Title: The World We Found
Author: Thrity Umrigar
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 0061938343
Pages: 320
Year: 2012
Publisher: Harper
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Rating: 4/5
Summary:
Laleh, Kavita, Armaiti and Nishta were inseperable in college, where they were political activists striving for socialism. Over the years they have drifted apart. Armaiti to America, Laleh and Kavita to their comfortable lives in Mumbai, and Nishta to her life of poverty with her socialist-turned-devoutly-Muslim husband. When Armaiti discovers a life-threatening brain tumor, she calls on her three old friends to visit her in America.
My Thoughts:
I thought this book would be about the friends’ reunion in America, but it was actually about the women preparing for it. While it was a different book than I expected, I liked what I found.
The World We Found gives us a glimpse at modern Mumbai – the stark difference between the rich and the poor and the religious intolerance that still exists. Through Nishta, we see the life of a devout Muslim’s wife, forced to wear a burka and trapped in her own home. Through Laleh and Armaiti, the lives of the wealthy on two different continents. And through Kavita, the life of someone who never quite fit in.
At its heart, The World We Found is a story of friendship. Although this book was more about character development than it was about plot, I found myself frantically turning the last 30 pages not knowing what was going to happen. It is very readable and very worth reading.
Buy It Now: IndieBound
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I really enjoyed this one. I agree, I thought we would see more about the reunion, but it was more about the preparation and how their lives have changed. It kept my attention until the end. Great review! I’ll be posting my review next week.
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I haven’t read this one, but I quite enjoyed her If Today Be Sweet; she pulled me into the characters’ lives and experiences quite quickly, more so than I realized until I was nearing the end of the story.
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I have loved every Umrigar book that I have read so far, and I think I only have this one and one other to read. It sounds like the story told here was not only compelling, but engrossing, and it’s something that I am looking forward to. So glad to hear that it kept you busily turning the pages. I really enjoyed your review!
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I’ve read two Umrigar books and both were different from what I expected them to be. Not necessarily in a bad way, but different. I have to read a few more reviews of this one before I take the plunge.
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I was surprised by the focus of the book on the anticipation of the trip rather than the trip itself too! I did find myself really enjoying it, and I was surprised how fast-paced the ending scenes were.
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