Books Set in Asia: Southern Countries

by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Setting: VIETNAM, 1969 & Present Day

This suspenseful saga is set both set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam. Trang and Quỳnh are sisters from a rural village, and like many in the region, their parents are struggling to survive. In 1969, the daughters take the desperate step of becoming “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money.

Trang becomes involved with a charming helicopter pilot named Dan. Decades later, we’ll see Dan return to Việt Nam with his wife in an attempt to heal from his PTSD and reckon with secrets from his past.

Also in the present day, we’ll met Phong as he tries to find his parents, a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. He was abandoned at an orphanage as a baby, and grew up being called names because he was a “child of the enemy”. He dreams of finding a way to America in hopes of a better life for his family.

The Book Girls Say… If you can’t get your hands on this newer release, pick up The Mountains Sing by the same author. It was one of our highest-rated books for the region last year!

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai was born and raised in Vietnam.

by Reema Patel

Setting: Mumbai, INDIA, Present Day

In Mumbai, Rakhi grew up as a street child, but is now 23 years old and works at Justice For All, a human-rights law firm. Despite her intelligence and wit, everyone underestimates her. She’s also still haunted by an incident the killer her best friend when she was only 12.

Rubina is a former Bollywood star who craves a return to the spotlight. Her path intersects with Rakhi’s when she becomes a celebrity ambassador for Justice For All. Rubina begins steering the organization into new places. She also brings a Canadian family friend, Alex, who is headed to Harvard but needs a summer internship. He wants Rakhi to show him the “real” India.

As Rakhi spends more time with Alex, old guilt and new aspirations collide.

The Book Girls Say... Author Reema Patel is a Canadian of Indian origin. While in law school, she worked in Mumbai as a human rights intern.

by Mansi Shah

Setting: INDIA

When Preeti was 7, her family moved from their home country of India to America and hoped their children would escape the stigmas that come with India’s caste system. As she grew up, she learned to survive and thrive in the United States. Preeti even becomes a lawyer and is on track for a partnership.

To help her odds of getting the promotion to partnership, and to avoid her mother, Preeti skips a chance to return to India for her cousin’s wedding. However, when an emergency arises, she jumps on a plane to be by her brother’s side. Preeti’s return to India brings up many emotions as she reconciles how her past fits into her current life.

The Book Girls Say.... Author Mansi Shah was born in Toronto to parents from Gujarat, India. She as raised in various states throughout the American Midwest.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/14/23.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner

Setting: Manilla, PHILIPPINES, 1941

At the Army Navy Club, three nurses have who are each trying to escape their own past and think they’ve found the perfect assignment in paradise. However, the new friends, U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel are soon caught between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army.

As fighting comes to the island, they find themselves first in conflict conditions, and then as the first female prisoners of the war. Despite food shorages and total disregard for the Geneva Convention, the trio works hard to keep hope alive in their own minds and for all the inmates.

When We Had Wings is historical fiction based on the true story of the “Angels of Bataan.”

The Books Girls Say… For another look at the Phillippines during the war years, pick up When the Rainbow Goddess Wept.

by Thrity Umrigar

Setting: INDIA

This literary fiction set in 2018 follows Indian-American journalist Smita as she returns to India to investigate Meena’s story. Meena is a Hindu woman who was disfigured when her brothers set fire to her home because she married a Muslim man.

Brave Meena fights back by taking her brothers to court for their brutal crime. While learning more about Meena and her relationship, Smita is surprised to find her own romantic connection in India.

The Book Girls Say…This book has phenomenal reviews, but contains some very intense scenes because of the dark subject matter.

Author Thrity Umrigar was born in Mumbai, India, and moved to the US when she was 21.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Arif Anwar

Setting: BANGLADESH, BURMA, INDIA, and Washington DC

In this family saga, Shahryar is on a work visa in the United States. Soon, he will be forced to return to Bangladesh without his young American daughter. As he tries to cherish his final weeks with her, he also ponders his family history and how it intertwines with his home country.

A large cast of major and minor characters are woven together in this novel to cover the history of Bangladesh, from WW2 Burma to the present day. The storylines include the Partition of India in 1947, the 1970 Bhola Cyclone and Bangladesh becoming an independent country in 1972.

While these stories covers history, you’ll also his Shahryar’s struggles as a modern-day immigrant in Washington DC.

The Book Girls Say... Author Arif Anwar was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh and holds a PhD in education from the University of Toronto, where he now lives with his wife.

by Abraham Verghese

Setting: Kerala, INDIA, 1900-1977

Kerala, on India’s southern coast, is a slender, coastal state with almost 373 miles of Arabian Sea coast and beaches. Being surrounded by water makes this a popular tourist destination. But for the family at the heart of this novel, being surrounded by water has plagued three generations. In every generation, at least one person dies by drowning.

This new literary fiction epic is a tale of love, faith, and medicine in which the family is seeking answers to this strange secret. The family is part of a Christian community that traces itself to the time of the apostles, but times are shifting, and the matriarch of this family, known as Big Ammachi—literally “Big Mother”—will witness unthinkable changes at home and at large over the span of her extraordinary life.

The Book Girls Say… This new release is a hefty book, at over 700 pages. But like Verghese’s wildly popular novel, Cutting for Stone, it’s well worth the investment of your time! It will transport you to Kerala, where you’ll experience all of the sights and sounds, including clothing, dance, music, architecture, customs, food, and so much more.

A tip, though - keep your dictionary handy if you're a little rusty on your Latin or anatomy.

The author, Abraham Verghese, was born and raised in Ethiopia, where he attended medical school before completing his residency and fellowships in America. He is now a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

His medical expertise is apparent throughout the book. However, as was the case with Cutting for Stone, some readers may find the descriptions of surgical procedures a bit too graphic.

by Camilla Gibb

Setting: VIETNAM

While this novel takes place in contemporary Vietnam, the interwoven stories of three characters show the lingering effects of war.

Maggie is an art curator, born in Vietnam, but living in the US. When she returns to her birth country looking for clues in her father’s disappearance, she meets Hung, who has run a pho stall for decades. He provided a meeting place for dissident artists like her dad. One of Hung’s regular customers is Tu’, a young tour guide who leads American vets on war tours.

The three very different characters come together as Maggie tries to piece together her past in this complex story of art, love, loss, and hope.

The Book Girls Say... Author Camilla Gibb, a English-born Canadian, was inspired to write this novel after a two week trip to Vietnam sparked her imagination.

by Mansi Choksi

Setting: INDIA

While many Indian families still practice different degrees of arranged marriage, this non-fiction book looks at the real lives of three couples who have rejected tradition. In addition to exploring their relationships, you’ll get insight into the couples' villages and cities. The first couple is a lesbian duo forced to flee for a chance at a life together. Then there’s the Hindu woman and Muslim man who escaped their families under the cover of the night after being harassed by a violent militia group. Finally, there’s the inter-caste couple who are doing everything to avoid the same fate as a similar couple who were burned alive.

The book switches between characters’ forbidden love stories more like a novel and is a page-turning insight into several aspects of Indian culture.

The Book Girls Say... Author Mansi Choksi was born in Mumbai, INdia and started her career as a reporter at the Times of India. She is currently based in Dubai, UAE, and Mumbai.

by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Setting: SINGAPORE

No one knows the secrets of Singapore’s elite like the women who work in their homes!

The island nation of Singapore is known for its wealth and luxury, but behind the lavish lifestyles are the people who keep things tidy and ordered. Corazon, Donita, and Angel are Filipina domestic workers, just three among the wave of women sent to Singapore to be cleaners, maids, and caregivers. When another maid is accused of murder, they find themselves drawn into the fray, resulting in a murder mystery novel that is described as wildly entertaining!

Corazon retired back in the Philippines but has since returned to Singapore under mysterious circumstances. Her wealthy employer is planning an extravagant wedding for his socialite daughter, but Corazon is keeping a secret from the family.

Donita is in her early twenties and is in Singapore for the first time. She is unlucky to be working for the extremely fussy Mrs. Frann. Donita falls in love with an Indian construction worker and documents her adventures through a social media account that gives away too much.

Angel is depressed after a recent breakup with the woman she loves. She works as a caregiver for an elderly employer but suspects her employer's son might be looking to replace her.

The tranquility that Singapore is famous for is shattered when another maid, Flordeliza, is arrested and accused of murdering her employer. After hearing stories of women executed for crimes they didn’t commit, Corazon, Donita, and Angel are fearful of the ramifications for all domestic workers. Together the three try to piece together the mystery of what really happened.

The Book Girls Say... Author Balli Kaur Jaswal was born in Singapore and lived in numerous countries during her youth, including Japan, Russia, and the Phillippines.

by Alka Joshi

Setting: NORTHERN INDIA

Travel back in time to 1950s India to meet Lakshmi. After fleeing from an abusive marriage, she settles in the vibrant city of Jaipur. Her talents as a henna artist enable her to survive on her own. She becomes a confidant to her clients in the wealthy upper class. 

As her reputation grows as someone who provides both beautiful henna work and sound advice, she helps her clients in new ways as an herbalist. Then, Lakshmi is shocked when her past resurfaces. The husband she escaped arrives in Jaipur, along with a girl he says is Lakshmi's 13-year old sister.  

The book covers a full year in Lakshmi's life. You'll find yourself absorbed by the vivid descriptions of the culture and scenery and enamored with Lakshmi's strength.

Heads Up: Abortions are part of the plot.

The Book Girls Say... This book can easily be read as a standalone, but it is the first in a trilogy. The second and third books, respectively, are The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and The Perfumist of Paris.

Author Alka Joshi was born in Rajasthan, India, and moved to the US with her family when she was nine.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
98% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Rachel Heng

Setting: SINGAPORE, 1940s

Ah Boon is growing up in the ending days of British rule in Singapore. He lives in a small fishing village, but would rather play with the girl next door, Siok Mei, than go fishing. Despite his disinterest in fishing, he discovers that he has an uncanny ability to locate uncharted islands, which are rich with fish.

By the time Ah Boon and Siok Mei are teenagers, the Japanese army has arrived and occupied Singapore as part of WW2. This coming-of-age story is set against the backdrop of Singapore’s legacy of British colonialism, the World War II Japanese occupation, and the pursuit of modernity. Readers say the beautiful writing transports you to a different time and place, and includes a hints of magical realism to emphasize the human-land connection.

The Book Girls Say… While this book covers the period of WW2, The River’s Song takes a look at Singapore’s development in the decades after this war.

Author Rachel Heng was born and raised in Singapore. She received her BA from Columbia University and her MFA from UT Austin. She's now an Assistant Professor of English at Wesleyan University.

by Sara MacDonald

Setting: PAKISTAN

Gabby has a career in London, along with two sons out of the house and in university. Her husband has always traveled extensively for work, so when he takes a new job in Pakistan, she decides to join him so they can finally have some time together.

Pakistan is a country of contradictions, with danger looming from the Taliban, gorgeous landscapes, and welcoming locals.

While in Pakistan, Gabby receives a shocking letter about her childhood on the Cornish coast. The book includes flashbacks to Cornwall that will also take you to experience the English coast as she tries to reconcile her memories with those of her sister.

The Book Girls Say... Reviewers regularly praise the vivid descriptions of Pakistan in this book. You'll get a good sense of both the danger and the beauty that exist together.

Author Sara MacDonald has lived all over the world, including Malta, London, Germany, Austria, Norway, Singapore, Malaysia, and Pakistan.

by Sujata Massey

Setting: WESTERN INDIA

The main character, Perveen Mistry, is inspired by a real person - one of the first female lawyers in India. Perveen is Oxford educated with a passion for protecting women's rights. After joining her father's law firm in the 1920s, she's assigned oversight of a wealthy man's will with three widows.

Perveen becomes suspicious when all three women sign their inheritances over to a charity, leaving themselves no money for living. When Perveen investigates, things quickly escalate to involve murder. She has to figure out what really happened behind the closed doors of Malabar Hill before someone else is hurt.

The Book Girls Say... This book will appeal to fans of both historical fiction and mystery.

This is the first book in a series of 4. If you enjoyed this book last year, consider picking up the next one. The fourth book will be published on July 11, 2023.

Author Sujata Massey was born in England to parents from India and Germany.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Sejal Badani

Setting: INDIA

This historical romance tells the story of two generations. Jaya is a journalist in present-day New York, heartbroken after a third miscarriage and its effects on her marriage.

In desperate need of a change of scenery, she sets off for India to explore her family history. As Jaya learns about the culture, she also learns about her grandmother's experiences during WW2 from Ravi, her grandma's former servant and confidant. He shares stories of both struggle and love, and helps Jaya discover her own legacy and strength.

The Book Girls Say... Author Sejal Badani was born in India and immigrated to the US as a young child. Her family spoke Indian at home and maintained a close connection to their culture, which has influenced her writing.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/14/23.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
93% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Vaddev Ratner

Setting: CAMBODIA

Seven-year-old Raami lived in a carefully guarded world of royal privilege until her father brought home news about the civil war raging in the streets of the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

Over the next four years, Raami endures starvation, forced labor, and survives the genocide that killed more than ¼ of the population of the country, including many of her family members. Throughout it all, she finds comfort only in the mythical legends and poems told to her by her father.

The Book Girls Say… Reviewers say that this story moves slowly at times, but it will open your eyes to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s through poetic prose that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Although it is written as a novel, this story parallels the author’s own life experience as a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide and a war refugee.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Emma Larkin

Setting: BURMA/MYANMAR

This travelogue follows the author's year in Burma, where she focused her travels on the country's connection to author George Orwell. She visits the places he lived and worked, including his time working for the British Imperial Police.

Along with reflecting on Orwell's time in the country, she examines the effects of colonialism that remain in the country today.

by Jan-Phillip Sendker

Setting: MYANMAR / BURMA

When Julia's dad, a successful New York attorney, disappears, she has no idea what could have happened. Four years later, she finds an old love letter he wrote to a woman in Burma. Determined to follow every lead, Julia travels to Burma to investigate her father's past.

After traveling to Kalaw, the village of the woman from the letter, Julia meets a man named U Ba, who seems to know her and has a story to tell her about her father and his past.

The Book Girls Say.... This book is both a love story and a look into past and present Burma/Myanmar. While some readers find the pace of this story a bit too slow, others are enthralled by this poignant novel.

This is the first in a three book series, but it feels complete on its own.

Author Jan - Philipp Sendker was born in Germany and later became the Asian correspondent to Stern (a German magazine).

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
90% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Nayomi Munaweera

Setting: SRI LANKA

The Sri Lankan civil war lasted for 25 years, from 1983 to 2009. During that time, between 70,000 and 100,000 lives were lost. This novel takes us beyond those numbers to tell the heartbreaking story of how the war impacted the lives of two families.

Yasodhara and her siblings had an idyllic childhood in Colombo, where their Sinhala family was fortunate to have everything they could ask for. She was only subtly aware of the differences between the Tamil and Sinhala people. Saraswathie, on the other hand, lived in the active war zone of Sri Lanka. She dreamed of becoming a teacher, but those dreams were shattered when she was arrested by a group of Sinhala soldiers and pulled into the heart of the conflict.

As the war rages on between the Sinhala and Tamil cultures, Yasodhara’s family escapes to Los Angeles (where they struggled to assimilate). By then, her life has already become intertwined with Saraswathie’s, and she’ll ultimately be led back to her homeland to help those most affected by the war.

The Book Girls Say… With a narrator on each side of the struggle, this fiction book is widely regarded as one of the most balanced portrayals of the Sri Lankan civil war.

Author Nayomi Munaweera was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and grew up in Nigeria before immigrating to Los Angeles with her family in the early 1980s.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Loung Ung

Setting: CAMBODIA

This is the memoir of a childhood survivor of the Cambodian genocide under Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime. Loung Ung's father was a high-ranking government official. She and her six siblings lived a life of privilege in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

When she was five years old in 1975, everything changed. As Pol Pot's army took the city, Ung's family was forced to flee. Many of her siblings were sent to labor camps, and she ended up in a work camp for orphans where she was trained as a child soldier. 

Ung's story is both harrowing and hopeful as we see the Pol Pot regime's war crimes and unspeakable brutality from her point of view. Despite that, she was somehow sustained by courage and love. After the Regime was destroyed many years later, she was finally reunited with her surviving family members.

The Book Girls Say… This book comes to us highly recommended by one of Angela's college friends, whose family also fled the Pol Pot regime in mid-1970s. After surviving several years of torture in labor camps, they escaped to a refugee camp in Thailand in 1979 where they lived for two years, before finally arriving in the US with their six children in 1981.

Another book he highly recommends is When The War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution, written by a Washington Post journalist who covered Cambodia beginning in 1973.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Liese O'Halloran Schwartz

Setting: THAILAND

In this split timeline mystery, you'll travel to Bangkok and experience Thailand in both the early 70s and present day. Reclusive artist Laura is watching her mom slide into dementia when a stranger contacts her. He claims to be her brother, who disappeared 40 years earlier.

Despite warnings from her sister that the call is a scam, Laura visits Bangkok in search of the truth.

The book alternates between Laura's investigative travels and her parent's time in Bangkok, where they tried to create an American life in an exotic location. While they strived to keep up perfect appearances, both parents kept secrets from those around them.

The Book Girls Say... Some of our readers found this book start slowly, but said it really grabbed them in the second half and that it's worth sticking with it.

Author Liese O'Halloran Schwartz lived in Thailand as a child. She says that expats who read the book "will recognize common elements about the general experience of making a home in a different culture."

Heads Up: This story involves heavy subject matters including: child kidnapping, human trafficking, drug use, and underage prostitution for both girls and boys.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Michael Schauch

Setting: NEPAL

In 2012, author Michael and his wife Chantel led a team of artists deep into northern Nepal. The group included a painter, photographer, and musician. They wanted to capture the remoteness of the region through their own viewpoints.

During the time on the mountain, Michael questioned his entire value system and identity, especially after meeting Karma. This memoir tells the story of their relationship with Karma, her family, and their 17th-century village.

The Book Girls Say…For another highly-rated memoir set in Nepal, read Little Princes. It's the shocking story of the author's time volunteering in an orphanage. He discovered the children were trafficked, not orphaned, and began working to reunite them with their families.

by Malala Yousafzai

Setting: PAKISTAN

This remarkable autobiography tells the story of Malala Yousafzai, who refused to give up on her right to an education when the Taliban took control of her region of northern Pakistan in 2012. Although she was only 15, her voice was enough of a threat to cause her attempted murder on her way home from school. 

Miraculously, she survived, and the attack emboldened her instead of silencing her. Her ongoing efforts to support education for girls lead her from Pakistan to the UN. She also became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. 

The Books Girls Say...There is also a Young Readers Edition with the same title. The two editions are hard to tell apart based on the covers, so be sure to double-check when you purchase the book or check it out from the library. 

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Dinah Jefferies

Setting: SRI LANKA

Nineteen-year-old Englishwoman Gwendolyn Hooper married a rich and charming widower who owned a tea plantation in colonial Ceylon (now part of Sri Lanka). Gwen is excited for the adventure of her new life, and she’s determined to be the perfect wife and mother, but the reality is not what she expected. After she gives birth to their first child, she finds herself keeping secrets from her husband, and she soon discovers he is keeping secrets of his own - including the terrible truth about what happened to his first wife.

This novel includes lush descriptions of the landscape, and also does a good job of capturing the time and the prejudice rife in Ceylon during this colonial era.

The Book Girls Say… This is a historical romance novel, and some describe it as a bit soap opera-esque.

This was recommended to us by Angela’s college friend who was born and raised in Sri Lanka. She said this novel is one of her favorite books set in her home country.

Author Dinah Jefferies was born in Malaysia but moved ot the UK at the age of nine. She went on to study in Italy and live in Spain for a time.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
76% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Aisha Saeed

Setting: PAKISTAN

In this short YA romance, Pakistani-American teenager Naila travels to her parent's home country for the first time between her junior and senior years in high school.

After being introduced to the culture and scenery, her summer vacation takes a shocking turn when she finds out her parents have arranged her marriage, and she has no say in the matter. She is forced in every way, including some traumatic scenes. 

Although the author herself has a successful traditional arranged marriage, she wrote the book to highlight the horrifying realities of forced marriage. This is very different as one partner, most often the woman, doesn't get to voice her opinion. It's important to note that while this character's family is Muslim, forced marriage happens within the extremes of most faiths, including Christianity, and in countries worldwide, including the US.

The Books Girls Say... There are two books of the same title by different authors. They have similar covers, so make sure you grab the right one! 

Author Aisha Saeed was raised in a traditional Pakistani-American family and took a leap of faith when she married the man chosen by her parents. She says that her semiarranged marriage is a happy one, but that her novel exposes the dark realities of forced marriages.

Heads Up: This book includes rape.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Kevin Kwan

Setting: SINGAPORE

Rachel is a New Yorker who agrees to spend the summer in Singapore, her boyfriend Nick's home country. He just failed to mention one crucial aspect of his life. He is considered Singapore's most eligible bachelor, and his family is crazy-rich. The family is essentially royalty, with younger generations expected to comply with the older generations' wishes for their life (and spouse) choices.

This book is rich with descriptions of Singapore's sights, sounds, and tastes. It gives a very entertaining look at the lifestyle of the 1% from both the inside and outside perspectives. According to Angela's Singaporean friends, these crazy stories are actually not so far-fetched. 

Crazy Rich Asians is the first book in a trilogy written by Singaporean-born Kevin Kwan, and you can pick up the complete box set here. The second book is set in China, and the third brings us back to Singapore. 

The Book Girls Say… We both laughed through this whole series and even loved the movie based on the first book. This book/series is an excellent pick if you want something entertaining, but be ready to pay attention because there are a lot of characters! 

Reading the trilogy back to back is a great choice so you don't have to relearn all the relationships. We also highly recommend the audiobooks, because the accents add to the stories. We enjoyed the second book a little less, but the final book is just as good as the first, so keep going! 

What to read next if you loved the Read the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy... If you already read and enjoyed CRA and you're looking for something similar that's also set in Singapore, consider Last Tang Standing. Described as Crazy Rich Asians meets Bridget Jones's Diary, this is the story of a successful thirty-something who is about to become the last unmarried member of her generation of the Tang clan - much to the disappointment of her Chinese-Malaysian family.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

by John Krakauer

Setting: NEPAL

This book provides journalist and mountaineer Jon Krakauer's personal account of summiting Mt. Everest and the disaster that occurred when a monstrous storm hit during his descent.

Krakauer, an experienced climber, was sent to Nepal as a journalist for Outside Magazine to summit Everest under renowned New Zealand guide, Rob Hall. He intended to write a magazine article about the growing commercialization of the once-feared mountain. This book addresses that issue and much more about his harrowing experience.

The storm that Kraukeur and others on the mountain that day encountered on their descent ultimately claimed many lives, and it forever changed those who managed to make it off the mountain alive.

The Book Girls Say… Angela has read this book several times, including in college as assigned reading for both her business management major and her leadership minor. This book sheds insight into the roles played by the sherpas, guides, and climbers (both experienced and inexperienced) while climbing Everest.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Jamie Zeppa

Setting: BHUTAN

Despite never traveling outside North America, Canadian Jaime Zeppa sets off on a solo adventure to teach in Bhutan, a Buddhist country in the Himalayas. In this autobiography, she shares her day-to-day experiences in this emerging tourist destination and her bigger picture personal realizations during her time in the county.

Tight government restrictions on tourists, including large financial requirements, make this all-access peek into this remote, unspoiled location and their culture rare. Luckily, she describes her experiences in a way that will make you feel like you are right there with her throughout this travel memoir.

by Hanna Alkaf

Setting: MALAYSIA

This page-turning YA historical fiction is set during the 1969 race riots between the Chinese and Malays in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Melati is a typical teenager of the time - she loves music, especially The Beatles. She also has a mental illness, resulting in OCD behaviors. However, mental illness was not something discussed or treated in 1969 Malaysia.

On May 13th, 1969, Melati is separated from her mother when fighting breaks out on the street. A 24-hour curfew is enacted, and all communication lines are cut, so returning home seems impossible. When Melati meets an unlikely ally in the form of a Chinese boy named Vincent, she’s forced to overcome her own prejudices as they try to avoid the rampant violence all around them.

The Book Girls Say... Author Hanna Alkaf has lived in Malaysia her entire life excpet for the six year period that she spent attending Northwestern University and working in Chicago.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Colin Cotterill

Setting: LAOS

This mystery/crime novel is the first in a multi-book series about Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old doctor who has been a member of the Communist Party for 47 years. He was unwillingly appointed the national coroner of newly-socialist Laos in 1976. Dr. Paiboun faces many challenges in his new position, including an underfunded lab, an incompetent boss, and quirky staff. But, he approaches it all with humor.

In this first book, the wife of a prominent politician dies, and Dr. Paiboun has reason to suspect that she was murdered after examining her body. He is in no way an investigator, but he is determined to find out the truth that the powers that be want to keep hidden.

The Book Girls Say… Reviewers describe Dr. Paiboun as a very likable and witty narrator and say that the story's plot moves along at a very nice pace without being predictable. If you end up enjoying this book, there are a total of 15 in the series, and all of them are included free with an Audible membership!

Author Colin Cotterill has lived and worked all around the world, including spending several years in Laos.

Prefer a non-fiction set in Laos? Take a look at Another Quiet American: Stories of Life in Laos, the memoir of an American man who worked in Laos for two years, and whose experiences will take you from the corridors of power the living rooms of poor citizens.

The audio version of the this book is included with an Audible Membership as of 6/14/23.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐1/2
90% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Tan Twan Eng

Setting: MALAYSIA

Yun Ling grew up in northern Malaysia, among the plantations and jungles, before studying law at Cambridge (like the author himself, who grew up in Malaysia and studied law in England). 

In 1949, Yun Ling discovered the only Japanese garden in Malaysia and tried to engage its creator, the exiled former gardener to the Emperor of Japan. She wants him to create a garden in Kuala Lumpur in memory of her sister. He refuses to design the garden for her, but agrees to take her on as his apprentice to teach her the art.

As a survivor of Japanese brutality during the war that claimed her sister’s life, Yun Ling holds anger toward the Japanese. But inside the Garden of Evening Mists, she is drawn to the story of the gardener. The garden is a place of mystery: why did the gardener leave Japan? Why does Yun Ling’s host seem immune to the depredations of the Communists? And what is the real story of how Yun Ling managed to survive the war?

The Book Girls Say… This Booker Prize-nominated novel will immerse you in the Malaysian highlands with its poetic descriptions that vividly describe the landscape, the mist, the smells, and flora and fauna.

Author Tan Twan Eng was born and raised in Malaysia. He studied law at the University of London and went on to work for a law firm in Kuala Lumpur.

For those who love WWII historical fiction, he also wrote another beautiful novel set in Malaysia called The Gift of Rain.

by Rani Manicka

Setting: MALAYSIA

In the 1920s, Lakshmi enjoyed a carefree childhood among the coconut and mango trees of Ceylon (which later became a part of Sri Lanka). But at the age of 14, she was sent across the ocean to Malaysia and forced into a marriage with a much older man. Lakshmi was promised a life of riches and luxury, but instead, they struggle to get by as Lakshmi gives birth to six children by the age of 19.

Throughout her life, Lakshmi endures incredible hardship and suffering, but draws upon her incredible strength to face each new challenge. This includes finding a way to keep her daughters safe during the Japanese occupation of WWII.

Rich with traditional folklore, Eastern magic, Indian celebrations, and Malaysian cuisine - this long novel spans 85 years and four generations as it tells one family’s saga. Although Lakshmi (the “Rice Mother”) is the main character of this story, each chapter is narrated by a different member of the family. This provides readers with different perspectives on various events, creating even greater depth and layering to the story, while maintaining a consistent plot from beginning to end.

The Book Girls Say… This book is recommended for fans of A Thousand Splendid Suns. 

Author Rani Manicka was born and educated in Malaysia and now divides her time between Malaysia and England.

by Andrea Hirata

Setting: INDONESIA

On the isolated island of Belitong, on the east coast of Sumatra, Muhammadiyah Elementary must have ten students enrolled to stay open. Ikal - the narrator who is just six years old when the book opens - is relieved when the tenth student shows up just in time to keep the school open, preventing him from being sent to work. 

The poverty-stricken school constantly faces the threat of government closure, greedy mining magnates, and natural disasters. However, the ten young students (nicknamed the Rainbow Troops) are led by two dedicated teachers (one just fifteen years old) whose dedication ensures that they receive the education they deserve.

The Indonesian author, Andrea Hirata, once promised his teacher that he would one day write a book in her honor. This nearly-autobiographical novel is that promise fulfilled. Originally published in the language of Bahasa, this book sold a record-breaking five million copies in Indonesia.

The Book Girls Say… Written in simple, conversational prose, this book is described as emotionally draining, but also delightful, inspiring, and humorous. 

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Elizabeth Pisani

Setting: INDONESIA

Many Americans know very little about Indonesia, even though it has the world’s fourth-largest population. The country is made up of 13,500 islands and has more than 300 ethnic groups who, between them, speak 719 languages. Indonesia is a nation of stark contrasts. Jakarta, for example, tweets more than any other city on Earth, yet 80 million Indonesians live without electricity.

Author and journalist Elizabeth Pisani lived in Indonesia for three years as a reporter (1988-1991) and then returned for a four-year stay a decade later while training as an epidemiologist specializing in AIDS.

In this memoir, she introduces the world to Indonesia via a 13-month, 26,000 mile journey around Indonesia undertaken in the early 2010s for the purpose of writing this book. She intersperses her experiences with detailed explanations of the history, politics, and economics of the nation.

by Deborah Francisco Douglas

Setting: PHILIPPINES

Author Deborah Douglas was raised in America, but always longed to know more about her Filipino heritage. After applying to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, she was excited to be assigned to the Philippines, where she could not only serve the community, but also embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Through this memoir, she takes us along on her adventure, from the simple joy of ordinary moments in the mountain town of Baguio City, to her struggles for belonging and identity.

Filled with warmth and humor, Something in the Middle appeals to those yearning for a travel adventure, interested in learning more about the experience of volunteering abroad, or those still seeking to discover where they belong in the world.