Nina notices the pause before a reply. The change in tone. The song that must surely mean something. She can turn a silence into twelve possible explanations before breakfast.
Then she meets Marcos. And understanding someone else becomes a full-time occupation.
Until she begins to wonder about herself.
A SMALL COMPLICATION
Her friends have opinions. Nina has theories. Carlos has data.
Endlessly patient. Occasionally infuriating. Always there for one more impossible conversation.
You’ll meet him in the book.
03 / BEHIND THE STORY
What if the love story led back to you?
Funny, intimate and psychologically sharp, The Translation Problem follows a woman trying to make sense of tenderness, distance, and all the things that go unsaid.
It is a story about the explanations we invent, the hope we keep, and what happens when someone who understands everyone else finally becomes curious about herself.
The book Available in paperback, hardback and Kindle. Kindle Unlimited members can read it with their subscription.
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Julita Hanke
Julita writes contemporary fiction about love, longing and the strange things people do while trying to understand one another. The Translation Problem is her debut novel.
A practical place to separate what happened from what you think it means, notice what you need, and choose one next step.
You can use these questions without having read the novel.
01 / FACT
What happened?
Write one sentence using only what you saw or heard.
02 / INTERPRETATION
What did I add?
What meaning did you give it? What is still unknown?
03 / NEED
What matters to me?
Name the need underneath the urge to work it all out.
04 / CHOICE
What can I choose?
Find one small action within your control. You can pause before deciding.
The full workbook is in development and will be tested with readers before release. It is not on sale yet. These are reflection prompts, not a substitute for individual mental-health care.
