Young Leader Novel Release: A Hundred Suns

April 15, 2020

Book Reading: A Hundred Suns, April 9, 2020

The French-American Foundation hosted an evening webinar with author and Young Leader Karin Tanabe to discuss her new book, A Hundred Suns. The event was moderated by fellow Young Leader Kabir Seghal, Founder & CEO of Tiger Turn Productions.

The Washington Post, who listed A Hundred Suns in their Ten books to read in April review, applauded the book for its look into 1930s Indochina.

“If you’re looking for a transporting historical novel, Tanabe’s smart thriller set in 1933 Indochina fits the bill. When an American woman arrives in Saigon, she knows her French husband, heir to the Michelin rubber fortune, plays an important role in the colonial capital. However, she has no idea how corrupt colonial lives can be and discovers she may be a pawn in a friend’s hands.”

The discussion began with a reading by the author of excerpts from the book, followed by a Q&A portion with the moderator and audience. Karin explored her personal writing process, the path to constructing A Hundred Suns (including research of historical documents and which portions were more difficult to write than others), and the trajectory of her career from journalist to author.

Karin described the impacts of COVID-19 on the rollout of her new book. She and Kabir, himself a writer and musician, then discussed its impact on the creative process in general.

The French-American Foundation developed this webinar initiative to continue our mission of encouraging transatlantic dialogue while prioritizing the health and safety of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our webinars take place throughout the month.

Watch the Webinar