Vacation!

I'm beginning a week and a half long vacation right now, but I'm not going anywhere. It'll be one of those stay-at-home-and-do-nothing vacations -- well, nothing but read for fun and ride my bike. Yippee!

So I wrote in a comment on Liquid Thoughts that I wanted a book I couldn't put down, and Mike mentioned Nicole Krauss's The History of Love as a possibility, and as I'd already had my eye on that one, I might go ahead and pick it up. But I've also wanted an older novel to read. I tend to go back and forth between recent books and older ones, say 19th and early 20th century. And it's definitely time for an older book. And I'd like to read something by a woman. I'd love to read something non-American and non-British. I'd like it to be at least somewhat plotty. Does anyone have any recommendations that fit these criteria?