Thrity Umrigar – författare

'A powerful, important, unforgettable book' Cheryl Strayed, author of WildIn 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.

In this beautifully crafted novel about the interlinked lives of two women, Thrity Umrigar explores the complex relationships between the classes in India, rarely addressed in contemporary fiction.'Bhima is real. She worked in the house I grew up in, year after year, a shadow flitting around our middle-class home, her thin brown hands cleaning furniture she was not allowed to sit on, cooking food she was not allowed to share at the family dining table, dusting the stereo that mainly played American rock and roll, music that was alien and unfamiliar to her, that only reminded her of her nebulous presence in our home, our world, our lives.' Thrity UmrigarSet in contemporary Bombay, ‘The Space Between Us’ tells the story of Sera Dubash, an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife and Bhima, the woman who works as a domestic servant in her home. Despite their class differences, the two women are bound by the bonds of gender and shared life experiences – both had marriages that started out with great romantic love and promise, but ended up as crushing disappointments. Ultimately, Sera Dubash faces a decision that will force her to choose between loyalty to gender and friendship or loyalty to her social position and class.

This is a beautifully written novel about a widow in Ohio dealing with the loss of her husband and country. After he died she has to make a decision: go back to India, the place where her fondest memories were born, or remain in Ohio with her only son and his American wife. She marvels at how successful he has been adjusting to American culture - eating American food, wearing American clothes, and even speaking the way Americans do - but, she questions whether or not she will be able to assimilate herself. With the voice of her deceased husband to guide her, she struggles to gain perspective on her new life while watching the drama of her son's life as an immigrant in American unfold.

From the critically beloved, bestselling author of The World We Found and The Space Between Us, whom the New York Times Book Review calls a "perceptive and ...piercing writer," comes a profound, heartbreakingly honest novel about friendship, family, secrets, forgiveness, and second chances. An experienced psychologist, Maggie carefully maintains emotional distance from her patients. But when she meets a young Indian woman who tried to kill herself, her professional detachment disintegrates. Cut off from her family in India, Lakshmi is desperately lonely and trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering man who limits her world to their small restaurant and grocery store. Moved by her plight, Maggie treats Lakshmi in her home office for free, quickly realizing that the despondent woman doesn't need a shrink; she needs a friend. Determined to empower Lakshmi as a woman who feels valued in her own right, Maggie abandons protocol, and soon doctor and patient have become close friends. But while their relationship is deeply affectionate, it is also warped by conflicting expectations.When Maggie and Lakshmi open up and share long-buried secrets, the revelations will jeopardize their close bond, shake their faith in each other, and force them to confront painful choices.

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 RushdieBhima, 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.

“Everybody’s Son probes directly into the tender spots of race and privilege in America. . . . With assured prose and deep insight into the human heart, Umrigar explores the moral gray zone of what parents, no matter their race, will do for love.” — Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told YouThe bestselling, critically acclaimed author of The Space Between Us deftly explores issues of race, class, privilege, and power and asks us to consider uncomfortable moral questions in this probing, ambitious, emotionally wrenching novel of two families—one Black, one white.During a terrible heat wave in 1991, ten-year-old Anton has been locked in an apartment in the projects, alone, for seven days, without air conditioning or a fan. With no electricity, the refrigerator and lights do not work. Hot, hungry, and desperate, Anton shatters a window and climbs out. Cutting his leg on the broken glass, he is covered in blood when the police find him.Juanita, his mother, is discovered in a crack house less than three blocks away, nearly unconscious and half-naked. When she comes to, she repeatedly asks for her baby boy. She never meant to leave Anton—she went out for a quick hit and was headed right back, until her drug dealer raped her and kept her high. Though the bond between mother and son is extremely strong, Anton is placed with child services while Juanita goes to jail.The Harvard-educated son of a US senator, Judge David Coleman is a scion of northeastern white privilege. Desperate to have a child in the house again after the tragic death of his teenage son, David uses his power and connections to keep his new foster son, Anton, with him and his wife, Delores—actions that will have devastating consequences in the years to come.Following in his adopted family’s footsteps, Anton, too, rises within the establishment. But when he discovers the truth about his life, his birth mother, and his adopted parents, this man of the law must come to terms with the moral complexities of crimes committed by the people he loves most.

A beautiful celebration of Diwali for young children.Binny is excited to talk to her class about her favourite holiday.But she struggles to find the words.Taking a deep breath, she tells them about the fireworks,the delicious pedras and jalebis,and the clay lamps called diyas... there are so many wonders to see!Her favourite holiday is the Hindu festival of lightscalled Diwali, and now that they know allabout it, all her friends love it too! This brilliant picture book is a wonderfulintroduction to Diwali for little ones, wrapped within a storyof sharing and acceptanceWith beautiful illustrations by Nidhi Chanani that bring thestory of Diwali alive!Includes a spread on the story of Diwali and how it is celebrated

A young girl in modern times comes from India to live in America with her extended family. She feels so alone-like she's not wanted-and then remembers a story her mother once told her about a group of Persians who were ousted from their country and who sailed to the Western shores of India in search for a new home. The king of the region in India did not want to let them in and explained (using a glass of full milk) that the community was simply too full to let them in. The king of the Persian refugees then dumped some sugar into the milk, stirred until it dissolved, and explained to the king that not only would his people integrate well into their society but they would also help sweeten their culture. The Indian king lets them in and they prosper. And, in the end, the young girl realizes that she, too, is being accepted by those in her neighborhood and that she can finally start feeling a part of this new American society.

Celebrate Holi, the festival of colours, sharing and love inthis gorgeous picture book.Maya loves visiting her grandparents in India, and this year isextra special because she is celebrating Holi with them. Maya andher family start the magical day by eating a special breakfast,including rasgulla dumplings and glasses of mango lassi. They puton colourful clothing and join the celebration out in the streets.The air fills with joyful songs and clouds of blue, red, andpurple powder. On this special vacation, Maya can feel the magicof Holi.When Maya returns to America, she carries the exhilarating energyof Holi with her. The spirit of the holiday - hope and forgivenessand love - keeps her warm. Thrity Umrigar's heartfelt text and Kamala Nair's richly colourful,exuberant illustrations fill the pages with happiness andjoy.Featuring a non-fiction page at the back of the book all aboutHoli, including a recipe to make your own mango lassiIf you enjoyed this, you'll love Binny's Diwali by ThrityUmrigar

Bestselling author Thrity Umrigar returns with a tense and twisty thriller about a woman who goes missing on a morning run, and the wife who must find her and clear her own name.One night after a party, old grievances surface between married couple Aliya and Sam and the night ends badly with a heated argument. Sam goes for a run early the next morning to clear her head-and doesn't come back.Aliya reports her wife missing, but as a gay, Muslim daughter of immigrants, she can't escape the scrutiny and suspicion of those around her. Scared and furious and feeling isolated as nearly everyone doubts her innocence, Aliya makes one wrong choice after another. All the while, Sam is being held captive, terrified that she won't get out alive. Aliya must fight to prove her innocence in the public eye and save her wife. But is safety ever truly possible for them even after Sam is freed?A provocative examination of suburban mores, Missing Sam captures the terror manifested in today's political climate, and the real dangers, both physical and psychological, of being Brown and queer in America.

A riveting story about uncovering family secrets and the power of forgiveness, set in India and the United States, from the bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick Honor‘A heart-warming tale of love and friendship, redemption and forgiveness’ Mail on SundayRemy Wadia left India for the United States long ago, carrying his resentment of his mother with him. He has now returned to Bombay for the first time in several years to adopt a baby. Discovering that his elderly mother is in the hospital and seems to have given up on life, he is struck with guilt over his long absence.As Remy’s mother begins communicating and family secrets unravel, Remy is forced to re-evaluate everything he has known ...‘A compassionate and insightful exploration of judgement, forgiveness and understanding’ Lisa Ko

A riveting story about uncovering family secrets and the power of forgiveness, set in India and the United States, from the bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick Honor‘A heart-warming tale of love and friendship, redemption and forgiveness’ Mail on SundayRemy Wadia left India for the United States long ago, carrying his resentment of his mother with him. He has now returned to Bombay for the first time in several years to adopt a baby. Discovering that his elderly mother is in the hospital and seems to have given up on life, he is struck with guilt over his long absence.As Remy’s mother begins communicating and family secrets unravel, Remy is forced to re-evaluate everything he has known ...‘A compassionate and insightful exploration of judgement, forgiveness and understanding’ Lisa Ko

Att komma ensam till ett nytt land är inte lätt. Även om man får bo hos en snäll moster och morbror, känns det hopplöst att få vänner och lära sig trivas. Då berättar moster en gammal saga om ett folk som tvingades fly från sina hem och måste söka sig till ett annat land, där kungen först inte ville ta emot dem. En varm, prisbelönad berättelse om mångfaldens värde, om acceptans, gemenskap och kraften i drömmar om ett bättre liv. Bok & Biblioteksmässans Peter Pan-priset 2024

From New York Times bestselling author Thrity Umrigar and illustrator Khoa Le comes a story of a young girl who felt alone in her community after recently immigrating to America to live with her Auntie and Uncle. She finds solace and joy through her Auntie's retelling of a classic Persian myth of acceptance and compassion between strangers. This timely and timeless story about immigration, refugees, and tolerance is now in paperback for the first time!An ALSC Notable Children's Book A Kirkus Best Books A School Library Journal Best Books Winner of the 2021 Ohioana Book Award An Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award, 2022 "An engaging, beautiful, and memorable book." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "Lush illustrations and a strong message of hope and perseverance make this a standout title." --School Library Journal, Starred ReviewWhen I first came to this country, I felt so alone. A young immigrant girl joins her aunt and uncle in a new country that is unfamiliar to her. She struggles with loneliness, with a fierce longing for the culture and familiarity of home, until one day, her aunt takes her on a walk. As the duo strolls through their city park, the girl's aunt begins to tell her an old myth, and a story within the story begins. A long time ago, a group of refugees arrived on a foreign shore. The local king met them, determined to refuse their request for refuge. But there was a language barrier, so the king filled a glass with milk and pointed to it as a way of saying that the land was full and couldn't accommodate the strangers. Then, the leader of the refugees dissolved sugar in the glass of milk. His message was clear: Like sugar in milk, our presence in your country will sweeten your lives. The king embraced the refugee, welcoming him and his people. The folktale depicted in this book was a part of author Thrity Umrigar's Zoroastrian upbringing as a Parsi child in India, but resonates for children of all backgrounds, especially those coming to a new homeland.