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, povertyapotofhoney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
euphoricallydreaming's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Islamophobia, Grief, Violence, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
dianapiskor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
I didn't love this book. It wasn't that it was a bad story. On the contrary, I think it handled the ideas of Islamophobia, honor killings, and misogyny with a critical eye that was also honest without being too preachy, which has happened in other books that I've read. I think the multiple perspectives were interesting and I think the author does a great job in creating a narrative that focuses on these topics.
However, this book was very slow and terribly depressing. Part of this was the subject matter and the character growth happening with the main character: Smita. But I think part of it was the writing and structure of the story itself. The first part of the book was terribly long where nothing was really happening. And additionally, the writing where Smita just constantly reflects, has a realization, ignores that realization, and then realizes it again was too much for me and took up most of the book. I think the author has beautiful prose, but it became frustrating as it was narrated through the eyes of the main character. And due to the story itself, there is never a time where the reader can decompress from the amount of trauma and difficulty the characters face throughout the book.
Overall, this is an important story, one that definitely made me think. I just think the author's writing style for this particular book was not for me.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexism, Blood, Murder, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, and Death
ka_cam's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
I listened to this on audiobook. I often struggle to finish audiobooks but I enjoyed this one- the reader did a great job of distinguishing characters and expressing complex emotions through tone and pauses. The book was pretty difficult subject matter (check content warnings) which I felt the author handled well while exposing Smitaās own biases and complicated reactions to gender based violence, religious violence, and state violence. I thought it odd that a gender based news international reporter wouldnāt tie this experience in more to her experiences reporting on GBV in other situations- the vague ābad things happen in the west/the us has police brutalityā references ended up feeling underdeveloped.Ā I was expecting her at some point to mention reporting she had done on issues like missing and murdered indigenous women, DV, etc and how sheās experiencing this situation differently (or similarly) but we never got that. Some of her backstory felt rushed or underdeveloped as well. All in all a solid read but I finished it feeling that the audience was underestimated and some characters underdeveloped.Ā
Content Warnings
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
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-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
5.0
My heart šš When we fly to India with Smita, we originally think that she is helping out a colleague post an accident they had. Shannon, in a twist of events, actually asks Smita to take over writing an article she is doing on a Hindu woman who was burned by her brothers for marrying a Muslim man (who sadly perished in the fire.) Smita then is taken into a seemingly backwards small part of India, appalled at the treatment Mina & her daughter are receiving from the community. It takes us back to why Smita and her own family left India when she was a teen. Deeply profound, heartbreaking and a smidge of hope at the end, Honor is a book that will leave you aching.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Islamophobia
shesheshelby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I learned so much about Indian culture in this book! It was focused on womenās rights and dealing with trauma through a journalistās trip to India. I would have considered 5 stars if the main character didnāt bother me so much!!
Content Warnings
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
greta_bbunyi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
A wonderful and thought-provoking exploration of the concept of Honor in the eyes of the characters, who hail from vastly different backgrounds (race, gender, religion, caste). And more than showing how these characters define the word, you also get to rethink and realize how much value their āhonorā truly has.Ā
Just shy of 5 stars for me because of the use of a lot of highfalutin words that I found unnecessary and unrealistic, especially in conversations. But thatās just a personal preference and I donāt think it took away from the important aspects of the book.Ā
Just shy of 5 stars for me because of the use of a lot of highfalutin words that I found unnecessary and unrealistic, especially in conversations. But thatās just a personal preference and I donāt think it took away from the important aspects of the book.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual assault
jaelynna's review
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
jess_michiko's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
A whirlwind of emotions reflections on loving a country with hurtful politics. Truly unforgettable story that brings you compassion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, and Death
Moderate: Medical content and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal cruelty