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.

Off White by Astrid Roemer, translated by translated by Lucy Scott & David McKay

It’s 1966 in Suriname, on the Caribbean coast of South America, and the long shadow of colonialism still hangs over the country. Grandma Bee is the proud, cigar-smoking matriarch of the Vanta family, which is an intricate mix of Creole, Maroon, French, Indian, Indigenous, British, and Jewish backgrounds. But Grandma Bee is dying, a cough has settled deep in her lungs.

The approaching end has her thinking about the members of her family she’s lost, and especially one of her favorite granddaughters, Heli, who has been sent away to the Netherlands because of an affair with her white teacher. Ultimately, there’s only one question Bee must answer: What is a family? If her descendants are spread across the world, don’t look similar, don’t share a heritage, and don’t even know each other, what bond will they have once she has died?

A moving portrait of a woman finding peace in the legacy that is her daughters and granddaughters, Off-White, keenly translated by Lucy Scott and David McKay, is also a searing and complex portrait of male violence, the legacy of colonialism, and a dismantling of what it means to be “white”. Written after a nearly 20-year break from publishing, Off-White is another masterpiece from the only Surinamese author to win the prestigious Dutch Literature Award.

Purchase a copy to read, or grab it from the library, and join us at Dog·Eared Books at 7 PM on September 20th, 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 2024
Content Warnings for Thirst
Content Warnings for Stolen