Category Archives: World Issues
Second Pocket First – Gregory Grosvenor
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Issey had always been a thief, but not a particularly good one. The thrill of lifting someone’s property was overwhelming since he was a boy stealing mail. Lockpicking was his specialty, but as an adult working … Continue reading
Selamlik – Khaled Alesmael (translated from the Arabic by Leri Price)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I am so glad I was born in Syria and get to be young in Damascus, no matter the fear and danger. I love Damascus even if she is cruel to me.” Our narrator Furat lives … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Middle Eastern Literature, Scandinavian Literature, World Issues
Tagged homoerotic, LGBTQ, refugees, Religion, Sweden, Syria, Syrian civil war
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Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World – Anne Applebaum
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The autocracies want to create a global system that benefits thieves, criminals, dictators, and the perpetrators of mass murder. We can stop them.” Historian and journalist Anne Applebaum, suggests what democracies can do to save their … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics, Social Justice, World Issues
Tagged autocracy, China, democracy, dictatorship, Iran, murder, politics, Russia, Venezuela
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The Coin – Yasmin Zaher
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…in my family, America was both the key and the curse.” Our narrator, who is from a wealthy Palestinian family moved to New York after her parents died. She was left with an inheritance of which … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Middle Eastern Literature, World Literature
Tagged immigration, New York, obsession
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Wait: A Novel – Gabriella Burnham
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “They threw me out of the country like I was a nothing.” Wait delves into the intricate layers of family, identity, and the harsh realities faced by undocumented immigrants in the United States. Through … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction, World Issues
Tagged Brazil, class, immigration
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Down with the Poor! – Shumona Sinha, translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the same stories and the same bodies blended in my head, lost all definition and all form, became a dark and shapeless mass of giant bodies, that growled, shouted, demanded, cried, pleaded. Were they inventing a … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature, Immigration, World Issues
Tagged immigration, imperialism, Misogyny, refugees
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Who is bombing Kyiv?! – Marina Alova
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “It was disheartening and revolting to witness the country repeating the same mistakes and going around in circles. Slava believed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it would be impossible to make the … Continue reading
Posted in Slavic Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged propaganda, Putin, Russia, Russian literature, Ukraine, war
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Sweet Undoings – Yanick Lahens (translated by Kaiama L. Glover)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Nowadays, in the cities, you’ve got to drink it all in, the honey and the bile. All in the same cup.” Judge Raymond Berthier has just been murdered, and his nineteen-year-old daughter, Brune, is grieving … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Culture, World Issues
Tagged corruption, Crime, culture, Haiti, Haitian literature, murder
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The Lord’s Tusks – Jeffery Ulin
(Reviewed by Ann Onymous ) #CommissionsEarned “…Michael nodded, climbing into his car and silently steering back toward camp. He passed by the troop of baboons, still frolicking in the savanna, slowly making their way back home, oblivious to the powers … Continue reading
Posted in Environmental Fiction, World Issues
Tagged Africa, environmental fiction, Kenya, poaching
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