Sunday Suggestions

 

Along with reading, stitching is my main hobby - I love sewing and embroidery. So today I'm sharing a few novels that combine my two favourite things. Today's theme for Women in Translation reading suggestions is Needlework!

Cross Stitch / Jazmina Barrera
trans. from the Spanish by Christina MacSweeney

This Mexican novel follows the friendship of three young women who were very close in high school; they are brought back together as adults when one of them dies. This rich novel explores the role of female friendship, interspersed with the history of embroidery, to create a resonant feminist narrative. Full review here. 

The Threads of the Heart / Carole Martinez
trans. from the French by Howard Curtis

Written in French, set in a remote village in Spain, this features a strong woman whose magical gift is sewing; her gowns can make someone beautiful for the first time in their lives, or hide a pregnancy, or stitch life back into someone on death's door. But this doesn't keep her husband from gambling her away -- leading to her escape and subsequent nomadic life. Full review here. 

The Seamstress of Sardinia / Bianca Pitzorno
trans. from the Italian by Brigid Maher

Starting in 1900 in Sardinia, this novel follows a young woman across her lifespan. She is brought up as a sartina (a "little seamstress") who goes into people's homes to sew clothing and household goods for them. This position gives her a great vantage point to see the secrets and drama in the lives of others. Full review here.

The Time In Between / Maria Duenas;
trans. from the Spanish by Daniel Hahn

A wartime story featuring Sira Quiroga, a young dressmaker who uses her skills to survive during revolutionary war in Spain. She even gets involved in spying, using her profession as a cover. An exciting saga with romance, intrigue, great women characters, and more. Full review here.