Book Review: The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar

Genre: Literary fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins (Harper)

Pub date: 3 Jan 2012

Source: Publisher

Synopsis

Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta were inseparable in their university days in Bombay in the 1970s. Spirited and unconventional, these women protested and fought for their political and social ideals. But 30 years later, a lot has changed and not all of them are even in touch any more. When Armaiti calls and tells them that she is dying and wants to see her friends one last time, their world becomes shaky. Memories of the past come flooding back – and all of them have to face some truths that they’ve brushed under the carpet for many years.

Review

I’ve been hearing about Thrity Umrigar’s books for a while now, so when I got a chance to read a review copy of her latest (Thank you, Harper) I jumped at the chance. I’m so glad that I did and I will definitely be tracking down Umrigar’s backlist.

The World We Found  is the story of enduring friendships, and a subtle portrait of modern India. Friendships that are forged in school and university are strong and from what I’ve seen, are the ones that stay with you. These are the people who really know you and have seen you grow and change from an idealistic awkward young woman (with terrible dress sense) to who you are now (with maybe not much better dress sense).

Armaiti married an American and moves to the US many years ago. She is now divorced and dealing with a debilitating disease. Laleh is married to her college sweetheart Adish, and enjoys a fulfilled life with him. Kavita is single, taking care of her mother and has secrets that she has been scared to share with her friends for many years. But Nishta has disappeared from their lives completely. When Kavita and Laleh finally track her down, they realise that Nishta’s life has moved so far away from theirs that they are stunned and outraged. Nishta married her college sweetheart Iqbal, who is no longer the liberal socialist he once was. He has changed beyond recognition and Nishta is a prisoner in her home. The friends have to find a way to convince Nishta to remember who she really is and break free.

There is quite a lot of drama and thrill in this story, but really it’s more about friendships – the bond between the four women, the larger group that also includes Adish and Iqbal, Laleh’s relationship with her husband (who is such a good friend to her) and how time has shifted the balance in all these relationships.

Umrigar’s writing is subtle and gentle and deals with the divides in India – the conventional and the progressive, the fundamentals and the liberals, the class divides, the rich and poor and the resentment that builds up from these differences. Each of the characters is finely developed and we understand (even if don’t agree with) the choices that they make.

Verdict

Highly recommended. Fans of literary fiction, Indian fiction, stories about enduring friendship, women’s fiction will all love this delicately told tale.

Rating: 4.5*

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Book Review: Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

Genre: Literary fiction

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pub date: 23 Aug 2011

Source: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

Synopsis

1920s, Glasgow – Beattie Blaxland is in love with Henry, a married man.When she becomes pregnant with his child, her family abandons her. Beattie and Henry, very much in love, run away to Australia to start a new life. But Beattie’s life doesn’t turn out the way she had hoped it would.

2009, London – Emma Blaxland-Hunter is prima ballerina who has hurt her knee and finds out that she may never be able to dance again. When she goes home to Australia to heal and figure out what to do with her life, she finds out that her grandmother Beattie has left her Tasmanian sheep farm to Emma.

Review

Emma’s life was all about dancing. Now that she can’t dance anymore, she finds it impossible to picture her life or her future. When she goes to the sheep farm that her grandmother had left her, she finds out something about Beattie that no one in her family knows.

Beattie is of course a character who is easy to root for. As Emma finds out more about her grandmother’s secret life before she married her grandfather, we also find out about Beattie’s story. From an unmarried pregnant women to a single mother, Beattie uses her smarts and tenacity and becomes the owner of a sheep farm. But prejudices of the time threaten not only her farm but also her happiness.

Emma has to now figure out what she wants to do with her life. When she first came to Wildflower Hill, all she wanted to do was fix up the place, get rid of the stuff that had been collected over the years and sell the property. But having time to heal and think, and getting more curious about her grandmother, she also becomes more involved in the community. Discovering the story of her grandmother and helping the people around her makes Emma shake out her self-involved shell and come into her own.

Beattie knew that the lessons that she learnt through her life would be lessons that Emma would some day need. In learning about her grandmother’s life, Emma learns to overcome bad luck and make her life what she wants it to be.

There is something about a story that centres around a fight for a home that immediately calls to me. I could have done without some of the romantic parts in Emma’s story, but overall, I loved this inspirational story about finding oneself and figuring out what is important in life.

Verdict

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys stories about overcoming odds and finding true happiness. Fans of women’s fiction will also enjoy this story about strong women.

Rating: 4.5*

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© Stargazerpuj and Stargazerpuj’s Book Blog, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Book Review: The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan

Genre: Women’s fiction

Publisher: Penguin Group USA (Dutton)

Pub date: 9 June 2011

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Synopsis

Marissa and Julia have been best friends since high school. Marissa has been the quiet one, content to stay in Julia’s shadow since she made friends with her on the first day of school. Julia is rather bossy and demanding, but Marissa doesn’t question her loyalty. Then one day Julia is hit by a car and suffers brain injury. This makes Julia’s behaviour erratic and her memory spotty. Now Marissa has to take centre stage as she helps her friend navigate her new world.

Review

This is not a completely typical tale of women’s friendship – where the relationship is tested. Because Julia’s personality and memories are affected, the way she and Marissa are with each other has the potential to change. Amnesia, especially when is affects someone young, is scary for the person suffering from it and for those around her.

Marissa has worked very hard to forget all the ways in which Julia ran roughshod over her all these years. Maybe because I haven’t experienced quite this kind of high school, I have less patience for it. This desperation to fit in somewhere was so important in high school that Marissa could not see when the best friendship stopped being healthy for her. And as an adult these roles continue.

Julia’s accident gives Marissa a chance to see their friendship in a different light. It was heartening to see her grow stronger, step away from this unhealthy dependence and make decisions for herself.

While the story overall was warm, filled with important messages about brain trauma and lessons on friendship, there were parts of it that had the flavour of an after school special. Marissa volunteers with a group of young girls teaching them self-esteem and training them to run a 5K race. Themes like healthy self image, eating, right, exercising, healthy friendships, dealing with bullying etc. are rather clumsily addressed in these class. Helping young girls with all these issues is a great thing, but I didn’t really think the detail with which it was addressed fit into the overall plot. Some of the dialog was a little stilted as well.

I enjoyed seeing both Marissa and Julia grow up. I especially liked how Marissa finally grew up and saw how good her life could be instead of chasing after adolescent dreams.

Verdict

An easy read about how friendships can (and perhaps should) change as our lives and dreams grow. Recommended for fans of women’s fiction.

Rating: 3*

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Book Review: The Civilized World by Susi Wyss

Genre: Women’s fiction

Publisher: Henry Holt

Pub date: 29 March 2011

Source: Publisher via BookPleasures.com

What caught my attention first about this book was that it was set in Africa. The other thing that piqued my interest was that is was a novel in short stories. I was curious to see how all the stories come together.

Synopsis

The novel tells the stories of five women – Adjoa, Comfort, Janice, Ophelia and Linda. Set in Ivory Coast, Ghana and the US, these women cross each others’ paths and come together in different ways.

Review

This is a beautifully written book, telling simple stories of home, longing, dreams and obstacles. For me, Adjoa was the most likeable character. Solid, down to earth and hardworking, there is a seriousness about her. Adjoa and her twin brother Kojo move to the Ivory Coast from Ghana to make enough money to open a beauty parlor once they return.

Janice has been working in Africa for many years and considers it her home. She is ready to have children, but has she found the right man to start a family with?

Ophelia is the wife of a foreign service official who feels lost in an alien land is desperate to have a child.

Comfort has recently lost her husband and is now trying out her new role as matriarch of her family.

After each short story, we jump ahead a few years and meet the women when their lives and fortunes have changed.

When Adjoa finally opens her parlor, it becomes a place where women come to meet, be pampered and go out feeling refreshed. It is also a place where friendships are forged.

I think it is impossible for me to read any story with a woman protagonist set in Africa without thinking of The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. While there are some similarities because of the setting (obviously) and some of the characters, this is a very different kind of novel.

Through these women, the differences in culture are explored. When Comfort goes to the US to help take care of her granddaughter, she and her daughter-in-law, Linda get into arguments. They don’t agree on how to take care of the child. Similarly the man that Janice is dating at the beginning of the story doesn’t “get” the local people and their customs. Janice has been living in Africa for many years and considers it her home even though the Africans she comes across may not necessarily agree.

The book hooked me and had me engrossed, entwined with the women’s lives. But the characters do suffer from stereotyping. The African women are sure and steady and down-to-earth and the American women do come off as cold, and in Ophelia’s case, rather dull.

The stories celebrate strength and courage and finding the path that is right for each of these women. All the stories come together beautifully and I was left with a warm feeling of contentment.

Verdict

Definitely read for a warm set of stories about women’s friendships and frailties. Anyone interested in stories set in Africa is also very likely to enjoy it. It is a good choice for a book clubs as there are quite a few issues that can be discussed. It does stay a little on the surface though, and the characters are a little stereotypical.

Rating: 3.75*

I received this book as a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com. Thanks to Christine of Henry Holt for sending me the review copy.

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