Belletrista

This is an archived issue of Belletrista. If you are looking for the current issue, you can find it here


In Praise of Herta Müller: Winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature	Holiday shopping? Let us help you with the readers on your list!	Carolyn Kelly Muses about the Booker, the Frankfurt Book Fair, and the German Book Prize.

Welcome to the second issue of Belletrista! After the heady response to our launch issue, we're thrilled to be back to celebrate more astonishingly diverse works from talented women the world over. In this issue, you'll find alluring reviews of books from Mexico, Iceland, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Russia, and more. Don't miss the informative feature on the Ugandan women writers' association, Femrite, and the enlightening companion article profiling meritorious Ugandan authors. We've also, in our unique way, endeavored to shed some light on the Booker, Nobel and Giller Prizes. Finally, with the holidays in mind, we offer a host of gift suggestions to help you find the best picks for yourself, and the book-loving folk in your life. Happy (armchair) travels!

Reviews
Below are a tantalizingly small selection of this month's reviews....

THE BRIDGE OF THE GOLDEN HORN

Emine Sevgi Ozdamar

Translated from the German by Martin Chalmers and John Berger

The Bridge of the Golden Horn is the story of Turkey and ultimately the story of every struggle, oppression and revolution.
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Reviewed by Andrew Stancek

HOW TO PAINT A DEAD MAN

Sarah Hall

Imagine yourself leaping into a painting. Something Impressionistic, perhaps: rich with color so thick you skid through its juicy impasto...
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Reviewed by Kathleen Ambrogi

WOMAN ON THE OTHER SHORE

Mitsuyo Kakuto

Translated from the Japanese by Wayne P. Lammers

Recently translated into English, this acclaimed Japanese novel focuses on two 35-year-old women who meet and form an unlikely friendship. They are the classic polar opposites: the unmarried career woman and the homemaker ...
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Reviewed by Kathleen Ambrogi

FOR GRACE RECEIVED

Valeria Parrella

Translated from the Italian by Anthony Shugaar

Forget everything you think about Italy. Forget restored 15th century farmhouses, forget hunting for truffles in autumn, and forget friendly neighbours dropping by with bottles of Chianti and olive oil...
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Reviewed by Joyce Nickel

THE SECRET HISTORY OF MOSCOW

Ekaterina Sedia

The Secret History of Moscow is an urban fantasy set — as the title might lead you to suspect — in, and under, Moscow.
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Reviewed by Tim Jones

FEMRITE and Ugandan Women Writers

A peek into an dynamic organization created to nurture women writers and a deeper look at five of its splendid writers.

Women Writers Dominate the Giller Prize

Photo of Kim Echlin, Annabel Lyon and Alice Munro

An unprecedented ten of the twelve long-listed books were written by women writers. Three remain on the shortlist. Joyce Nickels takes us on a whirlwind tour of the authors and their books...

New Biographies of Women Authors

Photo of actor representing the Alcott family

2009 has been a great year for biographies (and at least one documentary). Check out our list.

New and Notable Books

Our latest collection of intriguing titles for November and December.

Belletrista - Issue 2
November/December 2009

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