Welcome to Litsy!

If you‘re one who struggles to believe that theres good in all,regardless of race, religion, etc, read this book.I‘m self admittedly one of those people,especially lately with world events.This book gave me a glimpse into the other side of things,and really got me thinking.It takes a good story to do that!I rloved this book,but it was a tough read.It‘s unbelievable what happens to people in other countries.I highly recommend this book!

"Maybe, in the end, that‘s all that love was—doing the hard thing. Not roses and valentines and walks on the beach, but simply being present, day after ordinary day. The extraordinary romanticism of ordinary life."
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I think this would be a great book club pick as there‘s a lot to think about in terms of feminism and religious/cultural divides. Umrigar handles the topics sensitively and brings out all the threads for examination. I didnt love the writing style in the beginning - setting up the journalist characters and drawing Smita, the protagonist, into the main plot, felt laboured - but once the plot gets underway it was fine. A solid 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Not only does this book scrutinize the treatment of women in rural India, but it modernizes centuries-old women‘s issues set in Mumbai. It is also the story of an American woman returning to her roots (begrudgingly) and exploring her own power as a woman.

This is one of the best books I‘ve read this year. May be a new favourite. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.

• Kindle ebook • Chirp audiobook • 5 Stars

I‘ve never read an Umrigar novel that I didn‘t really enjoy. This one explores the themes of honor killing, caste, religion, gender, violence, and identity in India through the perspectives of two women. Smita is an Indian-American journalist, and Meena, a Hindu woman who married a Muslim man and faced a brutal attack by her brothers.

Five stars! DEFINITELY an AUTOBUY author for me. A story to remind us how hate will destroy us and how love will save us. A gorgeous but heartbreaking story. I don‘t understand how people can justify their actions in the name of religious beliefs. I wish this story wasn‘t relevant today but sadly it is. OUTSTANDING audio.

Thanks to my sudden OBSESSION with all things India( thanks to Indian Matchmaker on Netflix) I‘m LOVING this book. It‘s difficult to read at times but SO GOOD. I love this author & narration is FANTASTIC !!!

I wasn‘t sure I was going to like this book in the beginning. The 4 characters introduced in book one were kind of prickly and I wasn‘t sure I wanted to know them better but a little further in and I couldn‘t put it down. And Meena will not be forgotten. Thanks for the awesome recommendation @Amiable #AuldLangSpine @monalyisha #TBRTarot Done @CBee #Pantone #LoveBird @Clwojick

#TBRTarot Hope Honor works for May‘s prompt with the little pic of fruit on the spine. I have been trying to get to this book since January but kept bumping it. I‘ve just started but so far so good.

Didn‘t love. Topical & a realistic view of India & the ambiguity of loving & struggling with it at the same time. But it felt like an ‘issue‘ book re the treatment of women, honour killings & religious persecution. Smita is a whiny brat, her story doesn‘t ring true, the tone is pessimistic & the style overwrought for me. The ending is sentimental.

I haven‘t read a bad book by Thrity yet, but this book is my favorite so far. Powerful, ultimately uplifting book that doesn‘t flinch at tough topics. An early contender for my favorite of the year… and I haven‘t even gotten to the end of January!

Started this last night. Does anyone else take a PAINSTAKING amount of time trying to choose their next book? Even after combing through my TBR I ended up choosing this which wasn‘t even on my list. My final semester of grad school starts next week so I wanted something engaging before the guilt of reading for pleasure returns again. Commitment issues aside, it was the Cheryl Strayed endorsement that pushed me over the edge. I trust Sugar.

#12Booksin2022 I read a lot of great books in December, so it was hard to choose a favorite, but this one packed a punch, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time. @Andrew65

Wow! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is powerful and heartbreaking. The topics and many scenes are difficult to read, sad and infuriating all at once. This will definitely end up on my "best of" list this year!

Christmas morning book haul. Then, like a weirdo, I went to the library yesterday and checked out 5 more books 😂

Honor by Thrity Umrigar is about a journalist who decides to go cover a story in India about a woman‘s husband who gets burn alive for being Muslim. This is told from the point of view of the reporter. The story is told about the ways of the Indian culture and what is and not acceptable. I found this fascinating but also heart breaking for not being able to love whoever you want to love.
Thanks Algonquin for providing this book for honest review!

Happy paperback publication week to Honor so well written emotional thought provoking a book that stays with you even after you finish the last page. @AlgonquinBooks

Honestly, I wasn‘t certain that I was emotionally ready to read this. I was looking for something light. This was not that book but I am so glad that I read it. It was everything I needed to read. I like to read International books to see the world from another perspective. This book will give you that and more. It is not an easy read but definitely a worthwhile read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

New book. Same beach. 🙂

This look at Hindu/Muslim strife in India was a strong pick until it got super cheesy in the last chapters. It ended a low pick.

Smita thought she‘d never return to India after abruptly leaving with her family at 12. When a fellow journalist gets injured, she calls Smita to continue writing stories about Hindu brothers that burned their sister‘s Muslim husband to death. As Smita gets close to the victim, it brings up uncomfortable memories.

5/5 ⭐

A story that will broke your heart and that you won't soon forget.

Smita is ask to go to India; on false pretense that her friend Shannon needs her help. To her surprise, she is ask to cover the story of Meena. A woman who watched her husband being murdered by her brothers.

The story is a powerful and heartwretching but an important one to be read by all.

5⭐/5⭐

A powerful (and at times horrifying) story about cultural and religious identity in India and the meaning of strength and honor. My only criticism is the end was almost a too neat and sweet juxtaposition with the rest of the story.
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#RWBookClub

Happy International Women's Day! I'm currently and fittingly reading Thrity Umrigar's Honor.

#RWBookClub

This grid was averaging well above a solid B rating, until the environmental misinformation in State of Fear convinced me to bail. But forget that, the tagged was so so good!

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Average C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

Wow, this is good. Often my human rights fiction reads are issues from a long ago historical context where I can tell myself the world knows (or should know) better now. But two distinct atrocities happen here - one in 1996 and the other present day. Gut wrenching. I‘m a strong believer in the separation of church and state. Books like this confirm my belief. ↓

An impressive achievement, Honor by Thrity Umrigar is canny in its moral intelligence and lyrical and flowing in prose. Reading Umrigar feels like you are being taken cared of and assured of a well thought of story. She is prolific and I am glad to have discovered her. On almost every page, you can smell and imagine 👇

I adored this book about the intersection of three peoples lives in India. I found it really interesting to be in the perspective of a journalist covering a story in India about a woman who was nearly burned alive as well as reading her perspective and past. 5/5
This was a fun read novel and would definitely check out some of the authors other books

5 out of 5

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CW: death, misogyny, emotional abuse

This book was powerful. So many emotions happened at the same time. I wanted to hug women for their bravery. I wanted to kick the men who took out the hits to their fragile ego on women. I was mostly just horrified at how pervasive this idea of “honor” continues to be. This story takes place in India, but similar instances are occurring all over the world. ⬇️

I really enjoyed the audiobook! It was not something I would've chosen on my own but I'm really glad I read it. It is disturbing to think that in this day and age the things that happened to Meena are a reality for some women. Its very upsetting. An eye opener for sure! 4 🌟.

#reesesbookclub has picked an amazing read for January! This story broke my heart while at the same time made me think. This isn‘t a light read by any means but one that is very much worth taking the time to pick up.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning. The writing is superb, the story heartbreaking and haunting. If you loved Khalid Hosseini‘s “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, then you must read this book.

Wow! It may be early in 2022, but this is definitely a #Top2022Read for me! Smita returns to India to help a fellow reporter after an injury. When her friend asks her to leave Mumbai to cover the story of an interfaith marriage that ended in tragedy, Smita wishes she could refuse. Both her story and Meena‘s unfolds in an absolutely heart-wrenching manner. Exquisitely written, in depth characters- it‘s all amazing here! Thanks to @AlgonquinBooks !

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.

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