The Space Between Us - Hardcover

Umrigar, Thrity

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007212321 ISBN 13: 9780007212323

Publisher: Fourth Estate, 2006

Synopsis

In this beautifully crafted novel about the interlinked lives of two women, Thrity Umrigar explores the complex relationships between the classes in India, rarely addressed in contemporary fiction.

‘Bhima is real. She worked in the house I grew up in, year after year, a shadow flitting around our middle-class home, her thin brown hands cleaning furniture she was not allowed to sit on, cooking food she was not allowed to share at the family dining table, dusting the stereo that mainly played American rock and roll, music that was alien and unfamiliar to her, that only reminded her of her nebulous presence in our home, our world, our lives.’

Set in contemporary Bombay, ‘The Space Between Us’ tells the story of Sera Dubash, an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife and Bhima, the woman who works as a domestic servant in her home. Despite their class differences, the two women are bound by gender and shared life experiences – both had marriages that started out with great romantic love and promise, but ended up as crushing disappointments. Ultimately, Sera Dubash faces a decision that will force her to choose between loyalty to gender and friendship or loyalty to her social position and class.

About this title

Review:

‘“The Space Between Us” is a novel that is hard to forget.’ The Times

‘Varied elements...of affection and class conflict are carried off with a winning ease and enthusiasm...engrossing and moving.’ Independent

‘Umrigar has a striking talent for portraying...the sheer unfairness of life...a vital social comment on contemporary India.’ Financial Times

About the Author:

Thrity Umrigar was a daily journalist for 17 years and is a recipient of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard. She has written for the Washington Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer and other national newspapers and writes on a regular basis for the Boston Globe's book pages. Currently Umrigar teaches creative writing and journalism at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

She has written two novels, ‘Bombay Time’ and ‘The Space Between Us’.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fourth Estate
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0007212321
• ISBN 13: 9780007212323
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336