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bri_14's review against another edition
5.0
I think it said A LOT about herd mentality esp among men. The amount of ppl that witnessed or participated in the violence was ridiculous. Only to wanna cower down years later and be sympathetic. The damage was done! And for Meena’s village to be ruled by Rupal was ridiculous. No one man should have all that pull over people. The fact that he said he had a phone with a direct line to God should have made these people wake up! He was taking advantage of their culture so bad.
Despite the terribleness, the tender moments of Meena/Abdul and Smita/Mohan were so so good. Both really encapsulated the point of this book to me. In spite of the darkness their home brought there was a spark of light. In a twisted way Meena
It wasn’t a main focus but it does bring up a good point of when involvement teeters past education and dips towards trauma porn. These are real people not a story that’ll get you front page headlines and awards.
Graphic: Torture, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Islamophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent
alexxis88's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Islamophobia, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Hate crime
isabellew27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Islamophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
aziziansahar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was very interested with Meena’s story as well which I applaud the author for. Dual perspective stories tend to fall flat on one perspective for me so I’m typically impressed when all parts of the story keep me intrigued. I know the events that happened in the story happen more often than we think and they deserve more attention. I’m happy to read books with diverse characters and ones that I felt connected to myself as a POC.
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Islamophobia
avajane02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Classism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Misogyny, Hate crime, Grief, Violence, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Sexual assault
sissizc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Grief, Islamophobia, and Bullying
wwsimon93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Violence, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, and Rape
Moderate: Death of parent
tillie__'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent
sabs98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I think the relationship that developed between Smita and Mohan was rushed, despite the over explanations of the reasons Smita should be with him. I also found it hard to believe that Smita could decide to stay in India while still carrying her trauma the way she was: it seems she hadn’t even begun to process or resolve it until she told the story of it to Mohan.
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Grief
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Author: Thrity Umrigar
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: January 4, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Immersive • Profound • Unforgettable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When Honor was announced as a Reese's pick for January 2022 it immediately caught my attention. After reading the synopsis, I was certain it was one of her picks that I would jive with. As the year went on I heard some really good things about it, but it took me until late 2023 to finally get my hands on a copy.
I was 100% invested, not bring able to put this book down, and reading it in its entirety in one sitting. It is heartbreakingly beautiful and complex. Yet despite all of the pain, it remains a story of enduring love and hope. Through her prose, Thrity brings into focus so many dichotomies (hate and love, oppression and privilege), intertwining comparisons between the western world and rural India. We get a look into two very different women. Meena's story is absolutely devastating, and I wanted to know Smita's family story for escaping India.
Oh but, it was really the last 'book' which dug itself into my mind. The graphic depictions of caste hierarchies, cultural conservatism, misogyny, public shaming, torture that continue to be the reality faced by so many to this day was deeply unsettling to read. It filled me with sadness. It filled me with rage. It filled me with empathy. It made me question humanity. I read a physical copy while listening to the audio, and this created a completely immersive experience.
My one quibble would be how it ended. I think Smita and Mohan's future would've been better left open-ended. Offering an answer reminded me of society's inability to sit with uncomfortableness. And in doing so it took away from the power of what came before.
Every now and then there is a book that touches me in ways I am not anticipating. Honor was one of those books. It shines a light on India's humanitarian crisis. Some of the hard-hitting and disturbing scenes will forever be etched into my memory. It is certainly the type of book you need to be in the right frame of mind for. I am definitely interested in exploring Thrity's backlist and picking up her 2023 release as well.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like realistic fiction
• anyone looking for memorable female protagonists
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sometimes, it seemed to Smita that the history of the world was written in female blood."
"As children, we were taught to be afraid of tigers and lions. Nobody taught us what I know today - the most dangerous animal in this world is a man with wounded pride."
Graphic: Classism, Sexism, Murder, Violence, Torture, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Cursing
death of partner, mutilation, poverty