International Novels by Women

When I wrote on 10/4/10 about world literature I had read in my 20s, I mentioned that much later – in the mid-1990s - I designed and taught several times a class called Contemporary Fiction by Nonwestern Women. Today I want to briefly write about three of the novels I taught in that class. Duong Thu Huong is a well-known Vietnamese writer and political dissident; her novel “Paradise of the Blind” (Penguin, 1993, originally published 1988) describes Vietnam from the 1950s to the 1980s, focusing on how land reform destroyed many families and their connection to the land. It is a sad novel, but also glows with the light of family and food. Yes, food. The descriptions of family meals, markets, and food in general are detailed, sensuous, and practically leap off the page. Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta’s title “The Joys of Motherhood” (Heinemann, 1994; originally published 1979) is somewhat ironic, as the main character constantly struggles with poverty and other problems (moving from her village to the big city where she feels disconnected from her community, dealing with her husband’s taking new wives, and much more) in order to raise her children. But there is joy as well, as she takes pride in her children, and is respected by others. Nahid Rachlin is an Iranian-American writer whose novel “Married to a Stranger” (City Lights, 1983) tells the story of the marriage of a young couple who, although they chose each other, are unprepared for marriage, especially in the changing Iran of the Revolution. All three of these powerful novels feature strong women characters and glimpses into women’s lives in the three countries where the novels are set.