The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Title: Honor
Author: Thrity Umrigar
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: January 4, 2022
T H R E E ā¢ W O R D S
Immersive ā¢ Profound ā¢ Unforgettable
š 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 Meenaāa Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim manāSmita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than oneās own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smitaās own past. While Meenaās 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.
š 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.
š R E C O M M E N D ā¢ T O
ā¢ readers who like realistic fiction
ā¢ anyone looking for memorable female protagonists
ā¢ bookclubs
š F A V O U R I T E ā¢ 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."Ā
Author: Thrity Umrigar
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: January 4, 2022
T H R E E ā¢ W O R D S
Immersive ā¢ Profound ā¢ Unforgettable
š 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 Meenaāa Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim manāSmita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than oneās own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smitaās own past. While Meenaās 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.
š 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.
š R E C O M M E N D ā¢ T O
ā¢ readers who like realistic fiction
ā¢ anyone looking for memorable female protagonists
ā¢ bookclubs
š F A V O U R I T E ā¢ 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."Ā
Content Warnings
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, povertysweetiekeke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Alcoholism, Blood, Islamophobia, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Murder
karmapen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, Hate crime, Racism, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Islamophobia, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Murder, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Gore
nancybv's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
lmneal87's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Murder
laurataylor's review
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Body horror, Child abuse, Grief, and Islamophobia
sooz_767's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
This is one of those stories that you will sound strange to say you enjoyed but will definitely stay with most readers for a while.
The main story of Meena being attacked and set on fire by her brothers in the name of "honor" was absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking, especially knowing these attacks still happen around the world.Ā
I did mostly enjoy the way the secondary story of Smita's past was woven in and mirrored Meena's story but found Smita herself to be grating with her attitude to India and Mohan. Some comments and dialogue just read so awkward and stilted it jarred me from the story.
I would definitely recommend this to others and I've got another book by this author to try as I did enjoy her writing.
The main story of Meena being attacked and set on fire by her brothers in the name of "honor" was absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking, especially knowing these attacks still happen around the world.Ā
I did mostly enjoy the way the secondary story of Smita's past was woven in and mirrored Meena's story but found Smita herself to be grating with her attitude to India and Mohan. Some comments and dialogue just read so awkward and stilted it jarred me from the story.
I would definitely recommend this to others and I've got another book by this author to try as I did enjoy her writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry
jaelynna's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
Iām almost speechless after this book. Thrity Umrigar beautifully captured the story of Meena and those who fought to help and bring her justice. To restore honor to her life. This is 100% in my top 5 books of all time ā the emotions it brought are hard to shake.Ā
I naively believed this book to take on the āprivileged saviorā approached and was gut wrenched at the reality of this story - Meena was doomed from the start all because she loved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Islamophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, Death of parent, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Sexism, Bullying, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, and Islamophobia
saboyer's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
She paints a brilliant portrait of a complex society and relationship with it. Really beautiful, empathetic, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful. Seemed a bit rushed in the end but I like that it exists in the grey.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Child abuse, and Murder
sushmita_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Despite its dark subject matter (gender violence), I found it very difficult to put down. I found the characters flawed but well-written and engaging, the plot moved at a reasonable pace. The whole story felt deeply human. And being part of the Indian diaspora, I related to parts of the main character. The feeling of being responsible for India's struggles, relief and gratitude for being brought up in the Global North and grief at what culture I've lost.Ā
Like others, I was a bit confused by Smita's choice to stay in India. Considering how much trauma she'd suffered and seen. But I think a) she decided to extend her stay by 3 months not forever and b) it wasn't just Mohan but also the promise she made to Meena. I know it's fiction but would've been nice to see at least a convo or two about Abru's future. Consistency and routine is so important, the child's life felt like a plot point rather than an important consideration. The trauma of uprooting her or abandoning her after forming a bond etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Violence, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Racism, Child abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming