It’s August, which means Bookstagram is full of incredible Women In Translation Month features! As someone who avidly reads both translated fiction and work by women writers, it’s like Christmas come early (to the extent that I briefly considered adding ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ as a backing track for this post …)
Here are just a few of my own picks:
🇨🇱 Eva Luna – Isabel Allende (transl. Margaret Sayers Peden)
This has been on my TBR list of a while, ever since I read and loved The House of Spirits. Allende’s prose is beautiful – I always find myself utterly immersed in the worlds she creates.
‘My name is Eva, which means “life”, according to a book of names my mother consulted. I was born in the back room of a shadowy house, and grew up amidst ancient furniture, books in Latin, and human mummies, but none of those things made me melancholy, because I came into the world with a breath of the jungle in my memory.’
🇪🇸 The Sleeping Voice/La voz dormida – Dulce Chacón (transl. Nick Caistor)
This is severely underrated novel – if you are a fan of historical fiction, I cannot recommend it enough! Set in a women’s prison during the the Spanish Civil War and based on historical accounts, it follows the lives of Hortensia and her fellow inmates, deftly switching between timelines and characters to reveal a wider picture of the horrors many suffered at this time. I first read it in English translation at university and was blown away by the emotional impact of Chacón’s writing.
I only have the Spanish copy as I am now attempting (with varying degrees of success) to read it again in the original, but the English version is widely available and a must-read!
🇩🇪 Inkheart/Tintenherz – Cornelia Funke (transl. Anthea Bell)
A childhood favourite – every bookworm I know would give a right arm to enter their favourite fictional worlds. Premise aside, Cornelia Funke is a natural-born fantasy writer and Anthea Bell’s translation is beautifully fluid. Once you’ve raced through this trilogy and have been firmly converted to a fervent Funke fan, there’s also The Thief Lord and Dragon Rider awaiting you.
🇨🇴 Fish Soup – Margarita García Robayo (transl. Charlotte Coombe)
Another TBR that I’m very excited for! I have followed Charco Press for a while now; their work bringing Latin American authors to the forefront is incredible and I’m sure this is the first of many, many purchases.
“Throughout the collection, García Robayo’s signature style blends cynicism and beauty with an undercurrent of dark humour. The prose is at once blunt and poetic as she delves into the lives of her characters, who simultaneously evoke sympathy and revulsion, challenging the reader’s loyalties as they immerse themselves in the unparalleled universe that is Fish Soup” – https://charcopress.com/bookstore/fish-soup
🇫🇷 Her Father’s Daughter/ Le père de la petite – Marie Sizun (transl. Adriana Hunter)
I bought this immediately after finishing Adriana Hunter’s translation of Winter Flowers by Angélique Villeneuve, also published by Peirene. Upon reading the blurb, the premise is remarkably similar – a father returning home to his family and the ensuing complications, set against the backdrop of war-torn Paris. I like the subtilty of Winter Flowers so hopefully that bodes well.
🇫🇷 The Mad Women’s Ball/Le bal des folles – Victoria Mas (transl. Frank Wynne)
This was very much a “bookstagram made me do it” purchase. I am intrigued by the trope of women and madness; I read Gilbert and Gubar’s work cover to cover while studying and each fictional exploration of the topic brings a new perspective to light. Moreover, Gothic fiction is right up my street so tentatively hoping this one will be a 5* review.
“A darkly sumptuous tale of wicked spectacle, wild injustice and the insuppressible strength of women” – Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
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