China: Shelley Parker-Chan, The Radiant Emperor Duology. Published in 2023, set in 1345. Takeaway: identity is fluid. shelleyparkerchan.com.
Russia: Alexander Pushkin, translated Stanley Mitchell, Eugene Onegin. Published in 1833, this translation published 2008, set in the 1820s. Takeaway: Russia is Russian, not just European. wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Onegin.
Mongolia: Oyungerel Tsedevdamba & Jeffrey L. Falt, The Green-Eyed Lama. Published 2018, set primarily 1930s-40s.. Takeaway: herders good, communists bad. greeneyedlama.mn.
Tajikistan: Aminjon Shookuhi, translated Karim Khodjibaev & Moukhabbat Khodjibaeva, Where Does the Water Come From? English translation published 2008, set ??? (unclear, but probably sometime in the 20th century). Takeaway: community is essential. kidstravelbooks.com
Greece: Homer, translated Emily Wilson, The Odyssey. Composed approximately 1000BCE, set ??? (unclear, possibly sometime 1600-1200BCE), this translation published 2018. Takeaway: our heritage is delightfully pagan. emilyrcwilson.com
Kazakhstan: Joanna Lillis, Dark Shadows.
Afghanistan: Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Published 2007, set 1964-2003. Takeaway: theTaliban is exactly as bad as you think it is. khaledhosseini.com
Australia: Jessie Stephens, Something Bad Is Going to Happen.
Kyrgyzstan: Chingiz Aitmatov, Jamilia.
Pakistan: Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
United States of America: Jessamine Chan, The School for Good Mothers.
India: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things.
Nepal: multiple authors, House of Snow: An Anthology of the Greatest Writing About Nepal. Reading in progress.