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readingwhilemommying 's review for:
Honor
by Thrity Umrigar
Wow. It's been a while since I was a bawling mess when finished with a book, but this stunner of a story did it.
Indian-American journalist and author Thrity Umrigar crafts a searing portrait of the religious, social, and gender divides in modern-day India that will stay with you long after the novel is over.
Smita, an Indian-American journalist, travels to Mumbai to cover the story of Meena, a Hindu woman from the low caste, who is suing her brother's for the murder of her Muslim husband. Meena's brothers are charged with an "honor" killing: They burned Meena's husband Abdul alive and left Meena herself with a horribly scared face and hand. Meena now lives with her cruel mother-in-law and is raising her and Abdul's young daughter. Smita, joined by driver/high-caste Indian man Mohan, travels from Mumbai to Meena's small village, to investigate the story, while coming to terms with her own conflicted feelings about the home she left behind and its complex yet harrowing divisions in class, gender, and faith.
Smita and Meena's stories are both told, Smita's in third person and Meena's in first. This literary device is an effective way of giving each women a strong, visceral voice, while still grounding Smita's tale in observation and Meena's in emotion. Frankly, I was shocked that these divisions, which subjugate certain castes, genders, and faith communities, are still so prevalent today (Umrigar says, in an author's note, that she based this story on actual articles written by NYT's Ellen Barry in 2017). It's horrific how women, Muslims, and poor people are treated. This may be only one aspect of Indian life, but it was still shocking. Yet, as with all amazing fiction (and real life), the tragedies and injustices of Smita and Meena's lives are threaded with pockets of joy, love, and hope.
One caveat: If the atrocities of the world are affecting your mental health right now, this might not be the book for you in this moment. While powerful and unforgettable, it presents horrific events that aren't easy to read.
Still, I was enormously effected and moved by this powerful novel by a talented writer. And, once again, I was enlightened about another locale in this vast world of ours and the continued plight of women to find their place and power within its societal structure.
Highly recommend.
Indian-American journalist and author Thrity Umrigar crafts a searing portrait of the religious, social, and gender divides in modern-day India that will stay with you long after the novel is over.
Smita, an Indian-American journalist, travels to Mumbai to cover the story of Meena, a Hindu woman from the low caste, who is suing her brother's for the murder of her Muslim husband. Meena's brothers are charged with an "honor" killing: They burned Meena's husband Abdul alive and left Meena herself with a horribly scared face and hand. Meena now lives with her cruel mother-in-law and is raising her and Abdul's young daughter. Smita, joined by driver/high-caste Indian man Mohan, travels from Mumbai to Meena's small village, to investigate the story, while coming to terms with her own conflicted feelings about the home she left behind and its complex yet harrowing divisions in class, gender, and faith.
Smita and Meena's stories are both told, Smita's in third person and Meena's in first. This literary device is an effective way of giving each women a strong, visceral voice, while still grounding Smita's tale in observation and Meena's in emotion. Frankly, I was shocked that these divisions, which subjugate certain castes, genders, and faith communities, are still so prevalent today (Umrigar says, in an author's note, that she based this story on actual articles written by NYT's Ellen Barry in 2017). It's horrific how women, Muslims, and poor people are treated. This may be only one aspect of Indian life, but it was still shocking. Yet, as with all amazing fiction (and real life), the tragedies and injustices of Smita and Meena's lives are threaded with pockets of joy, love, and hope.
One caveat: If the atrocities of the world are affecting your mental health right now, this might not be the book for you in this moment. While powerful and unforgettable, it presents horrific events that aren't easy to read.
Still, I was enormously effected and moved by this powerful novel by a talented writer. And, once again, I was enlightened about another locale in this vast world of ours and the continued plight of women to find their place and power within its societal structure.
Highly recommend.