Ep. 105: Thrity Umrigar (Author of Honor) + Book Recommendations

In Episode 105, Sarah and Thrity (author of Honor) tackle some hard-hitting questions related to the themes in her emotional book: religion, women’s rights, and identity. Thrity discusses the complicated relationship an immigrant often has with their homeland and the complex duality of human nature. 

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• Spoiler-free summary of Honor.
• The real-life story behind the inspiration for her book.
• How Thirty constructed the present-day India in the book.
• Character development and which character’s (Meena’s or Smita’s) story came first.
• The ways miscommunication and misunderstandings drive real-life and fictional tensions.
• How she conveyed the joy and beauty of India, juxtaposed against the horrific events of the story.
• How rural vs. urban landscapes each form different composite communities.
• From working title to finished product, what Thrity wants readers to know about the title and the layered meaning of the word honor.
• Thrity shares details about her next novel.

Two OLD Books She Loves

• The Waves by Virginia Woolf | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:02]
• A Burning by Megha Majumdar | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:08]

Two NEW Books She Loves

• The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:38]
• The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:48]

One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About

• The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (April 5, 2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:28]

Last 5-Star Book Thrity Read

• The Overstory by Richard Powers | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:13]

• The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar [1:16]
• Caste by Isabel Wilkerson [19:33]
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  [33:50]
• Bombay Time by Thrity Umrigar [37:35]
• The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen [43:07]
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan [43:56]
• Bewilderment by Richard Powers [45:27]

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Thrity Umrigar is the bestselling author of eight novels, including The Space Between Us, which was a finalist for the PEN/Beyond Margins Award, as well as a memoir and three picture books. Her books have been translated into several languages and published in more than fifteen countries. She is the winner of a Lambda Literary Award and a Seth Rosenberg Award and is Distinguished Professor of English at Case Western Reserve University. A recipient of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard, she has contributed to the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Huffington Post.