Last year, I put together a supplementary book list for adults to correspond to the countries for the Global Children’s Book Club. Many of you reached out to say that you loved the opportunity to read a book for yourself over which you could still connect with your kiddos. So I put together another adult book list for this year! This is the perfect way to read around the world with us, whether you’d like some extra material in addition to the children’s books, or whether you’re only reading for yourself.
As with the children’s books, I’ve done my best to find representative, quality literature written by those of the culture whenever possible. Since there are only 6 countries for the 2023 GCBC, I chose 6 adult globally-focused books, as well. I’m looking forward to reading them myself this year, and hope you enjoy them, too!
Jan/Feb: Palestine: Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
Told through the lens of the granddaughter of the village patriarch, this novel chronicles 4 generations of one Palestinian family. It documents their lives as they are displaced from their home to refugee camps, and shares of family, love, and loss.
Purchase on Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart
March/April: Ghana: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This book has inspired all kinds of talk and discussion. The book follows the lives of two sisters born in Ghana in the 18th century, one of whom married rich and the other who was captured and enslaved. It explores generations of descendants and the far-reaching ramifications of slavery, both on those who were enslaved and those who were not.
Purchase on: Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart, Thriftbooks
May/June: Japan: Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter’s Story by Mazie K. Hirono
Highlighting the life and tenacity of Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, this memoir details her escaping an abusive home on a rural rice farm in Japan at age 7 to sail to Hawaii. Marrying her nonconfrontational Japanese and Hawaiian cultures with a devotion to supporting the vulnerable, Hirono chronicles her decades of advocacy and public service.
Purchase on Amazon, Bookshop, Target, Walmart, Thriftbooks
July/August: Argentina: The Tango Singer by Tomas Eloy Martinez (Author), Anne McLean (Translator)
Highlighting music and mazes, this novel follows Bruno as he seeks out a gifted tango singer who has never been previously recorded. This ethereal story explores the labyrinths of Buenos Aires as he moves through the city.
September/October: Sri Lanka: Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera
This story of friendship and sisterhood in the heart of civil war, this novel takes the readers through a journey of family life in the midst of heartache.
Purchase on Amazon, Bookshop, Walmart, Thriftbooks
November/December: Jamaica: Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward
Reflections on life in poetry form, this collection explores the breadth of humanity from heartache & loss to deep love from the perspective of a first generation Black British woman.
Purchase on Amazon, Bookshop, Walmart, Thriftbooks
IF YOU LIKED THIS POST ADULT BOOK LIST FOR THE 2023 GLOBAL CHILDREN’S BOOK CLUB, YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE POSTS TOO:
- Diverse Picture Books from Countries A-Z
- Picture Books About Women Leaders
- 2023 Global Children’s Book Club Book List
- 2022 GCBC Adult Book List
