Minnie's Fiction Addiction

Every August, book lovers around the world celebrate Women in Translation Month (WITMonth), but honestly, these brilliant voices deserve to be read all year round. Translation gives us access to stories that cross borders, languages, and perspectives, opening the door to incredible works we might never encounter otherwise.

This week, I’ve pulled together some powerful, thought-provoking, and unforgettable books by women in translation to add to your TBR. 🌍📚

📖 The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (translated from French by Alison Anderson)

Set in a Paris apartment building, this novel brings together Renée, a secretly intellectual concierge, and Paloma, a gifted twelve-year-old disillusioned with life. Witty, philosophical, and heart-wrenching, it’s a beautiful exploration of beauty, class, and human connection.

📖 Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (translated from Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori)

Keiko Furukura is 36, unmarried, and perfectly content working at a convenience store—until societal pressures creep in. Quirky, sharp, and unsettling, this slim novel is a razor-sharp critique of conformity and the meaning of “normal.”

📖 The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (translated from Dutch by Michele Hutchison)

This International Booker Prize winner tells the story of Jas, a young girl grappling with grief after her brother’s sudden death. Haunting, raw, and unforgettable, it explores childhood, trauma, and loss with unflinching honesty.

📖 Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez (translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell)

A sprawling, gothic Argentine masterpiece that blends horror with family saga, the supernatural with the political. Enríquez crafts a darkly beautiful narrative about inheritance, power, and survival that lingers long after the final page.

📖 Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich (translated from Russian by Keith Gessen)

Nobel Prize winner Alexievich gathers oral histories from survivors of the Chernobyl disaster. Poetic, devastating, and deeply human, this is essential reading for understanding the personal toll of one of history’s greatest tragedies.

Why Read Women in Translation?

Because every story is shaped by culture, language, and lived experience. Reading women in translation doesn’t just broaden your bookshelf—it expands your worldview. These writers bring fresh perspectives, challenging assumptions and introducing readers to new rhythms of storytelling.

So this Wednesday, why not take a leap beyond borders and dive into a book by a woman in translation? You never know what stories might stay with you.