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.
