Jean M. Auel's The Land of Painted Caves was the big story on international bestseller lists in April. The book, "30,000 years in the making and 31 years in the writing," according to PW's review, is the sixth and final volume in the Earth's Children series. It landed high on bestseller lists in Europe: #1 in the Netherlands and Sweden, #2 in Spain, #4 in France, #5 in the U.K., and #9 in Germany.
In France, Auel debuted alongside The Angel's Call by Musso Guillaume, The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco, The Children of Alexandria by Françoise Chandernagor, Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carré, and Gataca by Franck Thilliez. Meanwhile, in nonfiction, Stéphane Hessel continued to lead; his books Rise in Protest! and Get Involved! kept their #1 and #3 positions, respectively. Rise was also the #1 nonfiction book in Spain in April.
New additions to Germany's fiction list aside from Auel included Paulo Coelho's latest, Aleph; The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt; and Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada—a book that was written in 24 days by a German writer who died in 1947. He was inspired by the true story of Otto and Elise Hampel, who scattered postcards advocating civil disobedience throughout wartime Nazi-controlled Berlin. Melville House rediscovered the book in 2009 and published it in the U.S., where it became a surprise bestseller. This is the first time a full German version has been available.
Out of the top 20 books on Italy's combined fiction and nonfiction list, 15 were new. Leading the pack was the nonfiction Come Away with Me by Roberto Saviano, whose Gomorra was a huge bestseller. The new book ties into an Italian TV series of the same name, which highlights the challenges Italy is facing in the fight against the Mafia.
In Sweden, Elizabeth George trailed Auel with her book This Body of Death. And edging out Auel in the U.K. were Wilbur Smith (Those in Peril), Jackie Collins (Goddess of Vengeance), Jodi Picoult (Sing You Home), and Michael Connelly (The Fifth Witness).—Lynn Andriani
France
Fiction
Faute de preuves
Caught
Harlan Coben
Belfond
Nonfiction
Indignez-vous!
Rise in Protest!
Stéphane Hessel
Indigène
Germany
Fiction
Verwesung
The Calling of the Grave
Simon Beckett
Wunderlich
Nonfiction
Jesus von Nazareth. Band II
Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection
Benedikt XVI
Herder
Italy
Combined Fiction/Nonfiction
Il profumo delle foglie di limone
What Hides Your Name (original Spanish
title: Lo que esconde tu nombre)
Clara Sánchez
Garzanti Libri
La mappa del destino
The 10th Chamber
Glenn Cooper
Nord
netherlands
Combined Fiction/Nonfiction
Zomerhuis met zwembad
Summer House with Pool
Herman Koch
Anthos
Good Luck
Christine Otten & Erik Kessels
Sweden
Fiction
Den stygga flickans rackartyg
The Bad Girl
Mario Vargas Llosa
Norstedts Förlag
Nonfiction
Fågelsång: 150 svenska fåglar och deras läten
Birdsongs: 150 Swedish Birds and Their Sounds
Lars Svensson & Jan Pedersen
Max Ström Bokförlag
U.S.
Fiction
Sing You Home
Jodi Picoult
Atria
Nonfiction
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival,
Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand
Random