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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Highlights
- Spoiler-free summary of Honor.
- The real-life story behind the inspiration for her book.
- How Thrity 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.
Thrity’s Book Recommendations [32:48]
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
Last 5-Star Book Thrity Read
- The Overstory by Richard Powers | Amazon
Other Books Mentioned
- 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]
About Thrity
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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.
Next Episode
In 2 weeks, on March 9th, comes a special episode — 2022 Superlatives — where Catherine Gilmore and I will be answering the fourth bucket of questions from Episode 100’s Ask Me Anything.
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