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Travel & Selling Tips / Ambassadors Recommend the One Book to Read Before Visiting Their Country
Reading recommendations straight from the source
Preparing for a visit to a foreign country can be overwhelming, with no shortage of things to figure out before you go. Where should you eat? Where should you stay? What do you tip?
Even harder to gather than this service information, however, is a sense of cultural understanding. With this in mind, language learning app Babbel asked some foreign ambassadors to the U.S. (and we asked a few more) to pick the book they believe first-time visitors to their country should read before they arrive. Their answers may surprise you.
Austria
“The Tobacconist (translated into English by Charlotte Collins) is set in 1937 just before the German occupation. It follows 17-year-old Franz, who moves to Vienna to become the apprentice in a tobacco shop. Its quiet wisdom and sincerity resonated with me very deeply." —Former ambassador Wolfgang A. WaldnerBuy now: The Tobacconist by Robert Seethaler, amazon.
Azerbaijan
"The Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter's Adventures in an Oil-Rich, War-Torn, Post-Soviet Republic provides a unique, albeit somewhat painful, firsthand account of the birth of independent Azerbaijan. Traveling to the region on an academic grant, Thomas Goltz becomes the first outside contemporary chronicler of a new state emerging from the ruins of the USSR. His passionate, provocative, and perceptive writing on the difficult early years of independence sets a dramatic contrast to Azerbaijan's successful development today."—H.E. Elin SüleymanovBuy now: The Azerbaijan Diary by Thomas Goltz, amazon.com
Belgium
“War and Turpentine is a book about three generations of Belgians, focusing on the legacy of WWI and Belgium’s exceptional painters. Long-listed for the 2017 Man Booker Prize, War and Turpentine is the absolute companion book for any art and history lover traveling to Belgium.” —H.E. Dirk WoutersBuy now: War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans, amazon.com
Bhutan
H.E. Kunzang C. Namgyel recommends Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan, which was written by Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck and is a personal memoir that weaves in folklore, creating a portrait of the Himalayan kingdom.Buy now: Treasures of the Thunder Dragon by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, amazon.com
Canada
“I recommend Ru by Vietnamese-Canadian author Kim Thúy. Through a series of imagistic short passages, Ru tells the story of An Tinh Nguyen, who immigrates to Quebec with her family as a child. The novel captures the challenges and heartache of leaving her native land, but is also a heartwarming celebration of the Canadian values of openness and inclusion and a reflection on the role that diversity plays in shaping our communities and our nation.”—H.E. Kirsten HillmanBuy now: Ru by Kim Thúy, amazon.com
Chile
"Maria Teresa de las Mercedes Wilms Montt was born on September 8, 1893 in Viña del Mar, on the coast of Chile. Her collection of poems Los Tres Cantos is the most spiritual of all her work." —H.E. Alfonso Silva NavarroBuy now: Los Tres Cantos by Maria Teresa de las Mercedes Wilms Montt, amazon.com
Colombia
“One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, and Colombia in the period.”—H.E. Juan Carlos PinzónBuy now: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, amazon.com
Costa Rica
“Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion is a collection of short stories by Costa Rican authors. It shows our customs, traditions, our peaceful nature, and diversity. Costa Rica is a song of hope, and an expression of life. And these are, perhaps, our greatest strengths.”—H.E Fernando Llorca CastroBuy now: Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion by Barbara Ras, amazon.com
Denmark
“Smilla’s Sense of Snow is a fictional mystery set in Copenhagen. It is a book that touches on issues such as Danish culture versus Greenlandic and the related issues of language and identity." —H.E. Lars Gert LoseBuy now: Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg, amazon.com
Dominican Republic
"There Is a Country in the World is almost a hymn to the Dominican people. The poem describes the Dominican Republic of the 1940s, a period ruled by the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. It denounces the misery and oppression to which the peasants and the working class of the time were subjected. In this poem not only Dominicans are portrayed, but every oppressed human being who dreams of achieving freedom."—H.E. José Tomás PérezBuy now: There Is a Country in the World by Pedro Mir, amazon.com
Estonia
“The Man Who Spoke Snakish is an exploration of alternative history by a well-loved contemporary author."—Former ambassador Eerik MarmeiBuy now: The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk, amazon.com
Finland
“The Moomin books were originally written as fairy tales for children. Their philosophic nature is universal and makes the books enjoyable for people of all ages and from all backgrounds. The carefree and friendly Moomins provide a warm-hearted reading experience, and are also an essential part of the childhood of every Finnish kid." —H.E. Kirsti KauppiBuy now: The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My by Tove Jansson, amazon.com
Georgia
"Nino Kharatishvili’s highly acclaimed novel, The Eighth Life (for Brilka), tells the multi-generational story of one Georgian family trapped in the turbulence of the 20th century. The book is set during the rise and fall of the totalitarian communist regime and reflects critical societal transformations and tragedies, betrayals and fights, hopes and survival. The result is an award-winning, absolutely magical family saga." —H.E. Ambassador David BakradzeBuy now: The Eighth Life (for Brilka) by Nino Kharatishvili, amazon.com
Germany
“Tschick is about two 14-year-old boys, both social outcasts, one from a bourgeois background, the other a Russian returnee, who 'borrow' a car, take a road trip, and develop an unusual friendship." —H.E. Peter WittigBuy now: Tschick by Wolfgang Herrndorf, amazon.com
Greece
“Nikos Kazantzakis's Freedom and Death, published in 1953, is about the rebellion of the Cretans against the Ottoman Empire in 1889.” —H.E. Haris LalacosBuy now: Freedom and Death by Nikos Kazantzakis, amazon.com
Iceland
“Independent People tells the story of sheep farmer Guðbjartur Jónsson and his struggle for independence.” —Former ambassador Geir H. HaardeBuy now: Independent People by Halldór Laxness, amazon.com
India
“Freedom at Midnight book describes events around Indian independence and partition in 1947-48, beginning with the appointment of Lord Mountbatten of Burma and ending with the death (and funeral) of Mahatma Gandhi.” —Former ambassador Navtej SarnaBuy now: Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins, amazon.com
Ireland
“Colum McCann's TransAtlantic tells the intertwined stories of the first non-stop transatlantic fliers in 1919; the visit of Frederick Douglass to Ireland in 1845/46; and the story of the 1998 Irish peace process.” —H.E. Anne AndersonBuy now: TransAtlantic by Colum McCann, amazon.com
Jamaica
“Selected Poems captures the Jamaican dialect in a humorous and compelling way, providing unique and invaluable insights into Jamaican culture and what it means to be ." —H.E. Audrey Patrice MarksBuy now: Selected Poems by Louise Bennett, amazon.com
Lebanon
“Where Will My Heart Beat? is a visionary novel written by Loubna Hassanieh, a research scientist and Lebanese immigrant, as a reminder of the universality of love and the importance of an open mind. The book is set in an archetypical Lebanese village and depicts the generous and ebullient people who find refuge in their breathtaking nature, where the iconic cedar tree represents the emblem of strength that connects the human spirit with that of the land.” —H.E. Gabriel IssaBuy now: Where Will My Heart Beat? by Loubna Hassanieh, amazon.com
Malta
“Immanuel Mifsud's In the Name of the Father (And of the Son) won the 2011 European Union Prize for Literature and tells the story of a man reading a diary his father kept during his days as a soldier in World War II, which subsequently pushes him to re-examine the personal relationship he had with his father.” —H.E. Pierre Clive AgiusBuy now: In the Name of the Father (And of the Son) by Immanuel Mifsud, amazon.com
New Zealand
“Witi Ihimaera's 1987 book The Whale Rider tells the story of Kahu, who develops the ability to communicate with whales, echoing those of the ancient Whale Rider, after whom she was named.” —H.E. Tim GroserBuy now: The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, amazon.com
Norway
“The Harry Hole series is about the 'anti-hero' Harry Hole, a dedicated but disillusioned police detective." —H.E. Kåre R. AasBuy now: The Snowman by Jo Nesbo, amazon.com
Russia
“Gilyarovsky was a Russian writer and journalist who created a sort of encyclopedia of Moscow life at the turn of the 20th century. No one produced a more extensive and trustworthy record of those days. In Moscow and the Muscovites, he described everyday existence, scrupulously creating a panorama of the life of various social classes in Russia that is hard to find even in many classics of Russian literature.” —H.E. Anatoly AntonovBuy now: Moscow and Muscovites by Vladimir Gilyarovsky, amazon.com
Singapore
“Singapore became an independent country in 1965, but there is a long history to our island nation. Seven Hundred Years: A History of Singapore looks at the historical trajectory over seven centuries and helps in an appreciation of Singapore’s place in a fascinating region.” —H.E. Ashok MirpuriBuy now: Seven Hundred Years (multiple authors), amazon.com
Slovenia
“Drago Jančar's 2010 book I Saw Her That Night explores the disappearance of a young bourgeois woman from Ljubljana during a turbulent period in history.” —H.E. Božo CerarBuy now: I Saw Her That Night by Drago Jančar, amazon.com
Sweden
"Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove is a bittersweet description of how it's never too late to open your mind to new thoughts, ideas and people." —H.E. Karin OlofsdotterBuy now: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, amazon.com
Switzerland
“Before visiting Switzerland, read A Concise History of Switzerland, by Clive H Church and Randolph Conrad Head.”—H.E. Jacques PitteloudBuy now: A Concise History of Switzerland, by Clive H Church and Randolph Conrad Head, amazon.com
Trinidad
“The Book of Trinidad, by Bridget Brereton, is ideal.” —H.E. Anthony Phillips-SpencerBuy now: The Book of Trinidad by Bridget Brereton, amazon.com
United Kingdom
"Published in 2001, this is a literary tour de force, set in three time periods: 1935 England, the Second World War, and the turn of the millennium. The story is constructed around a half-innocent lie, told by a 13-year-old girl, that destroys lives and shatters a family. It addresses momentous themes—love, war, the hold of the past over the present—while capturing to perfection moments from Britain’s recent past, whether an English country house summer between the wars, or the horrors of the retreat from Dunkirk." —H.E. Kim DarrochBuy now: Atonement by Ian McEwan, amazon.com
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