Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1972)
1921.
VietnamDescription:
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE Kim Thúy's Em is a virtuosic novel of profound power and sensitivity, and an enduring affirmation of the greatest act of resistance: love. In the midst of war, an ordinary miracle: an abandoned baby tenderly cared for by a young boy living on the streets of Saigon. The boy is Louis, the child of a long-gone American soldier. Louis calls the baby em Hồng, em meaning "little sister," or "beloved." Even though her cradle is nothing more than a cardboard box, em Hồng's life holds every possibility. Through the linked destinies of a family of charact... continue
1922.
Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire by Thich Nhat Hanh EN
Description:
This stunning commentary on the cultural and political background to the war in Vietnam resonates deeply as the first work of Vietnamese writer, peace activist, and Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh This rare book from 1967 is one of the very few written in English giving a Vietnamese perspective on the Indochina Wars. Many years ahead of its time, Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire will be welcomed by historians and readers of contemporary Vietnamese narratives. As war raged in Vietnam, the Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh became a leading figure in the Buddhist peace movement. With the help of friends like... continue
1923.
The Dancer from Khiva : One Muslim Woman's Quest for Freedom by Bibish EN
Country: Asia / 
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Description:
"Winner of the National Bestseller and Book of the Year prizes in Russia, The Dancer from Khiva, is the unflinchingly honest, deceptively plainspoken memoir of Bibish, a Central Asian woman who came of age in a rigidly Islamic village in Uzbekistan. In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born into an impoverished family, she was named 'Hadjarbibi' in honor of her grandfather's pilgrimage to Mecca. The holy name, however, did not protect her from unspeakable abuse at the hands of the men in her village. She knew instinctively to keep her experience a ... continue
1924.
Mothersland by Shahzādah Samarqandī EN
Country: Asia / Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Description:
"A novel on the bond between a mother and daughter in late Soviet-era Uzbekistan"--
1925.
Stockholm Syndrome by Shahzoda Nazarova Samarqandi EN
Country: Asia / Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Description:
Called "taboo-breaking… revolutionary" by RFE/RL, Stockholm Syndrome is one of the most controversial books to emerge from Tajik society in recent years. The story of a young woman’s struggle to choose between her career and motherhood, the novella shocked this traditional and conservative society. A remembrance of childhood and rumination upon challenges present and future, Nazarovas work explores themes of immigration, identity and mental imbalance. Acclaimed as ‘ahead of its time’ by Persian reviewers, Stockholm Syndrome is an emotional tour de force. Winner of the Best Female Author award ... continue
1926.
Back To Bukhara by Shahzoda Nazarova Samarqandi EN
Country: Asia / Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Description:
“Back to Bukhara” is the story of Malika, a young and curious Tajik woman. She is seeking peace and solitude in the Netherlands when a letter from a friend takes her back to Bukhara, her hometown in Uzbekistan. The story behind the letter and the friend who wrote it involves a long-lost manuscript and her quest to find it results in a confrontation with the country’s national security guards. Although she does not succeed in finding this document, she returns with another, much more important book written by a local writer, her old history teacher, who has suffered interrogation in his land ma... continue
1927.
1928.
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali EN
YemenDescription:
“I’m a simple village girl who has always obeyed the orders of my father and brothers. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today I have decided to say no.” Nujood Ali's childhood came to an abrupt end in 2008 when her father arranged for her to be married to a man three times her age. With harrowing directness, Nujood tells of abuse at her husband's hands and of her daring escape. With the help of local advocates and the press, Nujood obtained her freedom—an extraordinary achievement in Yemen, where almost half of all girls are married under the legal age. Nujood's courageo... continue
1929.
A Land Without Jasmine by Wajdī Ahdal EN
Description:
A compulsive thriller that keeps the reader turning the page and provides a fascinating insight on life in Yemen.
1930.
The Fox Hunt : A Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to America by Mohammed Al Samawi EN
Description:
“Nail-bitingly suspenseful. ... Inspiring. ... Essential reading.” — Booklist, starred review The Fox Hunt tells one young man’s unforgettable story of war, unlikely friendship, and his harrowing escape from Yemen's brutal civial war with the help of a daring plan engineered on social media by a small group of interfaith activists in the West. Born in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen, to a pair of middle-class doctors, Mohammed Al Samawi was a devout Muslim raised to think of Christians and Jews as his enemy. But when Mohammed was twenty-three, he secretly received a copy of the Bible, and what h... continue