Release: January 4, 2022
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Source: Alonquin Books
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, ibooks
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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. And 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.
This is 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.
This is a 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.
About the Author:
A journalist for seventeen years, Thrity Umrigar has written for the Washington Post, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and other national newspapers. And she contributes regularly to the Boston Globe’s book pages.
Thrity is the winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize, a Lambda Literary award and the Seth Rosenberg prize. She teaches creative writing and literature at Case Western Reserve University. The author of The Space Between Us, Bombay Time, and the memoir First Darling of the Morning. She was a winner of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard University. She has a Ph.D. in English and lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
Honor Review:
I loved this book so much! The first aspect that struck me was the beautiful and simplistic way the author narrated it. The author tells the story straightforward yet firmly that immediately connects to the characters and their situations. Right from the beginning, I liked Smitha and could connect with her. As she returns to Mumbai, you see how her roots impact her and wonder about her mysterious past. Similarly, Meena is also a strong character, and her story had me in tears. Meena is one of the best characters I have ever read and will etch in my mind for a long time.
As an Indian, I thought the author portrayed the country realistically. While there is so much beauty in the country, you also see the small-minded mentality of people, especially in rural areas where their thinking is backward and misogynistic. There are characters like Govind and Rupal, who you despise with a passion because of their smug mindset. The author touches on the imbalance between men and women, religion and fanaticism, and many things wrong in our current affairs. At the same time, she also shows how you can change your perception and move on, and stay strong amidst all this.
Moreover, there are some shocking twists that even I did not anticipate, which made the book so memorable. Some memorable moments in the tale are when Meena meets Abdul or when Meena and Radha talk about the colors. I loved how the author toggled the two storylines and merged them. On a side note, I also adored the relationship between Mohan and Smitha and felt it added nicely to the theme.
Overall, “Honor” is a beautiful piece of literary fiction that touched my heart, and I highly recommend it.
Book Tour Schedule
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Honor by Thrity Umrigar Blog Tour hosted by Alonquin Books.
