More than a decade since her bestselling novel, The Space Between
Us, Thrity Umrigar continues Bhima's unforgettable story in this
stunning sequel.
"The women at the heart of this novel inhabit the harsh world of the
urban Indian poor, and struggle separately and together for dignity and
survival. Thrity Umrigar has written a moving human tale that vividly
brings to life both the women and the city of Mumbai."--Salman Rushdie
Bhima, the unforgettable main character of Thrity Umrigar's beloved
national bestseller The Space Between Us, returns in this triumphant
sequel--a poignant and compelling novel in which the former servant
struggles against the circumstances of class and misfortune to forge a
new path for herself and her granddaughter in modern India.
Poor and illiterate, Bhima had faithfully worked for the Dubash family,
an upper-middle-class Parsi household, for more than twenty years. Yet
after courageously speaking the truth about a heinous crime perpetrated
against her own family, the devoted servant was cruelly fired. The sting
of that dismissal was made more painful coming from Sera Dubash, the
temperamental employer who had long been Bhima's only confidante. A
woman who has endured despair and loss with stoicism, Bhima must now
find some other way to support herself and her granddaughter, Maya.
Bhima's fortunes take an unexpected turn when her path intersects with
Parvati, a bitter, taciturn older woman. The two acquaintances soon form
a tentative business partnership, selling fruits and vegetables at the
local market. As they work together, these two women seemingly bound by
fate grow closer, each confessing the truth about their lives and the
wounds that haunt them. Discovering her first true friend, Bhima pieces
together a new life, and together, the two women learn to stand on their
own.
A dazzling story of strength, friendship, and second chances, The
Secrets Between Us is a powerful and perceptive novel that brilliantly
evokes the complexities of life in modern India and the harsh realities
faced by women born without privilege as they struggle to survive.
