Let’s go on an epic trip across Asia, visiting various countries and exploring different cultures through the pages of these books.
Last updated: August 27, 2026
Asia through the Pages of the Books
Asia is every traveler and book lover’s dream destination. The largest continent in the world, it’s home to more than half of the global population and countless distinct cultures and traditions. It’s a region that lives according to its own rules. Many of which are beyond a western mind’s understanding.
And don’t let me start on Asian languages. Intriguing, complicated, and lacking any commonality with the Latin alphabet…
Not being able to understand any Asian tongues and lacking any first-hand experiences with the region kept me from buying a ticket and traveling to this exotic part of the world. Unlike in Europe, here I needed a travel companion, ideally with the inside knowledge.
Books have been those reliable travel buddies across Asia for years. Fiction, stories based on real events, travel memoirs, historical accounts, all these books opened the doors to many regions and allowed me to visit numerous countries in Asia.
Through the pages of these books, I traveled to war-torn Afghanistan, took a pilgrimage to an ancient temple in Cambodia, and learned about the centuries-old customs of Japan and China.
If this is what you may be interested in, tag along as we explore the intricate customs and visit faraway places across Asia through the pages of the books.
BOOKS THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO TRAVEL TO ASIA
1. A Thousand Splendid Suns
A heartbreaking novel set in Afghanistan by Khaled Hosseini
Two strange women find themselves sharing the same house when the Taliban takes over Afghanistan. From different backgrounds, Mariam and Laila have been neighbors for years. But age difference and the obsessive control of Miriam’s husband, Rasheed, are enough to keep Leila away.
Yet the tragic events unite the women on all levels possible. Rivals at first, Mariam and Laila soon become friends who protect each other from their despotic husband. At one point, they have to choose between the security that in a Taliban-ruled country even an abusive marriage can grant and the freedom that comes at the highest price.
Through the lives of Mariam and Laila, the book A Thousand Splendid Suns depicts the tragic story of millions of Afghan women in Afghanistan and across Asia.
2. Kabul Beauty School
A story of an American woman that goes behind the veil by Deborah Rodriguez
When opportunity knocks, Deborah Rodriguez gets the door immediately and moves to Kabul, Afghanistan. After spending some time in Asia and immersing herself in the new culture, Deborah is compelled to open a beauty school where she equips Afghani women with skills and confidence to work independently from their husbands and other male family members.
But the time of freedom for the women of Afghanistan is short-lived. History repeats itself. The difficult times descend upon the country almost overnight. Independence and liberty are snatched from women once again.
In her book, Kabul Beauty School, Deborah Rodriguez narrates about the living conditions and customs in one of the most turbulent countries in Asia. It’s a place the author falls in love with and builds her new life. But nothing goes according to plan.
3. Temple of a Thousand Faces
A book set in 12-century Cambodia, Asia, by John Shors
The book Temple of a Thousand Faces takes you back to 12th-century Southeast Asia, inside the ancient walls of the legendary Angkor Wat.
When his kingdom is attacked and all his family is killed, Prince Jayavar of the Khmer people flees the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat. His mystical wife, Ajadevi, the only other survivor of the large family, follows the prince wherever he goes.
With the help of a few trusted supporters, the royal couple sets up a secret camp in the jungle and prepares for a counterattack.
Meanwhile, distrust, jealousy, and terror fill the walls of Angkor Wat. Indravarman, the cruel conqueror, suspects everybody, including his most loyal warriors. Under his reign, the once peaceful kingdom turns into hell, a place of no escape.
Well researched, the book Temple of a Thousand Faces is a beautiful tale about love, betrayal, and survival set in one of the most underrated countries in Asia.
4. The Woman in the White Kimono
A historical fiction set in Japan by Ana Johns
Despite its non-dubious name, the book The Woman in the White Kimono starts not in Asia, but in the U.S.A. Tori Kovac takes care of her dying father. The man is weak and can’t entertain his daughter the way he has done all his life. But he is strong enough to hand her a letter that questions everything Tori knows about her family.
The woman travels to Japan to find the answers that are hidden in the little-known era of Japanese and American history.
In her book, Ana Johns shows a different Japan, a side of Asia that the western world and the Japanese archipelago itself hardly mention. Maybe because of shame or in an attempt to keep the past from hurting the current and future generations again and again.
5. The Island of Sea Women
A historical novel set in Korea, Asia, by Lisa See
Mi-ja and Young-sook, two Korean girls living on the Island of Jeju in South Korea, become friends by accident. Young-sook catches Mi-ja stealing vegetables from her family garden.
Despite the theft and many other differences, the two girls bond quickly, become haenyeo (female free-divers), and keep their close friendship throughout many hardships that Korea experiences during the 1930s and 1940s.
Yet one adversity is too great even for Mi-ja and Young-sook. The decades-long friendship comes to a point, beyond which there is no return neither for the women, nor for South Korea and the entire Asia.
The Island of Sea Women is a fiction book based on historic events that shattered Asia and the entire world during the 21st century.
6. Honolulu
A historical fiction book set in Hawaii and Korea by Alan Brennert
As the title suggests, Honolulu takes place mostly on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. Yet before it takes you to the tropical paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the book transports its readers to Korea where the main protagonist is born.
A girl named Regret is raised to be an obedient wife. There is no education or career in the future for Regret. She is a girl born in a country and culture that favors sons over daughters. While visiting her ailing aunt, Regrets meets a kisaeng, a traditional Korean courtesan who teaches the girl how to read and write.
Later with the hope of pursuing her education, Regret signs up as a “picture bride” bound for Hawaii. Struggles and challenges, however, follow the young Korean even to the other part of the world. Regrets has nobody to rely on but herself. She learns to survive, thrive, and love her new home.
In his book Honolulu, Alan Brennert shows two distinct worlds, Korea and Hawaii. The author builds his story on a fictional character, using real events and including some real personages.
