Contemporary Romanian Novels Available in English Through the ARCS Community Library
Two acclaimed Romanian novels, now available to borrow in English translation.
One of the challenges of sharing Romanian culture abroad is that language can become a barrier.
Many members of our community read Romanian. Their children often do not. Friends, spouses, colleagues, and neighbors may be curious about Romanian literature but have no way to access it. Translation helps bridge that gap.
As part of our effort to make Romanian culture more accessible, the ARCS Community Library is gradually expanding its collection of books available in English translation.
We are pleased to introduce two contemporary Romanian novels that offer very different journeys into Romanian history, imagination, and storytelling.
Too Great a Sky (Capătul drumului) by Liliana Corobca, translated by Monica Cure
The Book of Perilous Dishes (Mâța Vineri) by Doina Ruști, translated by James Brown
Too Great a Sky by Liliana Corobca, translated by Monica Cure, explores one of the lesser-known tragedies of twentieth-century Eastern Europe: the deportation of Romanians from Bukovina to Kazakhstan during the Soviet period. Through memory, loss, and resilience, Corobca gives voice to experiences that shaped generations but remain unfamiliar to many readers outside the region.
The Book of Perilous Dishes by Doina Ruști, translated by James Christian Brown, meanwhile, takes readers to Bucharest in 1798. Blending historical fiction, folklore, mystery, and culinary magic, the novel follows a young apprentice drawn into a world where recipes possess unusual powers and food becomes a gateway into a richly imagined past. Doina Ruști blends historical fiction with elements of fantasy and culinary storytelling, creating a world that feels both strange and familiar, humorous and profound.
At first glance, the books have little in common. One confronts historical trauma and displacement. The other delights in folklore, imagination, and adventure.
Yet both demonstrate the richness and diversity of contemporary Romanian literature. Both are deeply rooted in Romanian history and culture while telling stories that resonate far beyond Romania’s borders. And both remind us that literature offers one of the most powerful ways to understand lives, places, and experiences different from our own.
Whether you are already familiar with Romanian authors or are looking for a place to begin, we invite you to borrow these books from the ARCS Community Library and discover where Romanian stories can take you.
Because sometimes the best introduction to a culture is a good story.