Umrigar has done it again! Her second novel, The Space Between Us, has kept me up two nights until I finished it. Readers from all walks of life will quickly forget the "space between" Bhima and Sera and soon see them as regular women who are "living for more than just themselves." With its characters still haunting me, The Space Between Us earns my high recommendation. Yet for all its antiquated underpinnings, The Space Between Us is chockfull of modern-day issues like abortion, adultery and domestic violence, making it intensely current and relatable. Friendship between the most unlikely of women, divided by class and caste, frames this novel, proving that neither one's familial nor financial inheritance can shelter her from the sorrow of this world. What you will find is the authenticity of life, replete with all its trials, tribulations, heartache and betrayal. Within these pages you won't find easy lives or happy endings. "Or perhaps it is that time doesn't heal all wounds at all, perhaps that is the biggest lie of them all, and instead what happens is that each wound penetrates the body deeper and deeper until one day you find that the sheer geography of your bones-has collapsed under the weight of your grief." Sprinkling it with heartbreakingly beautiful passages like this one, with The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar earns her rightful place amongst India's great storytellers. It has left a permanent scar on my heart. The ultimate lack of fairness in this world is driven home with cruel accuracy. It is a breathtaking story, impossible to leave once started. Despite their years of friendship, the space between employer and employee is poignantly and devastatingly revealed over the course of the book. The story is full of unexpected twists and turns, and finally teaches us what this class separation really means. The wealthy woman as well as her own daughter and son-in-law become involved in trying to obtain an abortion for this very intelligent and underprivileged girl. The housekeeper's 18 year old grandaughter has become pregnant by an unknown man. Each has become involved with the other's family, problems, dreams and disappointments. The very poor housekeeper, who lives in the slums of Bombay, and her employer have developed a symbiotic relationship over many years. ![]() The story centers around a wealthy Indian woman and her housekeeper. Umrigar has written a truly universal book.
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