“The Book of Proper Names” by Amélie Nothomb (Belgium) Synopsis and Review “The Book of Proper Names”: a Modern Fairy Tale for Adults “The Book of Proper Names” by Amélie Nothombe is a modern fairy tale for adults complete with an orphan girl, a wicked stepmother, a prince charming, and a happy ending. But like all fairy tales, beneath the surface is a story which … Continue reading The Book of Proper Names
“Welcome to Paradise” by Mahi Binebine (Morocco) Book Club Favourite of Season 2 Synopsis and Review “Welcome to Paradise”: a Difficult but Inescapable Journey “Welcome to Paradise” opens with a group of people waiting on a beach for the signal to start their crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar for the shores of Spain. They are a disparate group but all are seeking the ‘promise … Continue reading Welcome to Paradise
“The News From Paraguay” by Lily Tuck (U.S.) Synopsis and Review “The News from Paraguay”: Not That Good Set in the mid 19th century at the time of the war of the Triple Alliance that pitted Paraguay against its neighbours, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, “The News From Paraguay” recounts the love affair between Ella Lynch, Irish courtesan, and Francisco Solano Lopez, future dictator of Paraguay. … Continue reading The News From Paraguay
“Desertion” by Abdulrazak Gurnah (Tanzania) Abdulrazak Gurnah’s seventh novel “Desertion” transports the reader to East Africa with an exciting and captivating story that portrays a continent in upheaval through the lives of its characters. The first part is set in a small coastal town near Mombasa in 1899. Early one morning, Hassanali, a local shopkeeper, sets out for the mosque, but he never gets there, … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2005 – Desertion
“The Way to Paradise” by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru) Synopsis The Way to Paradise interweaves the story of the painter Paul Gauguin with that of his grandmother, Flora Tristan. In 1844, Flora embarked on a tour of France to campaign for workers’ and women’s rights. In 1891, her grandson set sail for Tahiti, determined to escape civilisation and seek out inspiration to paint his primitive masterpieces. … Continue reading The Way to Paradise
“Empress Orchid” by Anchee Min (China) Book Club Favourite of Season 1 Synopsis To rescue her family from poverty and avoid marrying her slope-shouldered cousin, seventeen-year-old Orchid competes to be one of the Emperor’s wives. When she is chosen as a lower-ranking concubine she enters the erotically charged and ritualised Forbidden City. But beneath its immaculate facade lie whispers of murders and ghosts, and the … Continue reading Empress Orchid
“Snow” by Orhan” Pamuk (Turkey) Synopsis An exiled poet returns to the remote city of Kars on the Turkish border to investigate troubling reports of a suicide epidemic among its young women. While there, he reconnects with the beautiful Ipek and finds himself drawn irresistibly back into their love story. But Kars has become a touchpoint for religious and political violence, and religious extremists are … Continue reading Snow
“Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria) Favourite Quote Some months ago, he wrote that he did not want me to seek the whys, because there are some things that happen for which we can formulate no whys, for which whys simply do not exist and, perhaps, are not necessary. Synopsis Fifteen year-old Kambili lives in fear of her father, a charismatic yet violent Catholic … Continue reading Purple Hibiscus
Nicola's Book Club 