| This is an archived issue of Belletrista. If you are looking for the current issue, you can find it here |
 |
|
|
|
New & Notable
At Belletrista, we are constantly on the lookout for new and forthcoming books
that we think look exciting. Below are some of our favourites for Summer and
Autumn 2009. We are a diverse group, so we hope that there will be something
in here for everyone. We want to encourage our readers to experience literature
written in, or about, parts of the world their reading hadn't taken them to
before. In order to help with this, we have categorized the books according
to where we think they best represent. Of course, we couldn't resist adding a
few of our more familiar favourites in there as well. We have provided some
publisher information to help you track down the books you are interested in,
but this can vary from place to place. If you like the look of something,
check with your local bookshop or library for the best way to get hold of it.
Bon voyage!
|
|
AFRICA & the MIDDLE EAST
|
THE SHAPE OF HIM
Gill Schierhout
Set in South Africa, The Shape of Him tells of the aftermath of a
haunting love affair between a young woman and a one-time diamond
digger who suffers from a degenerative brain disease.
Jonathan Cape (UK), hardcover, 9780224088886
|
THIS SIDE OF JORDAN
Margaret Laurence
The New Canadian Library has published a new edition of Canadian
author Margaret Laurence's stunning debut novel set in Ghana in 1957,
in the days preceding the Gold Coast's independence from British rule.
New Canadian Library, paperback, 9780771093869
|
MY MEN
Malika Mokeddem
Translated from the French by Laura Rice and Karim Hamdy
Mokeddem, an Algerian author and medical doctor, in this memoir, presents the mosaic
of her relationships which defined for her what it is to be a woman, an immigrant,
a doctor, and a citizen of an uncertain world.
Univ. of Nebraska Press, paperback, 9780803283176
|
|
HAWECHA, A WOMAN FOR ALL TIME
Rhodia Mann
The fascinating legend of Hawecha, the most famous Prophetess of the
Oromo people in southern Ethiopia, is brought to a wider audience
in this historical novel.
Longhorn Publishers, paperback, 9789966951441
Available in the UK & US through the African Book Collective.
|
|
THE SAND FISH: A NOVEL OF DUBAI
Maha Gargash
Despite a fiery independent nature, Noora, a young woman coming of
age in 1950s Dubai, soon finds herself struggling as the third wife
of a rich and much older man.
Harper (US & UK), paperback, 9780061744679 (October)
|
|
|
THE AGE OF ORPHANS
Laleh Khadivi
A young Kurdish boy is orphaned in a massacre by the armies of Iran's new shah
and everything in his life changes. A stunning debut novel about the casualities
of war. Khadivi was born in Iran but now lives in the United States.
McClelland & Stewart (CAN), hardcover, 9780771095719
Bloomsbury, paperback, 978-1608190423
|
A GOOD LAND
Nada Awar Jarrar
Small truths, white lies; the many shades of friendship, all impacted by
the harsh legacy of war...this powerful and moving novel follows three
people in a neighborhood in war torn Lebanon.
Harper Collins (UK), paperback, 9780007257713
|
|
THE BOY NEXT DOOR: A NOVEL
Irene Sabatini
Lindiwe Bishop's white neighbor has died tragically and Lindiwe is
fascinated with her neighbor's stepson --- the prime suspect. This
is a powerful love story about an unlikely alliance, set against the
turmoil of political upheaval in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Little, Brown & Co. (US), hardcover, 9780316049931 (Sept.)
|
VOICES OF THE DESERT
Nélida Piñon
Translated from the Portuguese by Clifford E. Landers
From one of Brazil's most beloved writers, comes the sumptuous retelling of
Scheherazade that illuminates her character as never before.
Knopf, hardcover, 9780307266675
|
|
|
|
|