Read Lovely Books
When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission
But there is a thriving population today speaking in Greek — Greek that is not Homer’s Greek
Modern-day Greece is haunted by much different ghosts than those of Achilles or Odysseus
These books represent Greece as much as, if not more than, the Greece of ancient poetry or
Particularly given Greece’s current refugee crisis, it’s more important than ever that Greek authors of
Please note that while I took great care to list content warnings where I could, things can
Please do additional research on the recommended titles if needed
A weekly newsletter focusing on literature by and about people of color!
They were best friends once, as children and teens, until an event finally rocked them apart
Yet Maria loves her, can’t break away, can only wonder if she’s loved back even
The relationship will remind readers of Elena and Lila from Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels
It also has a satisfying glimmer of sapphic sexuality and political commentary about colonialism, oppression, and feminism
Content warnings for sexual harassment, disordered eating, g-slur, suicide, homophobia, sex shaming / misogyny, racism, violence
And then she became responsible for all of their children as well
In this world of bitter struggle and misogyny, in which being a woman is so fraught, a
The medicine woman begins to wonder if it would be better if these girl children didn’t
Content warnings for violence, domestic violence, violence against children
He’s tired of the endless grind, of memorizing knowledge that isn’t holistic in the slightest
But then his teacher gives him a challenge: write a research paper about the conviction of a
A man who, it becomes very clear, was never guilty of murder, but was certainly convicted of
Alki Zei (1925–2020) is considered one of modern Greece’s most classic, beloved authors
Through her eyes, we see the 1930s fascist government take hold and how her parents and town
The book has been translated into more than 20 languages and is part of a loose trilogy by
Poet Ritsos spent years in prison camps for his Communist beliefs and his resistance against the right-wing
He writes of a sort of community paired with deep weight and loneliness
Content warnings for g-slur, implied violence, themes of torture and pain
In this modern Greek classic, a young woman leaves France, fleeing her family and its difficult past
At first, everything seems perfect — but as you’ve probably guessed, it’s not fated to stay
This book is an entertaining, compelling fable that fits right in that perfect place between for-children and
In this cute, unexpected novel, Sugar is a witty cat on its final* life trying to “fix”
He listens in on her conversations, judges her taste in music, and generally hopes that she’ll
Cat owners will laugh (and eventually cry) over this one and at Sugar’s snarky attitude
This NYRB classic features the story of three sisters — Maria, Infanta, and Katerina — as they grow up
It’s a reflective coming-of-age tale of three sisters figuring out who they are and who they
Content warnings for adult/minor relationship, sexual assault, animal death, fatphobia
This collection of interconnected short stories is quietly, brilliantly sad
A woman makes halva after being left by her partner; a man protests the workplace death of
Content warnings for violence, rape, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, ableism, animal cruelty, and homophobic, antisemitic, and racist
If you have recommendations or requests for future lists of books in translation, or if you want