World Literature

The Alchemist--Coelho This is the story an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he is guided on his quest by a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist. No one knows what the treasure is or exactly how Santiago will be able to reach his goal. But the book becomes much more than the physical journey. Rather it becomes a statement about the transformative power of dreams and about being true to oneself.

The Attack--Khadra A well-respected surgeon at a Tel Aviv hospital. Arab-Israeli Dr. Amin Jaafari has provided a comfortable life style for himself and his beautiful wife Sihem. However, his world is ripped apart when Sihem is killed in a suicide bombing in the marketplace. The nightmare continues as evidence suggests that Sihem may have been responsible for the catastrophe which killed or maimed so many people. The novel follows Jaafari’s agonizing journey to find the truth.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas The intricate plot centers on a ship captain who is betrayed by those he trusts and sent to prison on a remote island. Watch how he plans his escape and carries out his revenge.

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) remains a topical story detailing the struggles of both blacks and whites in apartheid-governed South Africa. But the novel contrasts more than race. Two men with vastly different backgrounds, men who have every reason to hate each other, form an unusual friendship based in a mutual tragedy.

The Kite Runner--Hosseini Set in war-torn Afghanistan, this is the story of Amir and Hassan, childhood friends who grow up as close as brothers despite the fact that Hassan’s father is a servant in Amir’s household. While Amir’s childhood is at first blissful, the mounting ethnic, religious, and political tensions soon bring him to some painful realities about himself and his country. When the Soviets invade Afghanistan, Amir and his father flee to America, leaving Hassan and his father to fend for themselves. Nagged by guilt, the adult Amir must later return to his homeland to redeem himself and to repay the debt he feels he owes to Hassan and his family.

An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina This is the first-hand account of the man who saved the lives of hundreds of Rwandan refugees by housing them in the hotel he managed. Hotel Rwanda, the movie based on Paul’s story, barely scratches the surface in depicting Paul’s courage and craftiness.

Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni This is a story of two cousins, Anju and Sudha, whose relationship strengthens as they learn dark family secrets and share their experiences of arranged marriages and personal tragedies that follow. The story is set in both India and the United States and describes an exceptional bond between two women.

The Storyteller’s Daughter by Sarai Shah Raised in England, Shah had always been intrigued by her family’s stories of Afghanistan’s romantic past. A documentary videographer, she takes the harrowing journey to the land of her heritage to film undercover (sometimes literally filming from under her burqa).

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky Written by a woman who eventually died in a concentration camp, this book contains two novellas: one involving the story of several characters who fled from Paris during World War II and one involving life in a French village occupied by Nazi troops.

Zorro by Isabel Allende The publisher describes this book as “the swashbuckling adventure story that reveals for the first time how Diego de la Vega became the masked man we all know so well.”