48

My latest novel was The Spaces Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. This one almost felt like it should be a book club book since it contrasted so well with one of the books we did last year (A Thousand Splendid Suns). This one is set in India (Bombay) and juxtaposes the life stories of two women, one a wealthy house wife (Sera) and the other her housekeeper/maid (Bhima).

Even though Bhima lives in the slums and is a servant, I was surprised by the quality of life these women had - I think I expected women to be treated more like they are in Afghanistan. Though now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I was so surprised.

I loved the author's voice in this book. I've watched a few Indian movies, and always thought that the weird English/Indian they use in the films is a result of poor translation and the funny way non-English speakers use our language. But reading this book was exactly like watching an Indian film and it made the story so much more real for me.

While I really did love this book, I found the ending a little abrupt. Maybe because so much of the book felt like it got right down to the nitty gritty of every day life, and the ending felt very...philosophical. It wasn't truly satisfying.

That said, I think it makes my Top Reads of 2010 list. I'd love to read another book by this author.