Found in Translation Book Club

Found in Translation book club tours the globe through world literature in translation. We will explore different countries, cultures, and communities through amazing stories, gaining a fresh perspective as we focus on reading diversely. Join us each month for a new literary trip that will broaden our horizons and ultimately enrich our world.

This month we are reading You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, translated by Natasha Wimmer. The Found in Translation book club will meet at 5:30 PM on Friday, May 16th.

One morning in 1519, conquistador Hernán Cortés enters the city of Tenochtitlan – today’s Mexico City. Later that day, he will meet the emperor Moctezuma in a collision of two worlds, two empires, two languages, two possible futures.

Cortés is accompanied by his captains, his troops, his prized horses, and his two translators: Friar Aguilar, a taciturn friar, and Malinalli, an enslaved, strategic Nahua princess. After nearly bungling their entrance to the city, the Spaniards are greeted at a ceremonial welcome meal by the steely Aztec princess Atotoxtli, sister and wife of Moctezuma. As they await their meeting with the emperor – who is at a political and spiritual crossroads, and relies on hallucinogens to get by – Cortés and his entourage are ensconced in the labyrinthine palace. Soon, one of Cortés’s captains, Jazmín Caldera, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the place, begins to question the ease with which they were welcomed into the city, and wonders at the chances of getting out alive, much less conquering the empire. And what if… they don’t?

You Dreamed of Empires brings Tenochtitlan to life at its height, and reimagines its destiny. The incomparably original Álvaro Enrigue sets afire the moment of conquest and turns it into a moment of revolution, a restitutive, fantastical counterattack, in a novel so electric and so unique that it feels like a dream.

Purchase a copy to read, or grab it from the library, and join us at Dog·Eared Books at 7 PM on Friday, May 16th, to discuss the book with book club host Mariah! This book club is free to anyone who wishes to participate, no registration necessary.

Also, for 20 minutes after each club meeting, you will receive 20% off all books and merchandise!

Want to continue the conversation after club? Join the Found in Translation Discord server!

Content Warnings for Found in Translation 2025
Content Warnings for You Dreamed of Empires
Content Warnings for Ulirát