International Fiction
Read beyond our borders with these international fiction titles selected by a librarian at The Seattle Public Library. Annotations from review sources, as cited. (February 2025)
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A Nest of Vipers
(India) Nagendra masterfully melds character, plot, and period detail in her transporting third historical mystery featuring amateur detective Kaveri Murthy. It’s 1922, and the city of Bangalore is preparing for a visit from the Prince of Wales. Nagendra is in peak form here, expertly mining the era’s political frisson for top-shelf suspense. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Bishop's Villa
(Italy) In this transporting novel based on real events, a shy cobbler in an Italian village during World War II is gradually drawn into quiet acts in the Resistance. (Shelf Awareness)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Lost Ark Dreaming
(Nigeria) In this powerhouse tale of social inequality from Okungbowa, survivors of the Second Deluge, an environmental catastrophe that destroyed the city-nation of Lagos, are now holed up in the Pinnacle, a self-sustainable high-rise surrounded by ocean. Rigid protocol ensures near-totalitarian order within the Pinnacle ... Chaos erupts when a sea monster, believed to be the offspring of the devil Yemoja, claws its way inside the building, infiltrating Lower level nine. Readers will be gratified. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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A Grandmother Begins the Story
(Canada) Many points of view come together in this haunting, gorgeous tale that traces the roots of an indigenous Canadian family through several generations. Even bison, grasslands, and dogs get a chance to tell their stories. (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Jellyfish Have No Ears
(France) A beguiling, whisper-thin novel about a woman losing her hearing. At its best, fiction remakes the world, turning what we think we know totally upside down. That’s the case in Rosenfeld’s imaginative debut novel. In quietly dazzling prose, Rosenfeld captures what we know but haven’t really seen, what we’ve heard but haven’t quite registered An utterly original take on self-perception and perception. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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No Place to Bury the Dead
(Venezuela) Venezuelan writer Sainz Borgo serves up a rich and lyrical tale of desperation and redemption, set during an outbreak of a plague that causes amnesia. It’s a stunner. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Evil Eyes Sea
(Turkey) In this rambunctious murder mystery set in 1990s Turkey, Samanci contrasts a playful and vibrant visual style with deadly serious themes. The bright colors, cartoonish art, and silly internal dialogue lend a whimsical tone to the high-stakes action. It’s a winning escapade. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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The Most Secret Memory of Men
(Senegal) Sarr explores African-European relations and literature’s transformative power in this brilliantly executed mystery inspired by the real-life story of Malian author Yambo Ouologuem. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Blanket Cats
(Japan) Japanese author Shigematsu offers a touching collection of linked stories about a Tokyo pet store that rents out cats for three-day terms. Shigematsu adds depth and intrigue by avoiding sentimentality, so that when a story does contain a happy ending or a moment of comfort for the characters, it feels genuine. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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Elevator in Sà̀i Gòn
(Vietnam) A chance discovery after a mother’s tragic death propels a daughter on a search from Saigon to Paris in this novel, banned in her native Vietnam, by award-winning author Thuan. Her themes of identity and estrangement unfold within a series of mysteries, like a set of Matryoshka dolls. At its heart, a book about the weight of the past and the unknowability of others, even the ones we love. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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