Thrity Umrigar

"The story of two Indian women, one a victim of a brutal crime and the other an Americanized journalist returning to India to cover the story, and the courage they inspire in each other"--

Honor

Seher Mohsin

But then, I was not the wife of a God, just the wife of a good man.

painful to read; lots of tropes, too much painful exposition of the narrators inner thoughts 

Shohini Gupta

Isabella 

beautifully written but definitely not an easy read got me crying my eyes out :( def one of my fav books this yr

Ireland Compton

I bought the audiobook to listen to on my commute and let me tell you, the ending had me crying in the elevator on the way up to the office.

Thrity Umrigar is a beautiful writer and I enjoyed every minute of this book. It poignantly captures the main characters complicated relationship with her home country of India, and the country’s culture and customs as she works to tell the story of a woman horrifically maimed by her own brothers for marrying outside of her religion, while also incorporating humour and romance.

I would recommend this to anyone, and I think it would be a great read for a book club!

Kristen Claiborn

I honestly don’t know a whole lot about India, except that it’s the only sub-continent on the planet. I know a little bit about some of the food; one of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Albuquerque is a quaint little joint called Namaste, specializing in Indian and Bengali food. It’s amazing, I highly recommend that spot if you find yourself in Albuquerque. Aside from some of the food, I know very little. I have been curious, but let’s face it, I’m curious about everything, so it wasn’t much of a priority. I didn’t even know this book was set in India until I started reading! This one was a bit of an eye-opener. 
	This book is half tragedy and half romance. It follows Smita, reluctantly shoved into a story she didn’t want to write in a country she didn’t want to be in. Her family had fled India when she was a teen and she never wanted to go back (and after hearing why, I don’t blame her). She thought she was going to help a friend recover from surgery, but her friend needed her to write a story about Meena, brutally disfigured in a fire that killed her husband. Meena was convinced to hold the perpetrators responsible (and they were her own damn brothers). She paired up with Mohan to help navigate a world where women aren’t even allowed to speak, let alone rent a hotel room. Somewhere along the way, she fell in love with both India…and Mohan. 
	I was appalled at Meena’s full story, and I had no idea there was such hatred between Hindus and Muslims in India. It also blows my mind that “honor” killings continue to happen, anywhere in the world. For those who don’t know this already, I’m not a big fan of religion, and this type of thing is a major reason why. The entire situation with Meena made my stomach sour. The way those people treat women made my stomach sour. It was just disgusting to read about, and even worse knowing that those situations are not all fictional. I was pretty disappointed that Smita opted to stay in India (sorry for that little spoiler) instead of running as far away as possible, but I am glad that she found a peace after what she had been through. You know I will always love a happily ever after, and this one gave me that (sorta).

Katelyn Sykes

This is normally a book that I would not have chosen for myself. But it was on Reese’s book club and members on Goodreads had very positive feedback on it and it was available on hoopla so I gave it a chance. I am glad I did. Probably one of my favourite books this far. It was very graphic and tough to listen to at times, but I think it was necessary to portray some of the realities of India. 

Even if this isn’t a book you would normally listen to, I suggest you give it a chance. It did not disappoint.

Cindy Lieberman

A journalist who left India as a girl accepts an assignment to cover the verdict of a young woman’s lawsuit against her brothers who stand accused of killing her husband and almost burning her alive. At the same time, the journalist is examining her own relationships. The young girl’s story verged on torture porn, while the journalist’s was entirely predictable. Nevertheless, it was an interesting, compelling, (and devastating) story.

Cheri McElroy

A heartbreaking story of two Indian women. Go into it without reading the synopsis, as it doesn’t do the story justifiée, and gives away a plot point that comes very late in the book. Beautifully written.

It’s hard to comment on this book because while the subject is really difficult and painful, the writer is really good and that makes it an easy read. 

I didn’t like the whole shes going to wind up with a desi boy at the end of it all. That whole thing bugs me a lot because of the whole return to India and discover your roots again thing.

The characters though were so well done. You could picture each and every one of them. 

It’s hard to comment on this book because while the subject is really difficult and painful, the writer is really good and that makes it an easy read. 

I didn’t like the whole shes going to wind up with a desi boy at the end of it all. That whole thing bugs me a lot because of the whole return to India and discover your roots again thing.

The characters though were so well done. You could picture each and every one of them. 

Joe Desideri

Ally Perkins

Hannah Alexander 

Udit Desai

Simran Armstrong

Iisa Träskbäck

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.

Honor

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