
Mieko Kawakami’s latest novel *Sisters in Yellow* (2023 Japanese, 2026 English) follows Hana Ito and three other women navigating precarious 1990s Tokyo after the bubble burst. The story intertwines unemployment, solitary deaths, and the care crisis with a feminist ethics of care, using the color yellow as a recurring symbol of hope and resilience. Co‑translators Laurel Taylor and Hitomi Yoshio deliver a vivid, humor‑laden English edition that preserves the novel’s gritty underworld and lyrical moments. The review positions the book as both a compelling crime‑thriller and a social critique of gendered precarity.
Maïssa Bey’s novel *Blue White Green*, set in post‑independence Algiers, will be released in English in April 2026, translated by Georgetown professor Erin Twohig. The narrative follows Lilas and Ali, whose intertwined lives mirror Algeria’s shift from French colonial rule through...