International Reading List
Anything by Nancy Farmer
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Alexie, Sherman
Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Native American is the school mascot.
All But My Life – Klein, Gerda Weissmann
A memoir recounting the author’s harrowing 3 years as a slave laborer for the Nazis.
American Born Chinese - Yang, Gene Luen., 741.5 -- First Second, 2006., 233p
Alternates three interrelated stories about the problems of young Chinese Americans trying to participate in the popular culture. Presented in comic book format.
American Shaolin – Polly, Matthew
Polly recounts the experiences he had during the two years he spent living and studying in China, performing with the Shaolin monks, who taught Matthew important lessons about life and his place in the universe.
Angela's Ashes : a memoir - McCourt, Frank., - 929 -- Scribner, c2003, c1996., 363p
The author chronicles his impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland, in the 1930s and 1940s, describing his father's alcoholism and talent for storytelling; the challenges and tragedies his mother faced, including the loss of three children; and his early experiences in the Catholic church, and balances painful memories with humor.
The Arrival - Tan, Shaun, -Fic- -- A. A. Levine, 2007.
In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.
Ask Me No Questions - Budhos, Marina
Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family.
Aung San Suu Kyi: Activist for Democracy in Myanmar – Hasday, Judy
Presents the life and political career of Aung San Suu Kyi who grew up in Myanmar and entered politics intrigued by the philosophy of Gandhi. In 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while in detention.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai, Sijie, 1954- -- Knopf , Distributed by Random House, 2001., 197p
Two boys, moved to the country for "re-education" as part of Mao's Cultural Revolution, find little to amuse them, but things change when they discover a stash of Western classics in Chinese translation and use the stories of Balzac to capture the attention of the beautiful daughter of the local tailor.
Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran – Saberi, Roxana
Iranian-American journalist, Saberi, was living in Iran while working on a book when she was taken from her home in 2009 by agents of Iran’s government and detained in the notorious Evin Prison. She describes the conditions in the prison, her mock trial, her eventual release and the faith that brought her through the ordeal.
The Book of Negroes – Hill, Lawrence
Although it is a work of fiction Mr. Hill's work stems from in-depth research for what he has written did in fact occur, and he has made it into a well crafted story. The star in this book is Aminata Diallo and told through her eyes.
Book Thief – Zusak, Markus
In 1939, on her way to a foster home in molching, Germany, 9 year old Liesel steals the first book she’s ever known – from a graveyard. From that moment on until 1943, her life revolves around books stolen, books given and books written. Death is the narrator and tells the story of this young orphan girl.
Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity – Kamkwamba, William
Fourteen year old William Kamkwamba’s quest to bring about change in his famine-stricken nation of Malawi is a tale that strips life down to the essentials. He recounts the difficulty of his childhood where he endured civil unrest, starvation and a lack of water. Fed up with seeing his family struggle to survive, he collected an assortment of odds and ends and made a device that could harness the wind’s energy to bring electricity and running water to the desperate.
Brave New World – Huxley, Aldous
Huxley’s darkly satiric vision of a "utopian" future—where humans are genetically bred and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively serve a ruling order.
Bride Price – Emecheta, Buchi
After Aku-nna and Chike fall in love, her uncle refuses to receive the required bride price from Chike’s family, and now pregnant Aku-nna is afraid she will die in childbirth.
Burger's Daughter - Gordimer, Nadine 823-- Penguin Books, 1980., 361p
The story of a young woman's evolving identity in the political environment of present-day South Africa.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Hanif, Mohammed
Air Force Junior Under Officer Ali Shigri, who thinks his military father's suicide was actually a murder, longs to exact revenge on General Zia just as Zia's subordinates plan to poison the general in his plane.
The Case of the Missing Servant – Hall, Tarquin
Vish Puri, a private investigator in Delhi, India, whose business consists primarily of screening prospective marriage partners, is a bit out of his league when he is asked to trace the fate of a maidservant known only as Mary, who is alleged to have been murdered.
Chanda's Secrets - Stratton, Allan, -Fic- -- Annick Press , Distributed in the U.S.A. by Firefly Books (U.S.), c2004., 193p
Chandra Kabelo, a sixteen-year-old in a small South African town, faces down shame and stigma in her efforts to help friends and family members who are dying of AIDS.
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith – Heiligman, Deborah
Chronicles Charles Darwin’s life and work through the lens of his marriage to Emma Wedgwood. The author intertwines their love story with the development of his revolutionary ideas while discussing how their relationship affected his life’s work. Emma played a vital role in her husband’s work, but her faith in God was not shaken. Darwin, though he adored his wife, remained devoted to science.
Children of the River - Crew, Linda. –Fic -- Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1991, c1989., RL 5.6, 213p
Having fled Cambodia four years earlier to escape the Khmer Rouge army, seventeen-year-old Sundara is torn between remaining faithful to her own people and adjusting to life in her Oregon high school as a "regular" American.
Chinese Cinderella : The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter - Mah, Adeline Yen, 1937-, 979.4 -- Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2001,
The author tells the story of her painful childhood in China where she lived until the age of fourteen with her father, stepmother, and siblings, all of whom considered her bad luck because her mother died shortly after giving birth to her.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold – Garcia-Marquez, Gabriel
Studies a murder which takes place shortly after a wedding and explores the mass community complicity that allowed it to happen.
Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His Mother – McBride, James
An African-American male, tells of his mother, a white woman, who refused to admit her true identity.
Come back to Afghanistan : a California Teenager's Story - Akbar, Said Hyder. 958.104 -- Bloomsbury , Holtzbrinck Publishers, 2005., 339p
Presents the author's first-hand account and observations of living in Afghanistan when his father is appointed President Hamid Karzai's chief spokesman.
Crime and Punishment – Dostoevsky, Fyodor
Describes the resultant physical and mental depletion after a student in St. Petersburg murders an old woman, a money lender, and her sister.
Crossing – Fukuda, Xia
Xing Xu, generally ignored by his classmates at the all-white Slackenkill High School in upstate New York, takes advantage of his "invisibility" to investigate when a series of mysterious disappearances rock the community.
Crossing the Wire – Hobbs, Will
Fifteen year old Victor Flores journeys north in a desperate attempt to cross the Arizona border and find work in the United States to support his family in central Mexico.
Cry, the Beloved Country – Paton, Alan
Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo travels to Johannesburg on an errand for a friend and to visit his son, Absalom, only to learn Absalom has been accused of murdering white city engineer and social activist Arthur Jarvis.
Cutting for Stone – Verghese, Abraham
Twin brothers Marion and Shiva Stone come of age in Ethiopia, sharing a deep bond that has helped them survive but when they both fall for the same woman, their bond is broken and the two go their separate ways, until a medical crisis reunites them.
Darkness at Noon – Koestler, Arthur
Rubashov, an aging revolutionary, is finally imprisoned and tortured by a party to which he had committed his life, and before his execution he remembers the betrayals of a totalitarian movement.
David Suzuki : The Autobiography. - Suzuki, David T., 1936 333.72 -- Greystone Books, 2007, c2006., 405p
David Suzuki Canadian scientist and environmentalist, shares the challenges of the racism he encountered when he and his family were detained in internment camps in Canada during World War II, his empathy with minority groups, and his passion for environmental change.
Death in Venice – Mann, Thomas
Gustav von Aschenbach, a successful but lonely author, travels to the Queen of the Adriatic in search of an elusive spiritual fulfillment that turns into his doom.
Desmond Tutu: Fighting Apartheid – Crompton, Samuel Willard
A biography of cleric and civil rights activist Desmon Tutu who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for helping to end apartheid in South Africa.
Disappearing Moon Cafe – Lee, Sky
Chronicles the women of the Wong family from frontier railroad camps to modern-day Vancouver – Issues include isolation, racism, and the clash of cultures.
Does My Head Look Big in This? – Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Sixteen year old Amal’s world is turned upside-down when she commits to wearing the hijab full time at her Australian prep school. The author uses humor and sensitivity to demonstrate that her heroine is, at heart, a teen like any other.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight – Fuller, Alexandra
Though it is a diary of an unruly life in an often inhospitable place, it is suffused with Fuller’s endearing ability to find laughter, even when there is little to celebrate. It is set in Africa.
Door of no Return – Mussi, Sarah
This book tells the story of the people who lived, worked, or were imprisoned within the walls of Cape Coast Castle, as well as the construction and upkeep of the building, the arrivals and departures of ships, the negotiations with local African leaders, and the deadly diseases inside.
Dragon's Gate - Yep, Laurence, 1948- -Fic- -- HarperTrophy, 1995, c1993., 335p
When he accidentally kills a Manchu, a fifteen-year-old Chinese boy is sent to America to join his father, an uncle, and other Chinese working to build a tunnel for the transcontinental railroad through the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1867.
Dream of a Thousand Lives: A Sojourn in Thailand Connelly, Karen, 1969- 959.304 -- Seal Press , 2001., 206p
Journal entries chronicle the experiences Connelly had while living in a small farming community in northern Thailand.
The Edible Woman – Atwood, Margaret
Ever since her engagement, the strangest thing has been happening to Marian McAlpin: she can't eat. First meat, then eggs, vegetables, cake, pumpkin seeds--everything! Worse yet, she has the crazy feeling that she's being eaten. Marian ought to feel consumed with passion, but she really just feels...consumed.
Elegance of the Hedgehog – Barbery, Muriel
The lives of 54 year old concierge Renee Michel and very bright though suicidal 12 year old Paloma Josse are transformed by the arrival of a new tenant, Kakuro Ozu.
Elie Wiesel: Messenger for Peace – Wagner, Heather Lehr
A biography of Elie Wiesel, holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and author.
Encounter - Yolen, Jane-Fic- -- Harcourt Brace, c1992., RL 4.9, 32p
A Taino Indian boy on the island of San Salvador recounts the landing of Columbus and his men in 1492.
Even Silence Has an End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Columbian Jungle – Betancourt, Ingrid
The author spent six and a half years in the depths of the jungle as a prisoner of the FARC. This is her deeply personal and moving account of that time. Chained day and night for much of her captivity, she never stopped dreaming of escape and, in fact, succeeded in getting away several times, always to be recaptured.
Fasting, Feasting – Desai, Anita
Tells the moving story of Uma, the plain older daughter of an Indian family, tied to the household of her childhood and tending to her parents' every extravagant demand, and of her younger brother, Arun, across the world in Massachusetts, bewildered by his new life in college and the suburbs.
Fight for the Forest – Mendes, Chico
Chico Mendez talks of his life's major work in his last major interview. He recalls the rubber trappers' campaign against forest clearance and their struggle to develop sustainable alternatives for the Amazon.
Finding Miracles – Alvarez, Julia
Millie was adopted by a Peace Corp family from an unnamed 3rd world country. When Pablo and his family moved to her Vermont town Millie examines her own history. Later she accompanies Pablo and his family to their home country where she tracks down her orphanage and discovers details about her adoption.
A Fine Balance: A Novel - Mistry, Rohinton, 1952- 813 -- Vintage International, 1997, c1995., 603p
The government of India in 1975 has just declared a State of Emergency, which, coupled with a housing shortage, compels four people to share an apartment. Their common need leads them to forge a lasting friendship that sees them through the bad times.
Free the Children: A Young Man Fights Against Child Labor – Kielburger, Craig
Chronicles the continuing journey of one remarkable young activist and is a moving testament to the power that young people have to change the world.
Funny in Farsi – Dumas, Firoozeh
In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country beyond her father’s glowing memories of his graduate school years here. More family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since.
The Ghost Map – Johnson, Steven
It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure-garbage removal, clean water, sewers- the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure.
Girl in the Green Sweater – Chiger, Krystyna
A memoir of the last survivor of a group of Polish Jews who escaped death by hiding in their city’s sewer system for 14 months.
Girl in Translation – Kwok, Jean
When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings.
Great War and Modern Memory – Fussell, Paul
Presents a study of World War I and the literature it has generated.
Gringolandia – Miller-Lachmann, Lyn
Daniel’s papá, Marcelo, used to play soccer, dance the cueca, and drive his kids to school in a beat-up green taxi—all while publishing an underground newspaper that exposed Chile’s military regime. When papa is arrested and jailed for 5 years the family moves to the U.S. to start anew. Issues arise when papa rejoins them.
Haveli - Staples, Suzanne Fisher
Having relented and married the rich older man to whom she was pledged, Shabanu is now the victim of his family’s blood feud and the malice of his other wives.
The Heaven Shop - Ellis, Deborah, 1960-Fic-} -- Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004., RL 5.9, 186p
Binti and her siblings are orphaned when their father dies of AIDS. Split up and sent to relatives all over Malawi, they suffer increasing hardship until they are reunitied through the influence of their formidable grandmother
Henry Kissinger: Ending the Vietnam War – Wagner, Heather Lehr
Discusses Kissinger’s role as Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977 and his contributions toward relieving tensions in American relations with the Soviet Union as well as his negotiations with Vietnamese leader Le Duc Tho.
Home of the Brave – Applegate Katherine
Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He’s never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter – cold and unkind
The House of the Spirits - Allende, Isabel - 863 -- Bantam Books, 1993, c1982., 433p
The epic story of the passionate Trueba family begins at the turn of the century in South America.
I am a Taxi - Ellis, Deborah, 1960- - Fic- -- Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press , c2006., 205p
In order to make more money for his family, twelve-year-old Diego, who lives with his imprisoned mother in the San Sebastian Women's Prison in Cochabamba, Bolivia, leaves his job as an errand boy and begins working as part of an illegal cocaine operation.
In the Name of God – Jolin, Paula
Seventeen year-old Nadia is an excellent student, daughter and sister, and above all wants to be the best Muslim she can be. But she's conflicted about her Westernized peers, the economic, social and political struggles of her country, and the war raging in Iraq.
The In-between World of Vikram Lall - Vassanji, MG
Against the unsettling backdrop of Mau Mau violence, Vic and his sister Deepa, the grandchildren of an Indian railroad worker, search for their place in a world sharply divided between Kenyans and the British
The Jade Peony – Choy, Wayson
Chinatown, Vancouver, in the late 1930s and ‘40s provides the setting for this poignant first novel, told through the vivid and intense reminiscences of the three younger children of an immigrant family.
July's people - Gordimer, Nadine - 823 -- Penguin Books, 1982, c1981., 159p
When war breaks out in South Africa, a fugitive white family takes refuge with their black servant, July.
Kabul Beauty School – Rodriguez, Deborah
Soon after the fall of the Taliban, in 2001, Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan as part of a group offering humanitarian aid to this war-torn nation. She soon found she had a gift for befriending Afghans, and once her profession became known she was eagerly sought out by Westerners desperate for a good haircut and by Afghan women, who have a long and proud tradition of running their own beauty salons.
Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age – Mathabane, Mark
Memoir of author’s experience growing up in apartheid South Africa and then attending an American University.
The Kite Runner – Hosseini, Khaled
An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The Knock at the Door – Ahnert, Margaret
Ahnert's compelling account of her mother's suffering is framed by an intimate portrait of her relationship with her 98-year-old mother. Ester's inspiring stories, told lovingly by her daughter, will give you a window into the harrowing struggle of Armenians during a terrible period in human history.
La Quest D’Ewihan / LesMondes d’Ewihan / Le Pacte des Marchobres – Botero, Pierre (no editorial reviews available)
Lacuna – Kingsolver, Barbara
Story of Harrison Shepard’s life including a Mexican childhood with absent parents, friendships with Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Lev Trotsky and his quiet life in a small North Carolina town told through fictional diary entries.
The Last Summer of the Death Warriors– Stork, Francisco
Two young men -- one dying of cancer, one planning a murder -- explore the true meanings of death and life
Letters From Wolfie – Sherlock, Patti
Mark’s dog Wolfie is part malamute, part German shepherd, and all heart. Mark can hardly imagine life without his big, loving canine companion. But in 1969, the Vietnam War is still raging, and when Mark learns that the army needs scout dogs, he decides to send Wolfie. This is a heartbreaking story about sacrifice, loyalty, and the complex meanings of patriotism.
Life of Pi: A Novel by Yann Martel -
Pi Patel, the son of a zookeeper, sets off with his family to start anew in Canada, but his life takes a marvelous turn when their ship sinks in the Pacific, leaving him adrift on a raft with a 450-pound Bengal tiger for company
Like water for chocolate : a novel in monthly installments, with recipes, romances, and home remedies
by Esquivel, Laura, 1950- Translation of: Como agua para chocolate. A romantic and poignant tale of love and family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico.
Lipstick Jihad : A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran - Moaveni, Azadeh, 1976 - 305.48 -- Public Affairs, c2005.,
The author examines her life as an American-born Iranian and the frustration and confusion of trying to live in both worlds, and describes her decision to move to Tehran as a journalist and the cultural, political, and social upheaval she encountered.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
A confrontation between a sixteen-year-old Nigerian orphan, called Little Bee, and a wealthy British couple on vacation, has life-changing consequences for everyone involved
A Long Way Gone : Memoirs of a Boy Soldier - Beah, Ishmael, 1980 - 966.404 -- Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2007., 229p
Ishmael Beah describes his experiences after he was driven from his home by war in Sierra Leone and picked up by the government army at the age of thirteen, serving as a soldier for three years before being removed from fighting by UNICEF and eventually moving to the United States.
Love in the Driest Season by Neely Tucker -
Foreign correspondent Neely Tucker chronicles the experiences he and his wife had volunteering at an orphanage in Zimbabwe.
Madame Bovary – Flaubert, Gustave
Emma Bovary, a bored provincial housewife, abandons her husband to pursue the libertine Rodolphe in a desperate love affair. A succès de scandale in its day, Madame Bovary remains a powerful and arousing novel.
Martha Quest - Lessing, Doris May, 1919 - 823 -- Perennial Classics, 2001, c1952., 327p
The first in a sequence of novels about Martha Quest, a young woman raised on a farm in Africa, who struggles to match her romantic ideals to the realities of life.
Me to We : Finding Meaning in a Material World - Kielburger, Craig. - 171} -- Simon & Schuster, 2006., 308p
Draws on the inspirational true stories of men and women from all walks of life to encourage people to take control of their own lives while transforming the world around them through acts of kindness and gratitude.
Memoirs of a Geisha – Golden, Arthur
This brilliant debut novel tells with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Miriam’s Song: A Memoir – Mathabane, Miriam
The memoir of a young black woman coming of age amid the violence and rebellion of the 1980’s in South Africa.
Mother Teresa: Caring for the World’s Poor – Slavicek, Louise Chipley
An overview of her life including her upbringing in Macedonia and her vows as a Sister of Loreto to the opening of her school in Calcutta and her Nobel Peace Prize.
Mud city - Ellis, Deborah, 1960 - Fic- -- Douglas & McIntyre , , c2003., 164p
The story of fourteen-year-old Shauzia, who escaped from Kabul, Afghanistan and who is unhappy with her life as a refugee in a camp in Pakistan.
The Namesake - Lahiri, Jhumpa. - 813 -- Houghton Mifflin, 2003., 291p
A young man born of Indian parents in America struggles with issues of identity from his teens to his thirties.
Nelson Mandela: Ending Apartheid in South Africa – Crompton, Samuel Willard
Outlines Mandela’s life and includes full-color photographs, a chronology and a list of further resources.
No Way Home – Acosta, Carlos
Carlos Acosta, the Cuban dancer considered to be one of the world's greatest performers, fearlessly depicts his journey from adolescent troublemaker to international superstar in his captivating memoir.
Obasan - Kogawa, Joy - 813 -- Anchor Books, 1994, c1981., 300p
Naomi Nakane, a child of Japanese immigrant parents, is interned by the Canadians at the beginning of World War II when she is five years old.
Our stories, Our Songs : African Children Talk about AIDS - Ellis, Deborah, 1960 - 362.196 -- Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006, c2005., RL 6.3, 104p
Presents the stories of children from the African nations of Malawi and Zambia whose lives have been touched by AIDS, and provides facts about the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
Out of Africa – Dinesen, Isak
Memoir of her years in Africa, from 1914 to 1931, on a 4,000 acre coffee plantation in the hills near Nairobi.
Over a Thousand Hills I Walk with You - Jansen, Hanna, 1946- 833 -- Carolrhoda, 2006., 342p
Jeanne, the only member of her family not murdered in the Rwandan genocide, struggles to start a new life without her family while coping with the violent memories that haunt her.
Parvana's Journey - Ellis, Deborah, 1960, -Fic- -- Douglas & McIntyre , c2002., RL 6.3, 199p
With Kabul in ruins from the Taliban's control, Parvana dresses as a boy and sets out to leave Afghanistan in search of her family.
Persepolis - Satrapi, Marjane, 1969 - 741.5 -- Pantheon, c2003., 153p
Contains black-and-white comic strip images in which the author shares the story of her life in Tehran, Iran, where she lived from ages six to fourteen while the country came under control of the Islamic regime.
Places in Between – Stewart, Rory
Recounts the author’s journey walking across Afghanistan from Herat to Kabul immediately after the fall of the Taliban in 2002.
Planet of the Apes – Boulle, Pierre
In this novel, the three Frenchmen making the first interstellar journey discover a remarkably Earth-like world orbiting Betelgeuse--Earth-like, with one crucial difference: The humans are dumb beasts, and the apes are intelligent.
Please Look After Mom for Me – Kyun-Sook Shin
A magnificent English-language debut poised to become an international sensation—this is the stunning, deeply moving story of a family’s search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway.
Poetry of Pablo Neruda – Neruda, Pablo
The book includes nearly six hundred poems, scores of them in new and sometimes multiple translations, and many accompanied by the Spanish original.
The Poisonwood Bible : A Novel - Kingsolver, Barbara.] - 813 -- HarperFlamingo c1998., 546p
Nathan Price and his family move to the Belgian Congo in 1959, and the experiences they have while living in Africa affect each member of the family in a different way.
Portrait in Sepia : A Novel - Allende, Isabel. - 863 -- Harper Perennial, 2006, c2001., 304p
Aurora del Valle, raised in the privileged class of Chile by her overwhelming grandmother, is tormented by nightmares and half-memories of events that occurred when she was a child in San Francisco's Chinatown, and when she becomes disillusioned with her marriage, Aurora sets out to rediscover her missing memories.
Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of WWII – Chang, Iris
Attempts to analyze the degree to which the Japanese Imperial government and its militaristic culture fostered in the Japanese soldier a total disregard for human life.
Reading Lolita in Tehran : A Memoir in Books - Nafisi, Azar. - 820.9 -- Random House, c2003., 347p
The author presents a memoir of her life in post-revolutionary Iran, focusing on her organization of a group of young women in 1997 who met secretly once a week to read and discuss forbidden works of Western literature.
Revolution – Donnelly, Jennifer
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.
Sara’s Key - De Rosnay, Tatiana
Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten-year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door to door arresting Jewish families in the middle of the night. Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard. . .
Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific – Troost, J Maarten
Recounts the author’s 2 year adventure on the south Pacific island of Kiribab where he and his girlfriend, Sylvia, encounter a variety of government officials, large critters, erratic electricity and a lack of food options.
Schindler’s List – Keneally, Thomas
A remarkable work of fiction based on the true story of German industrialist and war profiteer, Oskar Schindler, who, confronted with the horror of the extermination camps, gambled his life and fortune to rescue 1,300 Jews from the gas chambers.
Shabanu : Daughter of the Wind - Staples, Suzanne Fisher. -Fic- Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2003, c1989., 240p
Eleven-year old Shabanu, the daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan Desert of present-day Pakistan, is pledged in marriage to an older man whose money will bring prestige to the family, and must either accept the decision, as is the custom, or risk the consequences of defying her father's wishes.
Shake hands with the Devil : The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda - Dallaire, Romeo - Carroll & Graf Publishers , c2003.,
The author provides an eyewitness account of the murder of over eight hundred thousand Rwandans while serving as a UN Force Commander during 1993 and 1994, and tells how he and his small peacekeeping force found themselves alone in the middle of civil war and little or no resources to stop the killing.
The Shepherd’s Granddaughter – Carter, Anne Laurel
Ever since she was a little girl, Amani has wanted to be a shepherd, just like her beloved grandfather, Sido. For generations her family has grazed sheep above the olive groves of the family homestead near Hebron. But now Amani's family home is being threatened by encroaching Jewish settlements.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan – See, Lisa
In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu (“women’s writing”).
So Long a Letter – Ba, Mariama
A novel in the form of a letter, written by the widowed Ramatoulaye and describing her struggle for survival
Sold - McCormick, Patricia, 1956- -Fic- -- Hyperion Books, c2006., 263p
A novel in vignettes, in which Lakshmi, a thirteen-year-old girl from Nepal, is sold into prostitution in India.
Sophie’s World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy – Gaarder, Jostein
A novel that uses the life of a schoolgirl, Sophie, as a backdrop for a discussion of the meaning of life.
Sound of Waves – Mishima, Yukio
When a young Japanese fisherman, Shinji, falls in love with wealthy and lovely Hatsue, they put up with cruel teasing and gossip by the villagers
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail – Oufkir, Malika
After their father General Oufkir was executed in Morocco in 1972, his daughter Malika, her 5 siblings, and their mother were imprisoned in a penal colony until their release in 1996.
Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, not Bombs – Mortensen, Greg
Depicts the building of a school in Bozai Afghanistan and includes statistics that illustrate the importance of investing in girls’ education.
Such a Long Journey - Mistry, Rohinton, 1952 - 813 -- Vintage International/Vintage Books, 1992, 1991., 339p
Gustad Noble becomes involved in the corruption of the Indira Gandhi years, and as he tries to sort out his conflicting loyalties, he finds compassion and heartache.
The Swallows of Kabul – Khadra, Yasmina
Set in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban, this extraordinary novel takes readers into the lives of two people: Mohsen, who comes from a family of wealthy shopkeepers whom the Taliban has destroyed and Atiq, a prison keeper, a man who has sincerely adopted the Taliban ideology.
The Thing Around Your Neck – Ngozi Adichie, Chimamanda
In her most intimate and seamlessly crafted work to date, Adichie turns her penetrating eye on not only Nigeria but America, in twelve dazzling stories that explore the ties that bind men and women, parents and children, Africa and the United States.
Things Fall Apart – Achebe, Chinua
Chronicle of the life of Igbo leader Okonkwo who accidentally kills a clansman and is exiled from his community for 7 years.
This Child will be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s First Woman President – Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson
Describes how she overcame abuse, imprisonment and exile to become the president of Libaria, a nation suffering from years of civil conflict.
A Thousand Splendid Suns – Hosseini, Khaled
An incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.
Three Cups of Tea – Mortenson, Greg and David Relin
The uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard
Three Wishes : Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak - Ellis, Deborah. - 956.04 -- Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, c2004., 111p
Presents the words of young people between the ages of eleven and eighteen in which they share what it is like to live in the midst of the upheaval and violence of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict
The Tiger Claw – Baldwin, Shauna Singh
The story begins in a bleak German prison cell with Noor, where she is shackled hand and foot and freezing from the winter’s cold. It is December 1943, the turning point in the war raging in Europe.
They Poured Fire on us From the Sky – Deng, Benson, Alephonson Deng, Benjamin Ajak
Amid the conflagration, and gunfire, caused when the government-armed Murahiliin began attacking their village in Sudan five-year-old Benson and seven-year-old Benjamin fled into the dark night. Two years later, Alepho, age seven, was forced to do the same.
Touching My Father’s Soul: A Sherpa’s Journey to the top of Everest – Norgay, Jamling Tenzing
Norgay was the climbing leader of Breashears’ IMAX climbing expedition. His father and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first to reach the summit of Everest in 1953. Norgay’s narrative achieves a deft balance between adventure story and family memoir.
Trouble with Islam: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith – Manji, Irshad
The author argues that current interpretations of Islam are highly flawed, and that the religion and its followers are losing out by their interpretations of the Koran, their treatment of women, and their hatred of Jews.
Unbowed - Maathai, Wangari
Maathai recounts her extraordinary journey from her childhood in rural Kenya to the world stage. When she founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, she began a vital poor people’s environmental movement, focused on the empowerment of women, that soon spread across Africa.
Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania – Molnar, Haya Leah
Relying on the tone and lens of a child, Molnar offers a chronicle of her childhood growing up in Romania in the 1950’s when anti-Semitism was alive and well.
Under the persimmon tree - Staples, Suzanne Fisher, -Fic- -- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005., 275p
A young Afghan girl, Najmah, befriends an American woman, Nusrat in Peshawar, Pakistan, after Najmah flees her native Afghanistan during the 2001 war; and together they begin a long journey to locate their missing loved ones after the war ends.
Vivir Para Contarla – Garcia Marquez, Gabriel
This is the extraordinary story of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s early life. It is a recreation of his formative years, from his birth in Colombia in 1927, through his childhood to the time he became a journalist.
War – Junger, Sebastian
Junger turns his brilliant and empathetic eye to the reality of combat--the fear, the honor, and the trust among men in an extreme situation whose survival depends on their absolute commitment to one another.
War of the eagles - Walters, Eric - Fic- -- Orca Books, c1998., 224p
Jed, living with his mother in Canada while his English father serves as a fighter pilot during World War II, takes pride in his mixed heritage and his country, but his loyalties are tested when his best friend, Tadashi, a Japanese boy, is declared an enemy alien.
We Are Not in Pakistan – Baldwin, Shauna Singh
The ten stories of We are not in Pakistan illuminate a paradox: love and fear draw us together, yet drive us to extremes of separation. Baldwin lures us toward the displaced men, women, and other animals who populate these stories.
Weep Not, Child – Tiongo, Ngugi Wa
This is a powerful, moving story that details the effects of the infamous Mau Mau war, the African nationalist revolt against colonial oppression in Kenya, on the lives of ordinary men and women, and on one family in particular
West of Kabul, East of New York – Ansary, Tanim
This Afghan American, writing in response to one awful day and in fact extending to book-length some of the notions he posited in a widely read e-mail on September 12, 2001, tells truths about dislocation, heritage, home, family, and religion that both affirm life and profoundly sadden.
What the World Eats – Manzell, Peter
Cultural geographers Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio visited twenty-five families in twenty-one countries to create this fascinating look at what people around the world eat in a week. Meet a family that spends long hours hunting for seal and fish together; a family that raises and eats guinea pigs; a family that drinks six gallons of Coca-Cola a week. (Other books by Manzell suggested – What I Eat, Women in the Material World, and Hungry Planet.)
Wild swans : three daughters of China - Chang, Jung, 1952 - 951.05 -- Simon & Schuster, 2003, c1991., 538p
Memoir of three Chinese women, Jung Chang, her mother, and her grandmother in twentieth-century China.
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare – Greenblatt, Stephen
A comprehensive examination of the life and playwriting career of William Shakespeare.
Zorro : a novel - Allende, Isabel - 863 -- Harper Perennial, 2006, c2005., 390p
Presents an adventure novel that describes how Diego de la Vega, the son of a Spanish aristocrat and Shoshone woman, grew to become the elusive Zorro, who returns to California to reclaim the hacienda of his childhood and fight for the rights of the underprivileged.