The literature of borderlands is an established literary tradition that grows out of the experiences of those living on and around borders. Geographical borders create divisions that often do not adhere to linguistic, communal, or cultural borders, fracturing communities and cultures. This creates a sense of tension, in which the presence of the border and the ways in which it impacts life are ever-present: “Borderlands literature grows out of regions where languages overlap and political lines cut through daily life. These books often take place in places marked by tension or migration, yet their force comes from the way that pressure enters the body and the sentence” (“Literature of the Borderlands.” Gilliam Writers Group, 19 Feb. 2026).

One of the most vibrant traditions of the literature of borderlands comes from the US-Mexico border. This border, drawn after various conflicts and negotiations, divides a larger region that was once controlled by Spain. This historical and cultural region is now divided, with residents on both sides sharing a history and culture but not a nation. This creates a sense of duality, which Tokarczuk captures in her novel: “What unites these traditions is not a shared politics but a shared experience of doubleness. Characters hold more than one story about themselves. Home can feel unstable. A return to a childhood town may feel unfamiliar […] the land itself carries memory” (“Literature of the Borderlands”).

This doubleness is a common experience in House of Day, House of Night, with characters containing competing histories and identities, influenced by the nearby border. The novel also depicts Germans returning to their former homes, only to find a painful and unfamiliar sight that leaves them feeling shaky.