The four books that constitute this year’s shortlist—Judith Schalansky’sAn Inventory of Losses, translated by Jackie Smith, Jonas Lüscher’sKraft, translated by Tess Lewis, Volker Ullrich’sHitler: Downfall, 1939-1945, translated by Jefferson Chase, and Sasha Marianna Salzmann’sBeside Myself, translated by Imogen Taylor—stood out for their ingenuity, beauty, and accuracy in capturing the letter and spirit of their respective source texts.