Books that have a story that is influenced by the country in which they are set…. The ethnicity or culture of the main characters helps define the reason for the story….. Multicultural Fiction is a difficult genre for which to provide a single definition. Books in this category serve to transport the reader to another place. In addition the story might be historical, a mystery, a romance, etc. but the reason that the story works is because of the setting or characters.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is set in Ethiopia, beginning in the 1940s. It envelops the reader in the history of the country, the politics of Haile Selassie, the deprivation of the hospitals, and the remnants of the Italian society that ruled the country. While this book has been on the library shelve for a while now, it remains a powerful read and one not to be missed.
Newly arrived Multicultural Fiction:
Naomi BENARON – Running the Rift – A Rwandan runner dreams of being in the Olympics but he is a Tutsi. When the president is assassinated, he must flee for his life. “Audacious and compelling”-Washington Post.
Aminatta FORNA – The Memory of Love – Sierra Leone, before and after civil war… Winner of the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for Best Book – – – Orange Prize Shortlist 2011