Crescent: A Novel, by Diana Abu-Jaber
Lonely Arab students and professors come together at Nadia’s Café, a Lebanese restaurant in Los Angeles, where they read foreign newspapers, eat food from their homelands, drink coffee, and long to visit their homes and families in the Middle East.
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
Brazilian author Coelho tells this story of an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. A good read from this Hispanic author.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel, by Sijie Dai
This short novel takes place during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and tells the story of two city boys sent to a remote mountain village for reeducation and their experiences there.
The Painted Drum: A Novel, by Louise Erdrich
When viewing the estate of a former Indian agent’s family, the appraiser comes upon a painted drum which she is able to trace to the reservation where her grandmother grew up. We hear from the voice of Bernard Shaawano, an Ojibwe, how his grandfather fashioned the drum after years of mourning his young daughter's death, and how it changes the lives of those whose paths it crosses. A good read from this Native American author.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini
Hosseini’s second novel gives us a great view of what happened in Afghanistan as he covers the problems faced by two women through three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny. Mariam and Laila are both married to Rasheed eighteen years apart and endure suffering at his hands. A wonderful read for book groups!
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
This story is told by the independent Janie Crawford of her life through three marriages and poverty; and her struggle in refusing to live in grief, resentment, fear, or with "foolish romantic dreams".
The Swallows of Kabul, by Yasmina Khadra
The lives of Mohsen and Zunaira, a wealthy couple and Atiq, a prison keeper, and his wife, Musarrat,
intersect in this story of two couples living in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban.
The Namesake: A Novel, by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Namesake follows the Ganguli family from their transition from their life in Calcutta to their new home into America. Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli begin their new life after an arranged marriage in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following the birth of their first son, the couple faces a conflict when naming the child, the meaning behind their own names, and the struggle the meanings bring into their lives.
Shanghai Girls: A Novel, by Lisa See
Two sisters, Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, have a wonderful life in Shanghai in the 1930s until their father goes bankrupt. They are sold as brides to Chinese brothers in America and have to leave this wonderful life behind. They remain close as they struggle through the years and do what they need to survive in this alien culture. This historical novel tells of the hysteria over Chinese immigration and Communism.
The Space Between Us: A Novel, by Thrity Umrigar
Bhima is a domestic servant in contemporary Bombay who has worked for Sera Dubash for many years. Even though they are separated by blood and class, they bond because of the life experience they share.
, by Diana Abu-Jaber
, by Paulo Coelho
, by Sijie Dai
, by Louise Erdrich
, by Khaled Hosseini
, by Zora Neale Hurston
, by Yasmina Khadra
, by Jhumpa Lahiri
, by Lisa See
, by Thrity Umrigar
