| This is an archived issue of Belletrista. If you are looking for the current issue, you can find it here |
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Explore Africa! Click here to go to reviews of 20 great books written by African women.
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We interview Najat El-Hachmi, author of The Last Patriarch.
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Specters by Egyptian author Radwa Ashour, Chapter One
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Reviews
Click on 'Reviews' to see the full list of this issue's reviews...
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THE HUT OF FALLEN PERSIMMONS
Adriana Lisboa
Translated from the Portuguese by Sarah Green
It is interesting to read a book that you are certain will be a love story—though you aren't sure whether happy or ill-fated, requited or unrequited—only to find yourself perpetually poised, waiting for that romance to start. Haruki, an illustrator of books, and Celina, an embroidery artist, meet by chance on a subway in Rio de Janeiro.
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Reviewed by Tad Deffler
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HEATWAVE AND CRAZY BIRDS
Gavriela Avigur-Rolem
Translated from the Hebrew by Dalya Bilu
Heatwave and Crazy Birds is a dense and complex, but ultimately rewarding book about one woman's search for 'her' Israel. Rich with historical references but rooted firmly in the present, it is a bittersweet examination of the Israeli people's relationship with the land they live on and the problems it faces.
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Reviewed by Andy Barnes
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SMUGGLED
Christina Shea
This is a story about getting lost and being found. It begins in the perfect time and place for a tale of identity stolen, transformed and rediscovered: 1943, in the midst of the Holocaust. You might think you can imagine what comes next, but that's unlikely. The story is surprising yet realistic, one that has not been told often enough. What happened to the Holocaust survivors who ended up trapped behind the Iron Curtain…
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Reviewed by Kathleen Ambrogi
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SUN DOG
Monica Roffey
Glorious colours riotously abound in Monique Roffey's first novel: 'deep purples, maroons, reds and oranges'. It is set in a delicatessen cum cafe in Shepherd's Bush, London where large, ungainly August Chalmin presides over culinary riches.
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Reviewed by Chris Mills
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THE SKIN OF THE SKY
Elena Poniatowska
Translated from the Spanish by Deanna Heikennen
The Skin of the Sky follows the life of Lorenzo de Tena, one of Mexico's most celebrated astronomers. His childhood bond with his doting mother is shattered by her early death, leaving him to be raised by an apathetic father. His mother's …
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Reviewed by Andy Barnes
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Ali Smith's
There But For the
An extended review by Rachael Beale
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If Written By a Woman
Visit our new Belletrista blog!
The Caine Prize for African Writing 2011 – shortlist announcedThe shortlist for this year’s Caine Prize has just been announced and three women are in the running for the prestigious award. This is always an exciting time of year – the Prize is a great way to discover short stories by excellent writers. Lucky for us, the Prize’s website links to a copy of …Read the Rest
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