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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Thrifty Thursday Final Post

Synopsis of The Space Between Us from inside flap:
The Space Between Us is an intimate portrait of a distant yet familiar world. Set in modern-day India, it is the story of two compelling and achingly real women: Sera Dubash, an upper-middle-class parsi housewife whose opulent surroundings hid the shame and disappointment of her abusive marriage, and Bhima, a stoic illiterate hardened by a life of despair and loss, who has worked in the Dubash household for more than twenty years. This extraordinary novel demonstrates how the lives of the rich and poor are intrinsically connected yet vastly removed from each other, and how the strong bonds of womanhood are eternally opposed by the divisions of class and culture.





I want to thank Lisa for hosting this read-a-long and to let her know that she picked an awesome book. I'm missing these characters already and I know that I will read Umrigar's other works for sure.

Final Chapters
  • Bhima is betrayed
  • social class is EVERYTHING. Those in power may do to you what they will with no repercussions. The poor truly rely on other people's mercies and whims.
  • felt that I needed a chart to figure out the class systems...too many to wrap my mind around. Parsi, Sikhs, Hindu jaat, Muslim, Brahmin...etc.
  • Universal truth: "We women, we live for so much more than just ourselves." p. 296
Final Thoughts:
This book is about the human connection and love. But it also shows how fragile that connection is when class divisions become a part of the picture. This is a moving story and gives the reader much to contemplate. Would most certainly make for a great book club discussion read!!

My rating:
4.5/5 

14 comments:

  1. This sounds fabulous! I can't wait to read it!

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  2. I'm so glad you've enjoyed this read. I'm so bummed that I couldn't keep up this time around.

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  3. I definitely want to read this book!

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  4. This sounds like an amazing book, and your comments reminded me a little of The God of Small Things, which is a favourite of mine.

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  5. I know I have this book somewhere. I'm going to have to dig it out and move it up higher on my TBR pile now!

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  6. I loved this one as well. I was just on the author's website and see that she has written a total of 5 books so I have a few to read while I wait for book 6.

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  7. I've enjoyed your read-a-long right along with you. I can tell that it really moved you. The characters must have been very real.

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  8. I've been skimming your thoughts on this as I really want to read it myself. I'm so glad to hear that you liked it so much. I'll have to request it from the library ASAP!

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  9. I am glad you liked this book... it sounds like a real insight to life there! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

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  10. I enjoyed following your read-along, and have added the book to my wish list.

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  11. Umrigar is such a talented writer. I keep meaning to check if she has another book in the works.

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  12. I read a different book by Umrigar and really enjoyed it. I think reading with a group (in one form or another) really adds to an experience. Glad you enjoyed this one so much.

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  13. I so want to know what happened to Bhima, Sera and Maya next! Mari and I talked our bookclub into reading The Weight of Heaven earlier this year and hardly any of them liked it so I don't think I can talk them into another Umrigar--but I know they would love this one!

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  14. I miss Bhima and Sera too - what a great book!

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