 The book was released as a hardcover on August 25 , 2001 , published by HarperCollins in Canada , Alfred A. Knopf in the United States , and Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom . Knopf ordered an initial print run of 60 @,@ 000 copies . It debuted at the # 2 sport on the Maclean 's fiction bestseller list and peaked at # 1 in late September and early October . It was translated and published in multiple languages , including Japanese and German . The book was a finalist for the 2001 for the Books in Canada First Novel Award , as well as the Kiriyama Prize , an international literary award for promoting greater understanding of the Pacific Rim and South Asia . It was nominated by the Vancouver Public Library and the Bergen Public Library for the 2003 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award . 
