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Loading... The Space Between Us LP (edition 2007)by Thrity Umrigar
Work detailsThe Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
 dalzan | Apr 24, 2013 |  Bhima is a poor Hindu servant, abandoned by her husband. Sera is her employer, a middle-class Parsi woman whose late husband was abusive and whose mother-in-law was a nightmare. The space between them, due to class, is undeniable, despite their shared experiences as women. One of the questions the book poses is whether class or gender is more definitive of Indian women's lives. We could, of course, pose the same question in any culture. I ran hot and cold as I was reading, but ultimately liked this one. lIt is smaller in scale than A Fine Balance, my favorite book set in India, and sometimes I feared it was going to descend to "women's fiction" territory, but its seriousness of purposes creeps up on the reader. I also enjoyed the language of the book, especially all the Indian rhyming slang. In its evocation of slum life and the rapidly changing economy and culture of India, I could see it being read as a complement to Behind the Beautiful Forevers - like Katherine Boo, the author is a journalist. (  ) CasualFriday | Apr 22, 2013 | I read this book in the ARC version back in 2007 and this is what I thought of it then: Ohhh ... I so loved this book. Right from a few pages in and all the way through. My only reservation was the lack of a Hindi vocabulary in the back (but maybe that has been added to the "real" published book) - as I would have loved to know that they were eating all the time. (  ) Pears | Apr 8, 2013 | Quite enjoyed reading it, but ultimately was left unfulfilled by the somewhat rambling final chapter. I think it was supposed to end on a hopeful note, but I didn't really understand how Bhima's personal transformation had occurred, or at least I didn't feel confident her newfound sense of peace and spiritual liberation would last more than a day, if it even survived the hour. (  ) CluckingBell | Apr 7, 2013 | Got this book for one of the winners of my 2012 Multi Reasons RABCK. I'd like to try and read it before sending it out. Seems like an interesting book! BoekenTrol71 | Mar 31, 2013 | no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 006079156X, Paperback)The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar's poignant novel about a wealthy woman and her downtrodden servant, offers a revealing look at class and gender roles in modern day Bombay. Alternatively told through the eyes of Sera, a Parsi widow whose pregnant daughter and son-in-law share her elegant home, and Bhima, the elderly housekeeper who must support her orphaned granddaughter, Umrigar does an admirable job of creating two sympathetic characters whose bond goes far deeper than that of employer and employee.When we first meet Bhima, she is sharing a thin mattress with Maya, the granddaughter upon whom high hopes and dreams were placed, only to be shattered by an unexpected pregnancy and its disastrous consequences. As time goes on, we learn that Sera and her family have used their power and money time and time again to influence the lives of Bhima and Maya, from caring for Bhima's estranged husband after a workplace accident, to providing the funds for Maya's college education. We also learn that Sera's seemingly privileged life is not as it appears; after enduring years of cruelty under her mother-in-law's roof, she faced physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband, pain that only Bhima could see and alleviate. Yet through the triumphs and tragedies, Sera and Bhima always shared a bond that transcended class and race; a bond shared by two women whose fate always seemed to rest in the hands of others, just outside their control. Told in a series of flashbacks and present day encounters, The Space Between Us gains strength from both plot and prose. A beautiful tale of tragedy and hope, Umrigar's second novel is sure to linger in readers' minds. --Gisele Toueg (retrieved from Amazon Thu, 14 Apr 2011 08:24:19 -0400) A novel about the struggles of women in India which details the unusually close, yet reserved relationship between a modern wealthy Parsi woman and her devoted family servant. Each supports the other through disappointments in marriage and parenting. (summary from another edition) |
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Wikipedia in English (1)
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When we first meet Bhima, she is sharing a thin mattress with Maya, the granddaughter upon whom high hopes and dreams were placed, only to be shattered by an unexpected pregnancy and its disastrous consequences. As time goes on, we learn that Sera and her family have used their power and money time and time again to influence the lives of Bhima and Maya, from caring for Bhima's estranged husband after a workplace accident, to providing the funds for Maya's college education. We also learn that Sera's seemingly privileged life is not as it appears; after enduring years of cruelty under her mother-in-law's roof, she faced physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband, pain that only Bhima could see and alleviate.
The two women share a close bond, which is broken when Bhima accuses Sera’s son in law of having an affair with Sera and getting her pregnant. (