Book Review: The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

Alyssa: Well it's time for another one of my book reviews. I read this book during my sick day off from work (and yes, for the record, I was feeling genuinely unwell that day). The story tells of a union between two modern-day Bombay women, Sera of middle-class Parsi upbringing, and Bhima, her servant. Sera came from an educated, privileged middle class background, whilst Bhima was born into poverty, is illiterate and destined to be subservient. Their class difference and musing bond is symbolic of India's complex struggle with poverty, class diffrentiation and by-product of prejudice and bigotry. The story begins with Bhima's grief and anguish after discovering that her grand daughter had fallen pregnant with the identity of the father being unknown. In a society that devalues and discriminate based on class and gender, Bhima had hoped that her grand daughter would be able to break the cycle of poverty by attending college(under Sera's benefaction) so that she could one day gain meaningful employment through her education. Bhima confides in Sera of her grand daughter's pregnancy and sought advice and help to persuade her grand daughter to terminate the pregnancy. Amidst this drama, the story delves into the separate live of these two women, presenting a juxtapose of their past and fateful experience at the extreme ends of the caste system.

The book is beautifully written, insightful, and powerful without being melodramatic. I particularly like the insight into how arrange marriages work in India and the charade of courtship that takes place before a woman accepts her dowry. I also found the author's matter-of-fact description of slum life deeply disturbing. Overall, this is a great book worth reading.