abouet, who is originally from the Ivory Coast, where the book is set, and illustrated by Clément Oubrerie, is an exciting and funny story about a young woman who dreams of greater things. Living in Yop City, she and her friends adventure around the city in a series of small stories. According to Monsieur Baptiste, the story “gives another perspective on life. It’s a story of a woman of color who refuses to follow rules she does not understand.” Abouet masterfully mixes entertainment with real-life issues that are “very relevant [story] for all teenagers.”
Well, SHC, this is it! It has been a pleasure for us to be your book columnists this year, and we cannot wait to bring you even more books next year! Unveiling the treasure trove of incredible literature sprinkled throughout our world has been a true pleasure. We loved praising a multitude of authors, but also loved seeing your reviews and recommendations of books we haven’t had the pleasure of reading. We can’t wait for next year, and we leave you with one final quote that could not ring any truer:
“I’ve lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant shores and seen the end of time. Because I read.” – George R.R. Martin
