These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
In Scattered All Over the Earth, a finalist for a National Book Award, Yoko Tawada renders a future where Japan has disappeared. The country lives on only through its culture as remembered by the rest of the world; people recall it as “the land of sushi.” The novel, translated by Margaret Mitsutani, follows Hiruko, a stateless refugee who is perhaps one of the last Japanese people on the planet. Hiruko is looking for anyone who might also speak her native language—a quest that takes her around the world. As she encounters people from all over the globe, Tawada’s carefully built story probes the concept of homeland and the meaning of language. —Mahita Gajanan
Buy Now: Scattered All Over the Earth on Bookshop | Amazon
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How the Electoral College Actually Works
- Your Vote Is Safe
- Mel Robbins Will Make You Do It
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- The Surprising Health Benefits of Pain
- You Don’t Have to Dread the End of Daylight Saving
- The 20 Best Halloween TV Episodes of All Time
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders