Honor
Books | Fiction / Cultural Heritage
4.5
(312)
Thrity Umrigar
THE JANUARY 2022 REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK “In the way A Thousand Splendid Suns told of Afghanistan’s women, Thrity Umrigar tells a story of India with the intimacy of one who knows the many facets of a land both modern and ancient, awash in contradictions.” —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours In this riveting and immersive novel, bestselling author Thrity Umrigar tells the story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide. Indian American journalist Smita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past. While Meena’s fate hangs in the balance, Smita tries in every way she can to right the scales. She also finds herself increasingly drawn to Mohan, an Indian man she meets while on assignment. But the dual love stories of Honor are as different as the cultures of Meena and Smita themselves: Smita realizes she has the freedom to enter into a casual affair, knowing she can decide later how much it means to her. In this tender and evocative novel about love, hope, familial devotion, betrayal, and sacrifice, Thrity Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time.
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Thrity Umrigar
Pages
336
Publisher
Little, Brown
Published Date
2022-01-04
ISBN
1643752170 9781643752174
Community ReviewsSee all
"A heartbreaking story, though the ending leaves you with hope"
H
H2000
"Well written and thought provoking. Gut wrenching."
L L
Lorraine Lai
"I think this should be mandated reading for Indian Americans. I really could’ve used this when I was a high schooler in an identity crisis. In my current state of being, I’m already much more in line with Mohan’s romanticized view of India but I recognize a lot of my younger self in how Smita first saw it when she went back. I think Umrigar also did a good job of not downplaying the flaws that Indian society has, while also acknowledging that the West is not immune to the same backwardness and prejudice in different forms. In terms of narrative structure, it was paced perfectly and the stories connected together neatly. This book made me realize that it might be time for me to go back soon with my new set of eyes."
"Moving story about two women and their struggle to move forward in India. Great read. "
N P
Norma Pleasance