Isabel Allende is an absolute master of language, character, and plot. Daughter of Fortune: A Novel is a fantastic story. It was published in English in 1999 and was an Oprah’s Book Club selection, but I didn’t get around to it until this weekend. My only regret is not reading it sooner. Allende was born… [Read More]
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Algeria: Cousin K
Albert Camus is the best-known author from Algeria, but he is not the only one. Yasmina Khadra is another. It’s the feminine pen name used by the masculine Mohammed Moulessehoul, who served in the Algerian Army and wanted to avoid censorship. This particular novella is part of the French Voices series of translations at the… [Read More]
Albania: The Fall of the Stone City
Albania is next up in the alphabetical list of nations. Ismail Kadare is probably the novelist who is best-known outside of the country, often listed as a possible Noble Prize winner. The Fall of the Stone City is a story about the Nazi invasion in World War II. Albania is one of those nations that… [Read More]
United Kingdom: This Is London
My plan for my country-by-country project is to go alphabetically, with a few exceptions. After all, it can take a while to track down a good book or movie about a tiny nation, like Andorra. Meanwhile, I have lots of books accumulated on my shelves about other nations. And that is the case with This… [Read More]
Afghanistan: The Looming Tower
The first installment in my new global blog post series is Afghanistan. I do not want to visit, because it has been at war for 40 years. Afghanistan is caught among China, Iran, Pakistan, and a host of former Soviet Republics. The Soviet invasion was followed by the military and religious rule of the Taliban,… [Read More]
