The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
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 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
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, povertysarahmarie094's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Religious bigotry, Racism, Murder, Sexism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Classism
Moderate: Islamophobia
karmapen's review against another edition
- 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
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
yukirarin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't belong to a racial minority, being a Chinese in Singapore. But I know how I'd likely be seen if I were to go to more southern parts of the USA for instance. Racial segregation has never been something I'd been forced to think about until I read this book. A man's honor is not something I had ever had to think to step around. The saddest thing is that this story rang so true to me of a case I remember hearing coming out of India years ago, where men thought the life of a woman was just disposable because they felt like they were dishonored. It's a painful reality, one that I'm sure does not just exist within the beautiful words of this book but also is just daily life for many others around the world.Ā
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, and Violence
samburkhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexism, Blood, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Classism, Domestic abuse, Racism, Torture, and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Vomit, and Animal death
butle2em's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism and Classism
ka_cam's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Stalking, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Medical content
shesheshelby's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Violence, Misogyny, Gore, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Blood, Body horror, Death, Islamophobia, Medical content, Murder, and Xenophobia
jaelynna'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? Yes
5.0
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
beccastayton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Violence