A review by tvnguyen
Honor by Thrity Umrigar

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was definitely a difficult read, but also a page-turner! I have a lot to unpack with this story, but I will keep it short. Following Smita as she navigates her homeland after leaving it behind years ago is something I can relate to as someone who is based in the States and comes back to Vietnam every now and then. Also learning more about Smita as she dives deeper into Meena's case is also heartbreaking and tense. The story is well-written and easy to follow. There are moments when I am feeling frustrated because I am a woman and I hate crimes/violence committed against women.
Spoiler I love that the ending ties nicely to the overarching conflict between Muslims and Hindus, but I felt like Meena's death was left unresolved. It might be intended this way to portray that there hasn't been a solution to overcome the issue in reality, but her death was very tough to read through. I personally did not care for Smita and Mohan's relationship, but they are a Muslim-Hindu couple that fulfills what Meena and Abdul strived to be and it was nice that Abru has a proper family. The title was also explained further in Umrigar's essay "Reclaiming Honor," and it definitely gave more recognition to Meena's death.
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