An interpreter has come to work at the Hague International Court. She seems adrift in all ways. A native of New York, after her father's death, her mother returned to Singapore, where the interpreter felt no ties. She is pleasant with her co-workers but not close to any of them. She has made one friend, Jana, who is in charge of an art museum. While at a galley opening, she meets Adriaan and becomes his lover although he is married and separated; there is no telling if the marriage will end or if the partners will reconcile. At work, she has been assigned to interpret for a case of war crimes against a former African President who is accused of genocide. The man seems to pick her out and want some sort of relationship although she doesn't know what.
As time goes on, she meets another woman through Jana, an art professor. This woman has a brother who was assaulted on the street in front of Jana's building and beaten severely. Without meaning to, the interpreter learns a secret about this man and wonders if she should reveal it to his family.
This novel has garnered much praise. It was nominated as a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2021 and longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award in Fiction. My biggest question was the title. The main character seems as far from intimacy in all aspects of her life as any character I've encountered. All the relationships seem tenuous and as likely to end as to endure. Readers will be interested to read about the inner workings of the International Court and to figure out along with the interpreter where her life will lead next. This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.
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