MARCH, 2026 - AUTHORS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH

 

ASHES IN THE SNOW BY ORIANO RAMMUNO

ROSEMARY S:  The author was born in Melfi in 1980. It is her debut novel published in 2021 and translated in 2022 by Katherine Gregor.  The book was inspired by her grandfather who was in a concentration camp. Rosemary said it feels like two books in one.  On one level it reads like a murder mystery. SS investigator Hugo Fischer is tasked with solving a murder inside Auschwitz, and the slow uncovering of the truth gives the story tension and momentum.  At the same time, the novel confronts the reader with the brutal reality of life in the camp.  The descriptions of suffering and cruelty are graphic and disturbing, forcing the reader to face the atrocities experienced by those imprisoned there.  It was worth reading.

THE LITTLE PRINCE BY ANTOINE SAINT-EXUPERY

JUDY J:  This book was originally published in 1943 in both French and English (translated by T.V.F. Cuffe).  The author was a pilot in France and North Africa. In exile in America, he wrote The Little Prince.

It’s a philosophical children’s fable for adults about a pilot stranded in the Sahara who meets a young prince travelling from another planet.  It explores love, friendship, loss, and the absurdity of adult life through the prince’s journeys. 

THE BOOKSTORE GIRLS BY KEI AONO

LYN:  This book was published in Japan in 2012 and published in the U.K. in 2025. It was translated by Australian Haydn Trowell.  It is the first in a series of books to be translated into English.  It’s a story of female friendship, bookstores and fighting for a cause. It is set in Japan where two employees, Riko and Aki work in different sections of a bookstore, which takes up three floors of the building.  They clash constantly at meetings and have no desire to work together.  When they are told the company is planning to close the branch, they decide they need to work together.  All the staff worked as a team and Lyn found the feeling of friendship and fun was infectious.  She thoroughly enjoyed it and would read a sequel.

THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME BY ISABEL ALLENDE (2023)

JUDY DE:  It is about war, immigration, family, home and a mother’s sacrifice.  Judy loved it. It’s the story of two children from different places and times.  In 1938 a six year old Austrian boy is sent to the UK by his mother to escape the Nazi regime.  In 2019 a seven year old girl flees El Salvador with her mother seeking refuge in the USA. They never stop dreaming.

THE ANOMALY BY HERVE  LE TELLIER (2022)

HELEN:  This book was translated from French by Adriana Hunter.  It’s a modern science fiction literary thriller and social satire.  Tellier is skilled at keeping readers in suspense.  Helen said she could not really collect her thoughts about it. It’s a very wordy book but it drew Helen in.

THE ALCHEMIST BY PAUL COHELO

ROSEMARY W:  It’s the story of a shepherd boy trying to find the meaning of life.  “To realise one’s destiny is a person’s obligation”.  He travels to Morocco. It’s an easy and delightful read – a philosophical book for adults.

AND EVERY MORNING THE WAY HOME GETS LONGER AND LONGER BY FREDERIK BACKMAN

KRIS: This novella is written by the Swedish author of a Man Called Ove in 2015. It’s about an elderly man suffering from Alzheimers disease.

 Grandpa and Noah are sitting on a bench in a square that keeps getting smaller and more confusing every day.  As they sit together on the bench they tell each other jokes, discuss mathematics and talk about grandma who died. It is a wise and heartbreaking celebration of connection while also learning to let go. This novella was a heartwarming and easy read.

GOD OF SMALL THINGS BY ARUNDHATI ROY (1997)

PAMELA: It’s set in Kerala in the southwest part of the Indian continent.  The main characters are twins Estha and Rahel.  The story weaves back and forth between 1969 during a time of political unrest, when the twins were 7 years old and in 1993 when the twins are 31.  Estha was sent away to live with his father, and the twins have not seen each other since they were children. The novel offers a powerful critique of India’s caste system.  It shows how ordinary moments can have devastating effects. Although this book won the Booker prize in 1997, Pamela found the narrative disjointed with unusual words and sentences. She also said the story was very dark and a bit depressing.

BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD BY TOSHIKAZU KAWAGUCHI (2015)

SHEILA:  It was first written as a play in 2010.  She found it a bit boring. Perhaps the story was lost in translation.  It tells the story of a café in Tokyo that allows its customers to travel back in time, if they return before their coffee gets cold.  The question was “If you could go back in time, who would you want to meet to confront someone in your life or perhaps repair a relationship".

THE ACTS OF MY MOTHER BY ANDRAS FORGACH (2018)

THERESA: She felt the same as Sheila that perhaps the story was lost in translation making it a difficult and boring read. Theresa felt it didn’t flow and said it had too many characters, it was very confusing. 30 years after communism in Hungary, Forgach investigates his family’s past and discovers his mother was an informant for the Kadar regime.  She informed not only on acquaintances but also on family, friends and even her children.  Forgach must confront the truth about the woman who was simultaneously an informant, as well as a tender loving mother.

THE BELL IN THE LAKE BY LARS MYTTING (2019)

PAT:  This book was translated by Deborah Dawkin. The story is set in in a little village in Norway.  The lake is frozen and it is too hard to bury their dead. In 1879 a young pastor moves to the village where a young outspoken woman, Astrid lives.  She wants a different life.  The new pastor wants to change things and to build a mortuary and a new church. The historic old church would need to be pulled down to build the new church.  The villagers have their own ideas. Astrid saw the pastor as her chance to lead a different life, but then the pastor brings in n architect from Dresden. Both show an interest in her and eventually Astrid must make a choice between the two men.  Pat has not finished the book yet.

UNTIL AUGUST BY GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ (2024)

JOAN:  This is a 110 page story of fiction translated by Anne McLean.  It is set in Latin America.  Ana Magdalena Bach is happily married to a gorgeous husband and hasn’t any real reason to escape but for 24 hours every August, she journeys to a Caribbean Island to lay flowers on her mother’s grave and to take a new lover for the night. The story is constantly surprising with a sudden twist at the end.  It’s sensual, a meditation on freedom, regret and the mysteries of love and it’s so absorbing.  Marquez won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.He is the author of 100 Years of Solitude.

A MAN WHO SMILED BY HENNING MANKELL (1994)

VAL:  The translator is Laurie Thompson.  The author is a social activist.  This is the fourth crime novel in the Inspector Kurt Wallander series by the Swedish author.  A wealthy businessman employs an elderly lawyer to help him.  On his way to see the businessman he is ruminating about meeting the businessman and worries about what it entails.  He sees a chair on the road and when he gets out of the car he is murdered. His son goes to see Wallander and when his son is also murdered, Wallander treats it as a double murder.  Val said it was very readable and gave you a good feeling of Sweden.

VOICES BY ARNALDUR INDRIDASON

JO:  This 2003 novel was translated into English in 2006 by Bernard Scutter.  The setting is Iceland.  Erlendor Sveinsson investigates a murder of a hotel doorman in the Grand Hotel in Reykjavik.  He is trying to solve the murder while also dealing with his difficult teenage daughter and a possible romantic interest.   He must untangle a web of malice and greed to find the murderer.  Jo found it quite boring.

VIOLETA BY ISABEL ALLENDE (2022)

KERRY:  This book has been translated from Spanish.  It is an epic story of Violeta del Valle whose life spanned 100 years.  She tells her story through a letter to her grandson.  She was born in South America in1920, experienced the great depression, war, two pandemics, the fight for women’s rights and social displacement. She had three marriages and made and lost several fortunes.  She was a bad judge of men. It’s a singular story of survival but Kerry thought it came across as thinly drawn, perhaps due to the long span.

THE PERFECT NANNY BY LEILA SLIMANI (2016)

CINDY:   This novel was translated from French into English by Sam Taylor in 2018. When Myriam, a French Moroccan lawyer, decides to return to work after having children, she and her husband look for a Nanny.  They pick someone who seems to be wonderful, but things become tense as jealousy, suspicions and resentment increase. It’s quite riveting. The story is an exploration of class and domesticity, although it is more a character study of the Nanny.  Cindy didn’t really like it.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT BY ERICH MARIA REMARQUE (1928)

PRUE:  This book was translated by Arthur Wesley Wheen from German into English.  This book is a classic.  It is a semi autobiographical account by the author, a veteran of World War 1.  It is the story of a young unknown soldier experiencing the horror and disillusionment of life in the trenches. The story began as a series and in 2018 became a novel, translated into 22 different languages.    It is one of the most popular and well known war books.

AT THE WOLF’S TABLE BY ROSELLA POSTORINO (2019)

LESLEY:  This book was translated by Leah Janeczko. It is historical fiction, based on Margaret Wolk, a German woman who was forced to become one of Hitler’s food tasters during WWII.  Rosa is the main character. She moved to the country to live with her in laws, a rural farming community when the SS arrived and ordered her to become a food tester for Hitler. Hitler was obsessed he would be poisoned so 15 women were collected each day, taken to his residence (the Wolf’s lair) and made to sample all the dishes the cook had prepared. It’s a book about love, hunger, danger and survival.  The narrative moves slowly, mirroring her movements, the care taken to conserve energy, her meagre possessions and her sanity.

THE GRANDDAUGHTER BY BERNARD SCHLINK (1995)

MARGARET:  This was translated from German by Charlotte Collins.From the bestselling author of the Reader, a striking work of historical fiction exploring the past told through the story of a German bookseller’s attempt to connect to his radicalized granddaughter. He has discovered his wife had to leave her baby behind when she escaped to the west. He goes to a remote rural area in Germany where he finds the daughter and granddaughter are part of a Neo Nazi group.

THE NIGHTS ARE QUIET IN TEHRAN BY SHIDA BAZYAR (2016)

JUDY A:  This book was translated from German by Ruth Martin.The story begins in 1979 with the Iranian Revolution, the downing of the Shah and the rise of the mullahs, but it’s not about the forty years of turmoil that follow. That is on the periphery.  It’s about the impact on the lives of a family living in exile and it’s told in five difference voices. The father, Behzad, a young Communist activist is hopeful the Shah’s departure will usher in change at last. When he sees his friends being jailed by the new regime, he seeks asylum in Germany with his wife and two young children.  10 years later we hear from his wife, Nahid who struggles with cultural differences and yearns for home.  Another ten years on we learn about Laleh, a young girl when her family fled Iran.  She is now a teenager in Germany. Jumping to 2009, the brother, Morad is a college student and the most removed from his Iranian identity.    The youngest is Tara, born in Germany.  She is very politically active like her parents.  Judy gave it 3 out of 5.

THE BAGHDAD CLOCK BY SHAHAD AL RAWI (2016)

TAM: This is essentially autobiographical. It was translated by Luke Leafgren in 2018. It is a tale of a young girl, her friends and her neighbourhood in Baghdad from 1991 to 2003.  It invites us to imagine growing up under the cloud of two wars. It shows a community which remains resilient in the face of hardship for as long as it can. Even when your country is falling apart you can still have love, hope and dreams for the future. The story is told in a detached and dreamlike way and wanders in and out of magical realism.  Our unnamed narrator, at 17, meets Nadia in the neighbourhood air raid shelter and they become best friends.  As they maintain their friendship into adulthood they watch their neighbourhood change as people flee their houses leaving them empty or filled with strangers.

AGATHA BY ANNE CATHRINE BOHMANN  (2017)

ED: This book was translated from Danish by Caroline Waight in 2019.  It became a word of mouth success and has been translated into 23 languages.  It’s the story of a psychiatrist who is counting down to retirement at 72.  During sessions with his patients, he does different bird drawings for different patients.  His plans are disrupted when a woman “Agatha” insists that he becomes her therapist.  As Agatha begins to uncover difficult parts of her life, it transpires that talking therapy can be transformative for the doctor as well as the patient. It’s a story about loneliness and what it means to make friends at any stage of life as he and Agatha become friends.  Ed thought it was a lovely heartwarming story.

 

Kris

 

IN APRIL WE WILL BE READING  BOOKS BY AUSTRALIAN AUTHORS

FEBRUARY 2026 WOMEN'S FRIENDSHIPS

 

We enjoyed a very mixed selection of books this month – the topic being Female Friendships.

Theresa – WEEKENDS WITH THE SUNSHINE GARDEN SOCIETY. Sophie Green.

A lovely story with much humour and positivity. 4 women come together, each with their own ‘baggage’, and work to build a community garden. As their relationships develop, they find comfort, support and a community.

Pat – Elizabeth is Missing. Emma Healey. A woman, Maud, with increasing dementia is searching for her friend – Elizabeth.  Maud continues to ask where she is, they shared a special friendship with gardening as the connector. Maud is sure Elizabeth would never just disappear. The story provides insights into those with dementia and those who witness its progress. Very enjoyable.

Joan – Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Lisa See. Meticulously researched novel detailing the intense lifelong friendship between 2 women in 19^th century China. The women found comfort and support together as they experienced the brutality of foot binding and used a ‘secret language’ that men could not understand which gave them a sense of power in a male dominated society.  Highly recommended.

Val – Cold Enough for Snow. Jessica Oh. Novella of the friendship between a mother and daughter, living in different countries, sharing their life’s experiences. Sometimes the prose was dull.

Rosemary W – The Winter Dress. Lauren Chater. Historical fiction. The author (a textile researcher) creates a story about a beautiful silk gown, 17th-century, that has been rediscovered and recreates the possible ‘life’ of the gown. Well written but a little wordy.

Jo – Gang of Four – Liz Byrski. 4 women, friends all in their 50’s, see their lives in crisis and want it to change. Different lives and different futures.

Kerry – The Sealed Letter. Emma Donoghue. 2 women from different social classes, become unlikely friends. Emily (a faithful friend) moves into the home a couple shared and befriends both Helen and Harry. But Helen wants a divorce. In England in 1864 divorce was not common and due to the high social profile of the couple the divorce became highly publicised. The book highlights London society, the Legal system, social mores, friendships gone wrong and how Helen cruelly gaslighted and manipulated Emily to obtain a divorce on her terms.

Debra – One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot. Marianne Cronin. 2 women are in a terminal care ward in a Glasgow hospital. Lenni is 17, Margot 83. Both learn of each other’s lives through a painting class offered to patients. Friendship blooms, life’s stories swapped, the young Lenni’s view of life changes. They plan to create 100 paintings showing the lives they have lived. Debra loved the book.

Cindy – The Book Club for Troublesome Women. Marie Bostwick. Historical fiction. 4 disgruntled women form a book club. A new member encourages them to read the Feminine Mystique – Betty Friedan. They begin to challenge social rules and expectations, friendships develop, they firm their views and take charge of their lives.

Dimity - Maggsie McNaughton’s Second Chance. Frances Maynard. A year in the life of a female prisoner living in supported housing. The woman comes from a very disadvantaged background. She finds friendships developing, gains positive life skills and develops an interest in life. Smart and funny.

Margaret – Lady Tans Circle of Women. Lisa See. Chinese culture and history are highlighted when, in 15^th China, a young woman raised by her grandparents becomes a doctor. She not only is formally educated, but she also witnesses and learns how to be heard and accepted as an intelligent, active woman. Interesting characters and friendships across different classes. Very good.

Judy A. – Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Fannie Flagg. Two different friendships are told in this book. Evelyn, in the 1980s, whilst visiting her cranky mother-in-law meets 80-year-old Ninny Threadgoode – a strong, talkative, outgoing woman with plenty of life’s experiences to share. She grew up at the Whistle Stop Café Alabama. The 2nd friendship, set in the 1930’s, is about Ruth Jamison and Idgie Threadgoode who run the Whistle Stop Café. Ruth faced much adversity during her early time at the café but the growing friendship with Idgie helped her overcome. Judy has very fond memories of reading this book with her family over the years.

Tam – Secrets between Friends. Fiona Palmer. Friends on a cruise, everyone has secrets, friends nurture and encourage each other. Tam enjoyed the book.

Judy J. – The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane. Dee MacDonald. Friends Tess and Orla run a dress shop called Curvaceous. Both single and with an upcoming wedding they both decide to lose weight. Tess wants s suitable partner to take to the wedding to show off to her ex. Many exploits happen, the book is funny in parts, light-hearted and an easy read.

Rosemary S – We All Want Impossible Things. Katharine Newman. Best friends, one is dying, the other goes to stay with her. Whilst a bleak topic there’s funny moments, mostly the women just talk and reflect. It deals with dying and just being there for your friends. Quite moving.

Lyn – The Chocolate Factory. Mary Lou Stephens. Historical fiction. The Cadbury Factory based in Tasmania in 1921 saw many workers migrate from Bourneville England. They brought their skills and knowledge of chocolate making to Australia. The story looks at the lives of many of the workers – there’s jealousy, ambition, recipe stealing and secrets. Lyn found it enthralling.

 

Judy D – Best of Friends. Kamila Shamsie. Set in Karachi Pakistan, an unusual friendship develops between 2 young girls. One is academically brilliant whilst the other will inherit a fortune. Different lives, different personalities. Years later they both live in London and are still best friends, formed through their dreadful, secret past.  A good read.

Kris – A Month of Sundays. Liz Byrski. 4 women start a book club, online by zoom. Years later they decide to spend a weekend together and must choose a favourite book to discuss. Lives change. An easy read.

Ed – Firefly Lane. Kristin Hannah. About Kate a schoolteacher and her friend Tully. They are inseparable but have very different views on what they want from life.

Pamela – Mistress Branigan. Jules Verne. Set in 1891, the world was not yet fully explored or understood. A wealthy woman travels the world looking for her ‘missing’ husband. Australia is a destination full of mystery and danger, and she thinks her missing husband is there. Mistress Branigan travels take her to Australia where she discovers many wonders. The details are fanciful and fulsome.

Sheila – The God of No Good. Sita Walker. The Ba’hai faith is about being a good person. This book is an intergenerational, cross-continent story about 6 women as they try to live their lives according to their faith. Over time the main character questions her faith as values, beliefs and experiences change her.

Our reading for the month of March is a book that has been translated into English.

Happy reading all.  Lesley.

January Santa Sack: CHOOSE A BOOK ENJOYED OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON

 Judy de la T:

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler

Published in 1993, this dystopian novel describes California in the 2020s.

Judy described it as disturbing and revolting.

She also read Australia’s Most Infamous Criminals by Graham Seal. Interesting and gripping stories about heists, clever scams and mysterious murders.

 

Kellie: 

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson

A retired Major and Pakistani shopkeeper form an unlikely friendship in a small English village, but face challenges from society and tradition.

Quirky, easy read with hilarious one liners.

 

Sheila:

Pilbara by Judy Nunn

While she had enjoyed previous books by Judy Nunn, she found this one was too long and became boring. But she acknowledged that the author’s books were always well researched.

 

Helen:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  (published in 2022)

A powerful coming of age story about a boy’s struggle for survival and identity in a system designed to fail him, set against the backdrop of a devastating opioid crisis in Appalachia. It draws inspiration from Dicken’s classic tale of poverty and resilience. The novel is a powerful exploration of survival, addiction and redemption. A great epic tale.

 

Pat:

Tidelands  (The Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory

Set in 1648 England during a civil war, a poor woman living in the marshy Tidelands helps a mysterious fugitive leading to suspicions of witchcraft among her neighbours. The plot of this historical novel intertwines love, history, religion and much more.

 

Val:

My Friend Maigret by George Simenon (published in 1942)

A gentle detective story featuring Simenon’s famous policeman, Maigret. The pace is slow and the plot unoriginal. A fisherman with a connection to Maigret is found dead on a small private island. The descriptions of life on the island are just lovely. Maigret watches all the time and gradually pieces things together. 

 

Joan:

Now We Shall be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller  ( published in 2018)

Set in 1809 in Somerset, Captain John Lacroix returns home from the British Army’s disastrous campaign against Napoleon’s forces in Spain.

He is damaged but on his recovery is hunted for a war crime he had tried to forget.

Great prose, beautiful writing, suspense and a twist at the end.

 

Jo and Bev:

Last One Out by Jane Harper

Jo had read others by this author but was disappointed with this story.

 

Bev: This was different from her other books as it didn’t begin with a murder which was eventually solved.

A family is grieving for their son now missing for five years. This has torn the family apart. Meanwhile the small country town is in decline as a large mine is buying up houses and land, people are moving on. But the mother is determined to find out what happened to her son.

 

Rosemary W:

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

The story told in this novella is based on the real-life history of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland in 1985. These were workhouses where Irish girls and women were forced into unpaid labour.

Beautifully written, it exposes the culture of secrecy and the power of the church.

 

Debra:

Fantasy is a great way to escape from the world.

The Book of Wisdom Trilogy (Tomorrowland) by Rosalia Aguilar Solace

This is a fantasy novel featuring a magical library and the “Book of Wisdom”. 

The Shadow Weaver by Ivy Cliffwater

This is an epic romantic fantasy about Caris Ironside, a woman with shadow powers.

Other books read, The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers and The Kookaburra Creek Café by Sandie Docker.

 

Prue:

Implacable by Jack Campbell (published in 2023)

Prue reread this book to answer a query for herself. It is the last in the Lost Fleet: Outlander series – the latest in the sci-fi military collection of series featuring Blackjack Geary.

They are exciting, enjoyable, interesting and easy to read, with good plots, great characters, problems to solve, aliens to meet and battles to win.

The entire ‘saga’ is highly recommended to sci-fi readers.

 

Dimity:

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

This espionage novel is the first in the Slough House series and features a team of disgraced MI5 agents seeking redemption. They are asked to investigate a high-stakes case involving a kidnapped man and a live Internet broadcast. Twists and turns at the end, and an enjoyable read.

 

Margaret:

Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins

A novel about three generations of a family told through the eyes of the women, Rafaela, Ruth and Daisy. The story moves between Puerto Rico and the USA and explores themes of identity, family bonds and racism against a backdrop of the political landscape and social upheaval in both countries over decades. Storytelling at its finest and really enjoyed by Margaret.

 

Judy A:

The Proving Ground (Lincoln Lawyer #8) by Michael Connelly

Micky Haller leaves the criminal defence court behind for his first civil lawsuit. But to him, this is still a murder trial. An AI company has created a chat bot with the ability to be an online companion to subscribers.

Mickey is representing the mother of a daughter who was killed by her ex-boyfriend. He is trying to prove that the boyfriend was urged by his AI ‘girlfriend’ chat bot named Wren to commit murder.

Michael Connelly is the absolute master of police procedurals and court room dramas, and this book is very relevant to our world now.

 

Rosemary S:

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

This is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series. The storyline is totally unbelievable, the characters are very familiar and give you a good laugh. A great summer read! 

 

Judy J:

Mischance Creek by Garry Disher

Constable Paul Hirschhausen runs a one-cop station in a small, dusty South Australian town. He used to be in the city until he became a whistleblower.

This is the fourth book featuring ‘Hirsch’ who not only solves crimes in the area, but he also feels responsible for the welfare of his scattered flock of battlers, bluebloods, loners and miscreants.

The story is very current featuring online bullying, claims of a sovereign state, corruption in the Council and treatment of the local aborigines. All this set in a drought that SA is currently experiencing. A reliable author.

 

Lyn:

The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood (published in 2024)

Historical fiction set in World War 11.

For their safety, Sophie and her sister are sent from their home in Vienna to live in London. Sophie secures a position as an assistant to the Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle. She was secretly tasked with sending relevant information back to Vienna, to foil a suspected plot against the Royal family. Many twists and turns, a real page turner and very enjoyable.

 

Kerrie: 

The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein

Unfortunately Kerrie couldn’t come to Book Club because of another commitment but texted in her contribution.

As much about this particularly sensational murder investigation and trial of Erin Patterson, as of our fascination and identification with the human emotions of the people involved, it is a fascinating study of how authors work together to create immersive literature. Neither sensational or melodramatic, it is a way to examine what we know and can never know about the human beings around us.

 

 

FEBRUARY: Women’s friendship