What we’re about
Did you know that there are over 7,100 languages in the world today, but only 3% of the books that reach American readers each year are translated? There's a lot of great stuff out there to discover! If you're an adventurous reader looking to expand your knowledge about the world, then this book club is for you. We exclusively read works in translation, picking something from a different country every month and meeting to discuss our thoughts in a friendly and accessible environment.
For a full list of what we've read and where we've been so far, click here.
Upcoming events (2)
See all- April Meeting: SILENCE OF THE CHAGOSMadison Public Library - Central, Madison, WI
For April we'll be reading SILENCE OF THE CHAGOS by Shenaz Patel, translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman!
Every afternoon a woman in a red headscarf walks to the end of the quay and looks out over the water, fixing her gaze “back there”—to Diego Garcia, one of the small islands forming the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean. With no explanation, no forewarning, and only an hour to pack their belongings, the entire population of Diego Garcia was forced on a boat headed to Mauritius. Government officials told Charlesia that the island was “closed;” there was no going back for any of them.
Charlesia longs for life on Diego Garcia, where she spent her days harvesting coconuts and her nights dancing to sega music. As she struggles to come to terms with the injustice of her new reality, Charlesia crosses paths with Désiré, a young man born on the one-way journey to Mauritius. Désiré has never set foot on Diego Garcia, but as Charlesia unfolds the dramatic story of their people, he learns of the home he never knew and of the life he might have had.
With the Chagos’ sovereignty currently being adjudicated by the United Nations SILENCE OF THE CHAGOS is an important and humanizing exploration of the rights of individuals and a reckoning with displacement on a global scale.
Please consider obtaining your copy from one of Madison's wonderful independent bookstores or from Bookshop.org! There are also used copies available from several online retailers.
- May Meeting: I WAS NEVER THE FIRST LADYMadison Public Library - Central, Madison, WI
For May we'll be reading I WAS NEVER THE FIRST LADY by Wendy Guerra, translated by Achy Obejas!
Nadia Guerra’s mother, Albis Torres, left when Nadia was just ten years old. Growing up, the proponents of revolution promised a better future. Now that she’s an adult, Nadia finds that life in Havana hasn’t quite matched its promise; instead it has stifled her rebellious and artistic desires. Each night she DJs a radio show government censors block from broadcasting. Frustrated, Nadia finds hope and a way out when she wins a scholarship to study in Russia.
Leaving Cuba offers her the chance to find her long lost mother and her real father. But as she embarks on a journey east, Nadia soon begins to question everything she thought she knew and understood about her past.
As Nadia discovers more about her family, her fate becomes entwined with that of Celia Sanchez, an icon of the Cuban Revolution—a resistance fighter, ingenious spy, and the rumored lover of Fidel Castro. A tale of revolutionary ideals and promise, Celia’s story interweaves with Nadia’s search for meaning, and eventually reveals secrets Nadia could never have dreamed.Please consider obtaining your copy from one of Madison's wonderful independent bookstores or from Bookshop.org! There are also used copies available from several online retailers.
