Honor
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- Create Date：2022-01-06 10:51:26
- Update Date：2025-09-24
- Status：finish
- Author：Thrity Umrigar
- ISBN：161620995X
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Summary
In this riveting and immersive novel， bestselling author Thrity Umrigar tells the story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide。
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 Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart， and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past。 While Meena’s 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。
In this tender and evocative novel about love， hope， familial devotion， betrayal， and sacrifice， Thrity Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time。
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 Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart， and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past。 While Meena’s 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。
In this tender and evocative novel about love， hope， familial devotion， betrayal， and sacrifice， Thrity Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time。
Reviews
Mags
，
I found this to be a beautifully profound read。 Smita returns to the India of her youth to help out a fellow journalist。she is charged to interview Meena who has been burned by her brothers for marrying outside of her faith。 The novel pierced my heart and I fell in love with it。
Emilie Wilkinson
，
Good book。。。。VERY heartbreaking。。。。。。some really hard parts to read so keep that in mind。
Helle
，
WOW just WOW what an amazing book 📚 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 Meena--a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim--Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one's own heart and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smi WOW just WOW what an amazing book 📚 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 Meena--a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim--Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one's own heart and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita's own past。 While Meena's fate hangs in the balance， Smita tries in every way she can to right the scales。At the same time Smita 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 that she can decide， later， how much it means to her。In this tender and evocative novel about love， hope， familial devotion， betrayal， and sacrifice， Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to themselves and to their homeland at the same time。 。。。more
Linda McCutcheon
，
***4。5 Stars On My Instagram Review***"Abru。 It means Honor。"Taking place in India， Honor by Thrity Umrigar is an intense novel about two women on very different paths until their lives converge to change them both forever。The book opens with a news article about Meena， a Hindu woman who is severely burned and whose Muslim husband died in the fire set by her brothers in defiance of her marrying out of her religion。 In the face of the disgusting prejudice she faces from both the Hindu and Muslim ***4。5 Stars On My Instagram Review***"Abru。 It means Honor。"Taking place in India， Honor by Thrity Umrigar is an intense novel about two women on very different paths until their lives converge to change them both forever。The book opens with a news article about Meena， a Hindu woman who is severely burned and whose Muslim husband died in the fire set by her brothers in defiance of her marrying out of her religion。 In the face of the disgusting prejudice she faces from both the Hindu and Muslim communities Meena bravely decides to sue her brothers to get justice for her husband and to be honorable in the eyes of her unborn child。Smita is an Indian American journalist reporting on the trial。 She left India at 14 years old and swore never to come back but she is helping a friend to cover this sensationalized story。 As she deals with the buried emotions of why her family left their country she starts to fall in love with a man that she sees no possible future with but， unlike Meena， she can walk away or towards him without life threatening consequences。At times this book was not easy to read。 The hatred， the violence and the misogyny was almost too much and I had to stop reading to just breathe and calm down。 Other than her loving husband， Meena is treated as property with no regard to her as a feeling human being。 Yet she holds her ground and is more courageous than any man in her world。I enjoyed the budding romance between Smita and Mohan。 It was clear that Smita had the privilege to love whoever and Meena didn't have that at all。The author brought the contrasting lives of these two women to life。 I forgot I was reading fiction。 The emotions were authentic。 I felt Meena's pain and admired her resolve。 I smiled at Smita's finding herself。 They both proved it's really a women's world。I received a free copy of this book from the publishers for a fair and honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Ashwini Nagarajah
，
Amazing！ Review to follow！
Misse Jones
，
Deep， engrossing story。 I had a hard time putting down！ I was invited to participate in the blog tour for Thrity Umrigar's newly released novel， Honor and even more excited to dive into it。 I enjoyed that the story was told from the alternating viewpoints of two characters， Smita and Meena。 Honor tells the story of Smita， an Indian American journalist who left India with her family when she was just a teenager for America。 They had no intentions of ever returning。 But when Smita is invited to re Deep， engrossing story。 I had a hard time putting down！ I was invited to participate in the blog tour for Thrity Umrigar's newly released novel， Honor and even more excited to dive into it。 I enjoyed that the story was told from the alternating viewpoints of two characters， Smita and Meena。 Honor tells the story of Smita， an Indian American journalist who left India with her family when she was just a teenager for America。 They had no intentions of ever returning。 But when Smita is invited to return there to cover a story for a friend， she reluctantly goes。 It also tells the story of Meena， a Hindu woman who is attacked by her own brothers for marrying a Muslim man。 While Meena survives， her husband dies by fire and she is forced to live a life of shame， constant harrassment， and a sense of banishment from her family and community。 That is until a twist of fate happens and Meena is able demand that the police reopen her husbands case and prosecute the men involved in his murder。 When Smita is assigned to her case it will change her in ways that she can not possibly fathom。 While there， she is paired with Mohan， an Indian man who begins to see her and she begins to lean on in more ways that one。If you like a good page-turner， you'll definitely want to grab a copy！ There's a lot of heartbreak and suffering flowing from these pages but the author writes with such an eloquence that it's truly hard to put down。 It is as much about love， hope， freedom， faith sacrifice， family， identity， culture， honor and loyalty as it is about betrayal， lies， misogyny， racism， sexism， classism， murder， terrorism and torture。 As different as the two women's stories and lifestyles are， there is this shared experience around honor that makes them equally powerful。 In the midst of the rollercoaster ride I was on reading this story， I found Mohan's character so balancing and refreshing。 It was heavy but necessary。 It also happens to be the new REESE'S BOOKCLUB PICK FOR JANUARY！！！ Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 Happy Release Day！ 。。。more
Diane
，
review coming soon
Kelly
，
I loved this book and will on the lookout for more books by this author！ I could not put this one down and found myself sad， angry， frustrated and so many other emotions on this rollercoaster。 The author did a good job showing good men from India and the worst of the worst and the caste system that is still there today。——I received a physical ARC copy of this read from Algonquin Books。 Thank you！
Alexandrea White
，
Honor by Thrity Umrigar is an expose on Muslim-Hindu relations in India， the caste systems there， and how these all come into play in relationships。 The book focuses on Meena’s story of marrying a Muslim against her Hindu brothers protestations， and the great consequences that came with that。 At the same time， we follow Smita， and Indian-American journalist， who is on location to cover the story。 Throughout the story， we learn why Smita is so personally wrapped up in Meena’s story。 Honor checks Honor by Thrity Umrigar is an expose on Muslim-Hindu relations in India， the caste systems there， and how these all come into play in relationships。 The book focuses on Meena’s story of marrying a Muslim against her Hindu brothers protestations， and the great consequences that came with that。 At the same time， we follow Smita， and Indian-American journalist， who is on location to cover the story。 Throughout the story， we learn why Smita is so personally wrapped up in Meena’s story。 Honor checks all of the boxes of what I enjoy in a book。 It is an interwoven story that allowed me to learn about another culture and to be heavily invested in it’s characters。 。。。more
Debra
，
Beautifully written， Honor is a powerful and moving book about love， sacrifice， and loss。Indian American journalist， Smita has returned to India， believing she has been called there to take care of her friend and fellow journalist， Shannon。 Upon visiting her friend in the hospital， she learns she has been called there to cover the case of Meena - a Hindu woman who has been ostracized and later attacked by both members of her village and her own brothers for marrying a Muslim man。 It is a gut wre Beautifully written， Honor is a powerful and moving book about love， sacrifice， and loss。Indian American journalist， Smita has returned to India， believing she has been called there to take care of her friend and fellow journalist， Shannon。 Upon visiting her friend in the hospital， she learns she has been called there to cover the case of Meena - a Hindu woman who has been ostracized and later attacked by both members of her village and her own brothers for marrying a Muslim man。 It is a gut wrenching and heartbreaking case。 Smita is instantly reminded about how good she has it in America。 India was once her home。 She and her family left India when she was fourteen-years old to move to the United States。 How will she feel about being back？ Tradition。 What happens when you go against it？ Honor。 What does it mean to you？ What does it mean to others？While Meena's fate hangs in the balance， Smita comes up against misogamy， tradition， and where morally reprehensible acts are allowed to happen。 As Smita begins to feel an attraction to Mohan， her driver and translator， she begins to realize what freedoms she has vs。 the lack of freedom Meena has。 The lack of freedom women in India and other cultures have。 Again， this was a beautifully written， thought provoking and moving novel。 It touches on love， family， attraction， honor， tradition， hatred， sacrifice， betrayal， ignorance， bribery， and hope。 This book made me appreciate the freedom and choices that I get to make in my own life。 It also serves a looking glass into what life is like for women in other countries who do not have the same freedoms that I do。 Where Honor killings are still the norm， where those in power turn a blind eye， and where women have no voice。The descriptions in this book are vibrant and lush。 As the author described the heat， the hostility， and the beauty - I could feel and imagine it all。 I was moved by the story， saddened by the injustice of things， and felt hope for other things。 Not always an easy book to read， but isn't that the case of books that describe things as they are？ That make us take a long hard look at injustice and the mistreatment of others。I found myself highlining various beautiful passages and re-reading others。 This was my first book by Thrity Umrigar and I look forward to reading more of her work。 Honor a MUST READ which I highly recommend。 Powerful。 Moving。 Riveting。 4。5 starsThank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Maggie Rotter
，
Thrity Umrigar’s new novel Honor is a braid of two stories that mirror the clash between Muslims and Hindus that has plagued India for generations。 At the center of the story is a young wife who seeks justice after her brothers kill her husband and maim her for marrying outside of their religion。 American reporter， Smita， whose family had to flee their homeland for safety， returns to report on the trial’s verdict。 She is accompanied by a Mumbai man， Mohan， born to wealth and privilege， who loves Thrity Umrigar’s new novel Honor is a braid of two stories that mirror the clash between Muslims and Hindus that has plagued India for generations。 At the center of the story is a young wife who seeks justice after her brothers kill her husband and maim her for marrying outside of their religion。 American reporter， Smita， whose family had to flee their homeland for safety， returns to report on the trial’s verdict。 She is accompanied by a Mumbai man， Mohan， born to wealth and privilege， who loves his flawed country。This book is a braid of two stories which mirror each other in fictionalizing the cultural clash between Muslims and Hindus that has plagued India for generations。 Meena is fiercely protective of her child， all she has left of her very brief marriage。 Smita has her traumatic story， too， which she eventually reveals to Mohan。 She breaks the cardinal rule for journalists of not becoming emotionally involved in a story。 But meeting Meena and her daughter， and the brothers and village elder who orchestrated the attack， she struggles for objectivity。 An involving story that takes the western reader far out of the comfort zone。 。。。more
Nicole reading_with_nicole
，
𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 ~ 𝐁𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐔𝐦𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫I remember the first time I read Thrity Umrigar， I was a merchandise manager for Barnes & Noble and I was going through our delivery and stumbled upon The Space Between Us， that was in 2007， I was instantly hooked and read If Today Be Sweet in 2008 like in a day and I never stopped reading her work。。 When I find a writer who can write about their culture and make me forget that I am sitting home reading and not literally walking side by side with the character I will alw 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 ~ 𝐁𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐔𝐦𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫I remember the first time I read Thrity Umrigar， I was a merchandise manager for Barnes & Noble and I was going through our delivery and stumbled upon The Space Between Us， that was in 2007， I was instantly hooked and read If Today Be Sweet in 2008 like in a day and I never stopped reading her work。。 When I find a writer who can write about their culture and make me forget that I am sitting home reading and not literally walking side by side with the character I will always gravitate back to them and Thrity Umrigar is one of a few authors who can do that for me。。 Not not mention that this book and genre is my all time favorite to read about。。 When @algonquin asked if I wanted a galley of Honor， there was no hesitation and I need a finished to go in my library to sit with all her other books I own。。 In Honor we follow Smita， she is a young Indian-American journalist who grew up in India until she was a teenager and has not returned there until now because she has been asked by a friend and fellow colleague to cover a story about Meena a Hindu woman who marries a Muslim man; there is a problem with this because in villages where tradition and culture and family values take higher prescient than the person you happen to fall in love with。。 Even though Meena has married and is with child her brother cannot move past the fact that she has married a Muslim man and to keep the honor of his family he does a horrible thing of burning Meena's husband to death。。 This book had me holding my breath a lot because the sad truth is that in a lot of places throughout India violence against women and keeping the honor of your family is more truly held high and if it means that a life is lost， then that is what happens。。 Thrity Umrigar creates stories about her homeland and situations based on her culture that as a readers hits me emotionally in good and bad ways and that is not a bad thing。。 When I read a book and I feel for the characters， when I get emotionally involved， it is a great book。。 I highly recommend adding this book to your #tbr for this year。。 。。。more
Aimee Dars
，
When Meena， a Hindu， and Abdul， a Muslim， meet at a textile factory their religious differences fade in the strength of their love。 Meena’s brothers， however， view the match as unnatural， an affront to their honor， so they retaliate by setting the couple on fire， killing Abdul and severely injuring Meena。 With the help of a crusading lawyer， Meena pursues charges against her brothers。Smita， an Indian-American journalist who vowed never to return to her home country after leaving as a teenager， m When Meena， a Hindu， and Abdul， a Muslim， meet at a textile factory their religious differences fade in the strength of their love。 Meena’s brothers， however， view the match as unnatural， an affront to their honor， so they retaliate by setting the couple on fire， killing Abdul and severely injuring Meena。 With the help of a crusading lawyer， Meena pursues charges against her brothers。Smita， an Indian-American journalist who vowed never to return to her home country after leaving as a teenager， makes a reluctant visit to India to cover Meena’s story and the upcoming verdict in the case。 Although Smita tries to maintain some objectivity， she soon becomes attached to Meena and incensed by the injustices dealt to her。 As much as she empathizes with her， though， Smita is aware that her family’s move to the United States has given her a position of privilege。As much as being an American shields her， her companion Mohan， a wealthy friend-of-a-friend can draw on power conferred by his gender and class when necessary。 Yet， as she recognizes her attraction to Mohan and reckons with the events that precipitated her family’s departure， Smita must confront what India really means to her。HONOR is beautifully written， with musical sentences that at times belied their contents which were often （deliberately） enraging as characters used tradition to justify the most heinous acts。 At times， my stomach was in knots， I was so upset， but the ending was very satisfying， highlighting what courage can come from love。 Although at times painful to read， it is incredibly meaningful and worthwhile。 It includes important topics for all readers but will be of special interest to those who enjoy books about India and/or women overcoming adversity。 Thank you to my friends at @algonquinbooks for inviting me on the book tour and for a gifted copy of the book。 。。。more
Diane
，
What a way to start a new year of reading！
Linda
，
"Reputation is what other people know about you。 Honor is what you know about yourself。" （Lois McMaster Bujold）It's what resides in the temple of your soul。 Honor is pure and never tainted by the ways of the world。 Never steal honor's breath to try to validate actions that defile its very virtue。 For honor beckons to sit upon the highest of the high。Thrity Umrigar has gifted us with an exceptional offering in her latest novel of Honor。 I sincerely felt like a ten ton truck had been sitting on my "Reputation is what other people know about you。 Honor is what you know about yourself。" （Lois McMaster Bujold）It's what resides in the temple of your soul。 Honor is pure and never tainted by the ways of the world。 Never steal honor's breath to try to validate actions that defile its very virtue。 For honor beckons to sit upon the highest of the high。Thrity Umrigar has gifted us with an exceptional offering in her latest novel of Honor。 I sincerely felt like a ten ton truck had been sitting on my chest。 I was breathless。 I was so anxious。 I was appalled。 I was horrified。 I was completely laid flat with emotions that left me with no words。And it all began with Umrigar introducing us to a young Indian American woman named Smita。 Smita left India when she was fourteen years old as her father took a teaching position at a university in Ohio。 Smita is a journalist on vacation in Maldives when she gets a call that her friend and fellow journalist， Shannon， is undergoing surgery。 Smita flies to Mumbai for the first time since the flight that took her family to Ohio。 What begins as a gesture of kindness for a friend will completely transform Smita forever。As a favor for Shannon， Smita will fill in for a shocking story that Shannon had been working on。 The story involves a Hindu woman who marries a Muslim man。 Simple。。。。。but hardly that。 The small village where this took place outside of Mumbai is still saturated in ancient traditions of cruelty and heartless punishment。 Although the couple has married and Meena is with child， the community， as well as Meena's two brothers， have taken to ostracizing the couple。。。。。。and far far more。 Smita will be accompanied by Mohan who worked with Shannon as an assistant and translator。 Mohan had been born in a village not that far from Meena。 Mohan's presence gives pause to Smita as he enlightens her and serves as a bridge between Smita's past and present knowledge of Indian customs。 Umrigar holds a single card in her hand that will eventually be written with the shakey letters comprised of Smita's past in India。 Honor takes us to a place so mired in hatred and ignorance that it is almost impossible to even imagine that such evil and hard-rooted superstition still exists in this world。 "Smita made a sound， sorrow bubbling up from her lips。" Smita carries a deep outrage simmering for years within herself。Thrity Umrigar was taken by a New York Times article a few years back about the treatment of women living in rural India。 It was the impetus for Honor。 But in the artful hands of Umrigar we will also stand in the light of potential reform and change。 Slow in coming through the gates of ancient tradition， Honor floods the world with its revealment upon these archaic modes of life。 The world， at large， just needs to sit down on its hands and listen fully。 No one， absolutely no one， should tolerate what women have tolerated since the beginning of time。 You owe yourself to grab this one。。。。。。and be forever changed yourself。 。。。more
Bookoholiccafe
，
honor is my first book by this author and it didn’t disappoint me。 Honor is a fascinating novel about Smita， she is an Indian American Journalist that is covering a story in India。 When Smita and her family left India years ago there was no intention of ever coming back。 As she follows Meena’s case， A Hindu woman that was attacked by someone from her own village for marrying a Muslim man， Smita discovers painful secrets of her own past。Honor is a beautifully written novel about love， betrayal， f honor is my first book by this author and it didn’t disappoint me。 Honor is a fascinating novel about Smita， she is an Indian American Journalist that is covering a story in India。 When Smita and her family left India years ago there was no intention of ever coming back。 As she follows Meena’s case， A Hindu woman that was attacked by someone from her own village for marrying a Muslim man， Smita discovers painful secrets of her own past。Honor is a beautifully written novel about love， betrayal， family， sacrifice， and hope。 Set in contemporary India， I found the author a remarkable storyteller。 She beautifully explores the meaning of honor in this disturbing story。 The storyline is impelling， the narrative is intense with an atmospheric ending。 The detail of this book was really impressive， I was easily transported to India， and I could smell and see everything as if I was there。 。。。more
Susan
，
It was very informative to read a book set in 2018 in India to compare changes made in the modern city and rural area。 The theme is really the conflict the journalist Smita has covering an honor killing in the countryside。 To her， India has remained unchanged since her emigration as a teen。 Relationships developed while on assignment cause her to reevaluate where is home。
Caroline Hoppe
，
Thank you to @algonquinbooks for my copy of this novel。This is an amazing book and once you start it， you will not want to put it down。 I have read this author before and I love her work。 This is no exception。 I was immediately drawn into the story and I could not read fast enough as I had to know what would happen to these characters。 It was a hard read at times but such a good reminder not to take for granted having so many choices and options in our everyday lives。 For so many there is a “lac Thank you to @algonquinbooks for my copy of this novel。This is an amazing book and once you start it， you will not want to put it down。 I have read this author before and I love her work。 This is no exception。 I was immediately drawn into the story and I could not read fast enough as I had to know what would happen to these characters。 It was a hard read at times but such a good reminder not to take for granted having so many choices and options in our everyday lives。 For so many there is a “lack of choice。” Bravery， love， and compassion are woven into the story making it feel universal as it is applicable to many situations all over the world。 It is the perfect novel to start 2022 and to see how sometimes good can eventually come from devastating events。 This is an incredible read and I highly recommend it to everyone。 ❤️Instagram: @carolinehoppereads 。。。more
noushareads
，
Painful， urgent， socially relevant—Umrigar’s Honor got me hooked （also angry， horrified， sad） from the first pages until the end。 Interesting characters， medium paced; it was one of my last books of 2021。 Honor’s on-sale date is January 4！ Thank you @algonquinbooks for sending me a copy of @thrity_umrigar unforgettable book。
Susan
，
Thirty Umrigar never disappoints。 Another great read。 Thank you for ARC of this novel…out 1/4/22。 It is too limiting to say she is a women’s writer。 Her themes are so current and topical。 This book was a great way to start the 2022 reading year！
Tonstant Weader
，
Honor is a book about a dangerous word。 Honor should be about doing the right thing but it is often twisted into defining a person’s worth by how completely they control the women in their family。 We all have heard of honor killings。 Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai， survived being shot for going to school。 Lest we congratulate ourselves for not being Pakistan， three American women are killed every day by their husband or boyfriend。 In India， Laxmi Agarwal survived an acid attack by a man she Honor is a book about a dangerous word。 Honor should be about doing the right thing but it is often twisted into defining a person’s worth by how completely they control the women in their family。 We all have heard of honor killings。 Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai， survived being shot for going to school。 Lest we congratulate ourselves for not being Pakistan， three American women are killed every day by their husband or boyfriend。 In India， Laxmi Agarwal survived an acid attack by a man she turned down for marriage and went on to be an activist against the patriarchal system in India。 I think it is no accident that the main character’s last name is Agarwal。Smita Agarwal was on vacation in the Maldives when her friend and colleague， Shannon， asked her to come to Mumbai while she recovers from an accident and surgery。 She wants Smita to take over her story about Meena， a courageous survivor who took her brothers to court for setting fire to her home， disfiguring her and killing her husband。 They are waiting for the judge’s ruling。 Since it is in rural India， Shannon’s friend Mohan accompanies Smita to be her escort。Meena is Hindu and her husban was Muslim and their marriage offended everyone， but her brothers were dishonored in their own eyes as well as the community。 They did not effectively control their sister。 They could only restore their honor by killing her and her husband。 That she survived and has a child of this marriage remains a stain on their honor。 They gleefully talk about killing her and the child。This all reaffirms long-held resentment against India， even though she was born there。 She and Mohan are attracted to each other but their disparate understanding and feelings about India are a sore spot between them。 All they can do is wait for the verdict and what happens after。I loved Honor。 Thrity Umrigar excelled at creating a sense of place， not just the sights， sounds， and smells， but also the mood， the implacable menace of Meena’s village。 The fearful ambivalence of her mother-in-law’s home， the serenity of Mohan’s home， and the vibrant chaos and contrasts of Mumbai。 She also had the courage to disappoint us and foil our hopes and expectations。Most of all， I love that she took on that word， honor。 Like respect， it has this dangerous reliance on other people to provide it。 For many people， usually men， honor is not based on what they do but on how completely they dominate women。 For many people， respect is not earned， but an expectation based on occupation or rank。 How many people have been abused by police because the police felt disrespected？ When will people learn that honor and respect comes from within， not from without？I received an ARC from the publisher through Shelf Awareness。Honor at Algonquin Books | Workman PublishingThrity Umrigar author sitehttps://tonstantweaderreviews。wordpre。。。 。。。more
Kayla Boss
，
i read this right after finishing Educated; i was struck by the similarities of oppressive religious beliefs driving the narrative in both books。 how men can use misogynistic ideas tied to religious beliefs to control and suppress and abuse women， which only leads to traumatic devastation。 have to say， it’s striking a deep chord i really enjoyed the novel and found myself engrossed in the plot and the characters。 Thrity Umrigar explores many different ideas throughout， but the central point keep i read this right after finishing Educated; i was struck by the similarities of oppressive religious beliefs driving the narrative in both books。 how men can use misogynistic ideas tied to religious beliefs to control and suppress and abuse women， which only leads to traumatic devastation。 have to say， it’s striking a deep chord i really enjoyed the novel and found myself engrossed in the plot and the characters。 Thrity Umrigar explores many different ideas throughout， but the central point keeps coming back to honor。 how honor drives the decisions we make， how honor looks different to different people。 for some， honor is sacrificing everything to protect their family。 for others， honor is extracting revenge in the name of their beliefs。 4。25/5 ✨ thank you so much for the ARC Algonquin and Thrity Umrigar。 this one will be published on January 4， 2022！ 。。。more
Jeanette
，
She is one of my most favorite authors。 For my read， this one was flawed。 If it wasn't Thrity Umrigar I think I would not have rounded up the 2。5 stars。 This is horrendously sad and tragic。 Horrific subject and context both。 But that was not what I felt went so wrong。 Although my enjoyment of reading never got beyond a 2 star。 It was because with the various splits of "eyes" told and placements， as well， it didn't hold together as a novel much。At first I thought it was masterful that she put thi She is one of my most favorite authors。 For my read， this one was flawed。 If it wasn't Thrity Umrigar I think I would not have rounded up the 2。5 stars。 This is horrendously sad and tragic。 Horrific subject and context both。 But that was not what I felt went so wrong。 Although my enjoyment of reading never got beyond a 2 star。 It was because with the various splits of "eyes" told and placements， as well， it didn't hold together as a novel much。At first I thought it was masterful that she put this through Smita's cognition and judgments with her voice being narrator since she bridged both cultures， many social aspects of female in India etc。 BUT putting Meena's voice in there in italics and going into many other tangents of Muslim/Hindu village speak or characters introduced past the half？ Nope。 For me that worked in effusions and in logic exactly the opposite。 Plus giving the juxtaposition of the two outcomes for this ending as they got rather "tacked on"？ Commercial， and totally contradictory to reality of emotions endings？ Scripted。 It was also a depressing， depressing read。 Coming from a Honor Culture which did these kinds of treatments in nearly every village at least a couple of times a decade （not Indian continent either）- I just didn't grasp the tone of this book either， nor some of the glib politico posturing elements。 Smita would never have been so rude to that Indian matron who was like a mother to her either。 Not on a visit like that after so many years absence。 That level of disrespect for being raised there until she was 14- I thought it was another scripted tension ploy。 Not of that culture or place whatsoever。Really， I do not get the ratings for the style or construct of this novel。 Empathy and horror ratings only should be so high。 Do I wish she'd go back to the individuals of such depth in her first 3 books。 。。。more
Kelly
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Wow！ Honor will rip your heart straight out of your chest， and maybe when it’s done， you may get a few of those pieces back。 Smita， a reporter， left India with her family when she was fourteen。 The experience that led to their departure made her vow never to return， but a fellow journalist’s request leads her back - and straight into a heartbreaking circumstance of religious persecution。 Meena， a Hindu， married Abdul， a Muslim， creating uproar in her small village and tearing the family apart。 A Wow！ Honor will rip your heart straight out of your chest， and maybe when it’s done， you may get a few of those pieces back。 Smita， a reporter， left India with her family when she was fourteen。 The experience that led to their departure made her vow never to return， but a fellow journalist’s request leads her back - and straight into a heartbreaking circumstance of religious persecution。 Meena， a Hindu， married Abdul， a Muslim， creating uproar in her small village and tearing the family apart。 Abdul’s death and Meena’s severe injuries come at the hands of her own brothers， brothers who have been raised to believe women and Muslims are inferior。 Despite Smita’s intentions to remain objective， the situation and her deepening relationship with Mohan leave her increasingly entangled not just with following the story but with Meena， Mohan and India itself。 Umrigar does a fantastic job of creating a brutal， poignant and believable story about the religious and caste differences in India， and how it can make it so easy to want something more， something better， while showing how difficult it can be to leave the things you love behind。 Powerful both emotionally and in providing an unflinching perspective in the reality of the world， this is a book I’d highly recommend！This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
TBS
，
Over the past decade or so， the Western press has finally started to cover very graphic accounts of almost unimaginable violence against women in India， particularly in rural areas。 The savagery and sheer magnitude of cruelty in these reports， many of which result in the death of the victim， is both painful and hard to comprehend， though of course， crimes against women cross all cultural and economic boundaries。 Still when faced with the premise of Thrity Umrigar’s novel Honor， which examines th Over the past decade or so， the Western press has finally started to cover very graphic accounts of almost unimaginable violence against women in India， particularly in rural areas。 The savagery and sheer magnitude of cruelty in these reports， many of which result in the death of the victim， is both painful and hard to comprehend， though of course， crimes against women cross all cultural and economic boundaries。 Still when faced with the premise of Thrity Umrigar’s novel Honor， which examines the roots of one such “honor killing” and physical brutalization of a young couple who embarked on an interfaith Hindu Muslim marriage， I procrastinated， and waited until the the last possible moment to read it， fearing that the book would be overwhelmingly brutal and heartbreaking。And yes， that is part of this gut-wrenching magnificent story， but it is also a captivating exploration of what makes us love and attempt to understand- a country， another person， a family， a culture， a set of traditions， a city， a stranger， a friend， a child， a neighbor and ultimately ourselves。 Umrigar is such an unflinchingly honest writer， it is also about the betrayals that occur and are enmeshed with this love and the cost of them， which can happen within minutes， hours or take decades or generations to unravel。More specifically this is the tale of Smita， a conflicted ex-pat American Indian journalist with secrets of her own tied to her Indian heritage who gets coerced by a fellow journalist friend into finishing a story about an “honor killing” and physical attack of Abdul and Meena and their young daughter Abru。 Abru， a Muslim， is burned alive by Meena’s Hindu brothers， while Meena barely escapes the same fate， becoming horribly disfigured in the process。 In the aftermath， Meena is shunned by both religious communities， but attempts to bring her brothers to trial， which is viewed as a scandalous and outrageous move by a woman in the belief network of her rural villages。 This is where Smita gets reluctantly involved and for the story， must travel to these villages to interview Meena， her brothers and other participants in this tragic event。 It is too dangerous for a woman to travel alone in these areas， so accompanying her is a young professional upper caste Indian man， Mohan， who initially denigrates Meena for viewing India through American eyes。 Smita’s uneasy return to her country and her ambivalence about it， produces some especially well-crafted and poignant writing: “But India wasn’t a country so much as an unstoppable force of nature，” “At this moment， India felt inexpressibly large—as well as small and provincial enough to choke her，” “But despite her privilege， her heart ached， and she felt a different kind of homesickness than what she felt for New York-the loss of something that had never fully belonged to her。”Initially unwilling， she begins to form a strong friendship with Meena whose courage and resolution seems to grow as her situation becomes increasingly perilous。 Meena has virtually nothing other than a burned shack on her resentful mother-in-law’s property， and a heart full of joy for her daughter。 Yet through her actions， she gives Smita the strength to come to terms with her own family’s dark secret， necessitating their flight from India。 There is also a reckoning with Smita’ growing connection to Mohan， who， like Smita， must also face up to the incongruities of the beauty and the barbarism of their country。 Their story plays out against the backdrop of Meena’s and Abdul’s whose situation in all aspects is the opposite。 This narrative is told through Meena’s poignant memories of her romance and marriage with Abdul， who idealistically holds the promise of a united Hindustan as a guiding belief。 The fates of these two couples， one determined and the other unknown， and these two women power to a breath-holding conclusion。 It is not possible to put down this book。Umrigar examines and unspools many weighty themes， not the leastthe great bravery and vulnerability （and for Meena， the life and death consequences） of opening yourself to love， and discovering what part of yourself you also lose in the process。 After reading it， Honor does not depart， but stays cleaved with you， almost as a part of your shadow。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Smita， a journalist， left India as a teen and has not returned- until now。 Shannon， a colleague who has been following the case of Meena， a Hindu woman whose brothers burned her Muslim husband to death， is hospitalized with a broken hip and asks Smita to continue the reporting。 Shannon's friend Mohan agrees to go with Smita to Meena's village as a driver， translator， and frankly， a protector。 Meena's story is heartbreaking- she's disfigured， shunned， and living with the mother in law who hates h Smita， a journalist， left India as a teen and has not returned- until now。 Shannon， a colleague who has been following the case of Meena， a Hindu woman whose brothers burned her Muslim husband to death， is hospitalized with a broken hip and asks Smita to continue the reporting。 Shannon's friend Mohan agrees to go with Smita to Meena's village as a driver， translator， and frankly， a protector。 Meena's story is heartbreaking- she's disfigured， shunned， and living with the mother in law who hates her。 But she does have her daughter。 Smita's got a surprising secret that isn't revealed until deep into the novel when she confesses to Mohan。 This is painful at many spots （it's actually glum and grim throughout） but the atmospherics， both good and bad， are terrific。 The characters both large and small （the man in the dress shop for example） are well drawn - you'll be able to visualize them。 Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC。 It's a valuable read。 。。。more
Joy
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A timely look at the horrors of extremism and intolerance， Honor is a smooth read that moves quickly。 While the horrors are indeed real， there is something in the writing that feels almost sensationalist or gratuitous。 Perhaps it is the large amount of content in a relatively short space。 The book seems to struggle with identity - it is a story of one person’s healing， an expose of dangerous intolerance between Hindus and Muslims in the history of India， an orphan’s tale， and a romance。 No wonde A timely look at the horrors of extremism and intolerance， Honor is a smooth read that moves quickly。 While the horrors are indeed real， there is something in the writing that feels almost sensationalist or gratuitous。 Perhaps it is the large amount of content in a relatively short space。 The book seems to struggle with identity - it is a story of one person’s healing， an expose of dangerous intolerance between Hindus and Muslims in the history of India， an orphan’s tale， and a romance。 No wonder it becomes difficult to become truly sold on any one element。 In addition， the social commentary becomes a bit heavy-handed。 The shocking plot elements make the point without any explanation needed。 Indeed， a bit of reserve would strengthen the book in more ways than one。Thank you to Thrity Umrigar， Algonquin Books， and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lauren Archer
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The complex story about two very different women will be the talk of 2022 and I predict a lot of awards。Smita arrives in India after her friend has an accident and needs surgery。 They are both journalists and she is asked to complete the story of Meena a Hindu woman who married a Muslim man and is now on trial。 Smita who moved the United States when she was 14 had no intentions of returning to her birthplace， but felt compelled for her friend。The story of Meena is much more complex as this stori The complex story about two very different women will be the talk of 2022 and I predict a lot of awards。Smita arrives in India after her friend has an accident and needs surgery。 They are both journalists and she is asked to complete the story of Meena a Hindu woman who married a Muslim man and is now on trial。 Smita who moved the United States when she was 14 had no intentions of returning to her birthplace， but felt compelled for her friend。The story of Meena is much more complex as this stories progresses。 As we learn more about her relationship with her husband and her daughter。 She has been to hell and back but stands by her decisions。This is ultimately the story of two very strong but different people and their relationships with the men they love。 Nothing about this story is light and breezy， but is a thought provoking story about culture and life choices。 This is a great read to start 2022。Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susie | Novel Visits
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Loved， though very dark - full review coming soon。
Torrie Tovar
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This may be the saddest book I have ever read。 And I read a lot of sad books。 But this one really affected me。 There are quite a few characters but the main character， Smita， is journalist who is called to India to help a fellow friend/journalist。 She isn't fond of India because her and her family were forced to leave there when she was a teenager， but you don't know why until almost the end。 But she has to cover the story of a woman named Meena who was nearly killed in a fire that killed her hu This may be the saddest book I have ever read。 And I read a lot of sad books。 But this one really affected me。 There are quite a few characters but the main character， Smita， is journalist who is called to India to help a fellow friend/journalist。 She isn't fond of India because her and her family were forced to leave there when she was a teenager， but you don't know why until almost the end。 But she has to cover the story of a woman named Meena who was nearly killed in a fire that killed her husband。 The fire was set by her brothers because the village did not believe it was acceptable for a Hindu to marry a Muslim。 And since she had ran away and married a Muslim man they said she brought dishonor to the family and the village。 But she survived and is pressing charges against her brothers for the Murder of her husband。 So the book tells Meena's story but also Smita's story。 And it is all so heartbreaking。 I reached out to a friend who lives in India and she confirmed that this stuff does actually happened in rural places in India。 But I really loved how the author showed how there are often times multiple layers to our countries。 There are the backwards thinking towns， cities， and people， however， there are also so many good people who are helping to bring change。 And you can't just define a country by it's bad parts but it's good parts as well。 This will definitely be going in my all time favorites list。 And I would definitely encourage people to read this。 However， please be advised that there is very harsh language used towards Muslims in this book。 It was very hard to read at times。 So please keep that in mind。 Thank to Netgalley and Algonquin Books for this ARC。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Honor
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Honor&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Honor&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0