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Between Us #2
The Secrets Between Us
Bhima, the unforgettable main character of Thrity Umrigar’s beloved national bestseller The Space Between Us, returns in this triumphant sequel—a poignant and compelling novel in which the former servant struggles against the circumstances of class and misfortune to forge a new path for herself and her granddaughter in modern India.
"It isn’t the words we speak that make us who we are. Or even the deeds we do. It is the secrets buried in our hearts."
Poor and illiterate, Bhima had faithfully worked for the Dubash family, an upper-middle-class Parsi household, for more than twenty years. Yet after courageously speaking the truth about a heinous crime perpetrated against her own family, the devoted servant was cruelly fired. The sting of that dismissal was made more painful coming from Sera Dubash, the temperamental employer who had long been Bhima’s only confidante. A woman who has endured despair and loss with stoicism, Bhima must now find some other way to support herself and her granddaughter, Maya.
Bhima’s fortunes take an unexpected turn when her path intersects with Parvati, a bitter, taciturn older woman. The two acquaintances soon form a tentative business partnership, selling fruits and vegetables at the local market. As they work together, these two women seemingly bound by fate grow closer, each confessing the truth about their lives and the wounds that haunt them. Discovering her first true friend, Bhima pieces together a new life, and together, the two women learn to stand on their own.
A dazzling story of gender, strength, friendship, and second chances, The Secrets Between Us is a powerful and perceptive novel that brilliantly evokes the complexities of life in modern India and the harsh realities faced by women born without privilege as they struggle to survive.
"It isn’t the words we speak that make us who we are. Or even the deeds we do. It is the secrets buried in our hearts."
Poor and illiterate, Bhima had faithfully worked for the Dubash family, an upper-middle-class Parsi household, for more than twenty years. Yet after courageously speaking the truth about a heinous crime perpetrated against her own family, the devoted servant was cruelly fired. The sting of that dismissal was made more painful coming from Sera Dubash, the temperamental employer who had long been Bhima’s only confidante. A woman who has endured despair and loss with stoicism, Bhima must now find some other way to support herself and her granddaughter, Maya.
Bhima’s fortunes take an unexpected turn when her path intersects with Parvati, a bitter, taciturn older woman. The two acquaintances soon form a tentative business partnership, selling fruits and vegetables at the local market. As they work together, these two women seemingly bound by fate grow closer, each confessing the truth about their lives and the wounds that haunt them. Discovering her first true friend, Bhima pieces together a new life, and together, the two women learn to stand on their own.
A dazzling story of gender, strength, friendship, and second chances, The Secrets Between Us is a powerful and perceptive novel that brilliantly evokes the complexities of life in modern India and the harsh realities faced by women born without privilege as they struggle to survive.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2018
1449 people are currently reading
12928 people want to read
About the author
Thrity Umrigar
21 books2,876 followersA journalist for seventeen years, Thrity Umrigar has written for the Washington Post, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and other national newspapers, and contributes regularly to the Boston Globe's book pages. Thrity is the winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize, a Lambda Literary award and the Seth Rosenberg prize. She teaches creative writing and literature at Case Western Reserve University. The author of The Space Between Us, Bombay Time, and the memoir First Darling of the Morning: Selected Memories of an Indian Childhood, she was a winner of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard University. She has a Ph.D. in English and lives in Cleveland, Ohio. (from the publisher's website)"
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July 14, 2022
“It isn’t the words we speak that make us who we are. Or even the deeds we do. It is the secrets buried in our hearts.”Bhima is 65 years old, illiterate, and newly sacked. In her wonderful 2006 novel, The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar introduced us to Bhima, who had been working in Mumbai for Sera Dubash, a well-to-do Parsi woman, and showed the bonds that can develop between two women across class lines. That relationship ended badly, though, and now after thirty years in Sera’s employ, Bhima is just scraping by, having picked up whatever house-cleaning clients she could find. She is raising her granddaughter, a teenager, the girl’s mother and father both having passed away in the earlier book. She lives with Maya in a single-room in a slum, but is determined that her granddaughter will have a better life than she has had.
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Is it the special curse of women, to keep other people’s secrets and carry their shame? What would happen, she wonders, if all of them…simply put down their loads one day and refused to pick them up again?
Thrity Umrigar - Cleveland.com
Parvati has had it even worse. In her seventies, she works in an open market, selling wrinkled cauliflower from a space she has been working for a very long time. She has a considerable growth on her neck and another, more troubling, on her back. Parvati is a bitter old woman, and with good cause. She had a singularly challenging childhood, suffering multiple betrayals, and abuse of diverse sorts. Her appearance, harsh demeanor, and razor sharp tongue have given her a reputation as someone to be avoided.
While The Secrets Between Us is a sequel to The Space Between Us, it is definitely ok to read this one without having read the former. But I would suggest that you seek out a summary of the events in the earlier novel, maybe here or here.
The core story here is how Bhima and Parvati find each other, develop a partnership, and slowly get past the secrets they have been carrying around for so long. The core motif is the power of secrets, how they can tear people apart, and once revealed, bring people together. It is a heart-warming tale, as the two older women bond over time, joining forces to make their way in a world that has mostly shunned them, lower class women in a developing nation, all the more endangered by the changes going on around them. That change is made manifest here by the construction of a sparkling new mall that will likely displace many who work in the market square.
Everywhere Parvati looks these days, the city is shining. New shops selling brand-name clothes and jewelry spring up daily. New, expensive restaurants outside of which young people stand in line to enter. Shops selling fifty flavors of ice cream… This new Mumbai hates its old. Every day, old stone buildings are being torn down to make way for tall buildings, thin as pencils poking up into the sky… But the biggest change of all, Parvati thinks, is in the people. The Mumbai she has known has never been a gentle, forgiving place. But the old Bombay, the Bombay of Raj Kapoor and Nargis, had a sweetness to it, a childlike innocence. This new Mumbai is fast-paced, coarse, indifferent. She sees that indifference in the blankness in the eyes of the office crowd—whether it steps over a centipede or a homeless person, it’s all the same.The secrets of the title permeate. Parvati’s past is a very large secret, or collection of secrets, whereas Bhima’s is a smaller sample, albeit painful. Both hold other people’s secrets as well as their own. Most characters have at least one significant thing to hide, even the almost-too-good-to-be-true Maya. There is much in here about the weight of secrets, not in the sense of knowledge is power, but more in the sense that secrets are heavy and toting them about for so long takes a toll. Mostly, this is a story about having no power over one’s own life, and trying to get some.
Will she never have a say-so in any aspect of her life? [Parvati] wonders. Does she have no more choice in deciding her own destiny than one of her cauliflowers? Like them, she has been bought and sold, sliced and diced, moved from one corner of the city to another.They were both held back by the ignorance and restrictions of traditional values that defined one’s range of possible futures within the confines of caste. They were victimized by rules that offered protection only to those who took advantage of them. Parvati has a particularly dark perspective on relations between men and women, in both the old society and the new.
“Every day fathers get their daughters married off to men thirty years older. Or to men who are cripples or imbeciles, or deaf and mute. Why? To pay a smaller dowry. Every day fathers kill girls who have been raped by the men in their village. Why? Because the girl has stained the family name by getting raped. Honor killings, they call them…Wake up, sister. Look around. Right now, probably half the men here have fucked their sisters. Or their daughters. Or betrayed their wives.”The uplift is in seeing how they are able to overcome and apply their gifts, their strength, courage, resourcefulness, and intelligence, to making a go of it, working for themselves.
Umrigar is nothing if not a smart, insightful writer, so her two lead characters are drawn fully, with depth and texture of their own. Bhima carries prejudices from her traditional life that no longer make sense, as she comes to realize how the ignorance and bigotry she grew up with and still carries could harm others. Parvati has abandoned any hope for her life, is bitter, angry, and off-putting, is eager, even, to greet death, but is heartened by finding an outlet for her gifts, and appreciation for her strengths, so finds some light in the darkness.
A lovely part of the story is Bhima’s relationship with a couple she still cleans for, a couple who treat her as if she were family and not just an employee or a servant. A couple who represents some of the positive changes in the new India. The love from this connection glows like a sun, incorporating not just Bhima but Parvati and Maya. In joining forces all these women create a family.
One interesting tidbit is that while she was growing up middle class in India, Umrigar’s family employed a servant named Bhima. Teen Thrity tried to get to know as much about her as she could. She was also exposed to the poverty for which India is famous, and that instilled in her a desire to do away with inexcusable class differences.
Umrigar has made a career of portraying the clashing of cultures, the intersection of globalization and traditional ways, of the Indian caste system encountering a modernizing world. Her stories often look at the separation and connection between haves and have-nots, between men and women. She continues that large-scope concern here, through the lens of the women’s individual stories. The Secrets Between Us is about the position of women in society, both as a gender and as pawns in the caste system, and the deadly toll poverty takes from people’s lives. One of the upsides of a modernizing India is that, along with the challenges it presents, it also offers opportunities that were not available before.
And there is deep poignancy as well. The bond between Bhima and Parvati is incredibly moving, as Umrigar shows the small steps that are taken in developing their friendship, the barriers to closeness peeling back with each new shared intimacy. Bhima’s devotion to Maya is palpable, even though she sees a difficult time ahead should she achieve her goal.
…Maya has changed. It is a change Bhima can sense but not define. All she knows is that this change is rampant in the whole city. There is a loosening of mores and an old way of life—that of respecting your elders, knowing your station in life, knowing that women had to behave in a certain way—is coming to a close. This very education that Bhima has paid for with every drop of sweat, every tired and straining muscle in her body, will be the knife that someday will sever the ties between her and Maya. For a split second, Bhima sees this as clearly as she sees her own fingernails, the next minute, all she sees before her is an almost-grown girl jumping up and down with excitement.Downsides? A few. Maya seemed a bit pliant for a teenager, even given the traumas she had experienced in the prior book. On the other hand, one could also look at her devotion to Bhima as a result of Bhima coming through for her big time when her world was falling apart. So, maybe, maybe not. Also, solutions to the challenges Bhima and Parvati faced seemed sometimes a bit too easy. I suppose one could say the solutions were the product of the characters’ ingenuity and base of knowledge, so, maybe, maybe not. There is a definite tendency to tell rather than show that pops up a bit too often. Umrigar uses some Hindi words in the narrative, and, while it is certainly possible to understand them from context, it would have been a nice thing to have had a glossary appended.
It was lovely to see Bhima, a good person in the earlier book, find her way forward against considerable challenges, particularly as that route entailed taking on some labors that were outside her experience. Seniors Rock! I loved how one of Bhima’s clients, Chitra, was shown, embodying an openness denied by tradition. But the largest treat for me in this book was Parvati. She is an amazing character, tough as nails, because she had to be, because that is what life forced on her. She has a chilling history, and a depth of character that allowed her to survive. Bhima may be the central pillar around which this tale is constructed, but I bet you will remember Parvati for a long, long time.
Pssssst. It is no secret that Thrity Umrigar is one of our best novelists, as she keeps proving, again and again and again. You are in for a satisfying read with The Secrets Between Us, as it boasts engaging characters, a moving story, and significant content on power, class and gender relations in India, old and new. But don’t let anyone know I said so, ok?
Review first posted – July 6, 2018
Publication date – June 26, 2018
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
Items
-----Interview – June 28, 2018 - Caroline Leavitt’s blog
-----Article by TU – May 5, 2016 – Huffington Post - Bernie Bros Made Me Finally Recognize Misogyny in America
Reviews of prior books by Thrity Umrigar
-----The Space Between Us - 2008
-----The Weight of Heaven - 2009
-----The World We Found - 2011
-----Everybody’s Son - 2016
-----Honor - 2022
July 22, 2018
Grateful is how I am feeling. Grateful for this story that has threaded its way into my heart and makes me appreciate the life I have. For although there is always something that could be better, the lives of these women will make you rethink the positives and at least, temporarily, discard the negatives.
The sequel to the space between us, continues in this exquisite tale of a Woman, Bhima, who struggles with poverty and bringing up her only grandchild alone, until an opportunity presents herself. She develops an alliance with an older, poorer, more cynical woman. Together they form a relationship of respect and through time finally share the secrets of the past that have remained hidden for fear of shame and humiliation.
Umigar takes us on a human journey of self and selflessness. At times loathing and shaming; others, victorious and rewarding in small successes that boost the human spirit in hope-in the darkness and depths of poverty where one dares to rarely elevate from.
5⭐️ for the yellow kite that now floats freely and mends the broken past.
The sequel to the space between us, continues in this exquisite tale of a Woman, Bhima, who struggles with poverty and bringing up her only grandchild alone, until an opportunity presents herself. She develops an alliance with an older, poorer, more cynical woman. Together they form a relationship of respect and through time finally share the secrets of the past that have remained hidden for fear of shame and humiliation.
Umigar takes us on a human journey of self and selflessness. At times loathing and shaming; others, victorious and rewarding in small successes that boost the human spirit in hope-in the darkness and depths of poverty where one dares to rarely elevate from.
5⭐️ for the yellow kite that now floats freely and mends the broken past.
September 9, 2018
The Breathtaking and Riveting Conclusion to The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Upon reading the opening paragraph, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was home. When I had finished The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar I felt a gaping void within me. I didn't know how to let go of Bhima and Sera. They are two of the most unforgettable protagonists I've ever experienced in literature. But worry I shan't. I found out soon after there was to be a sequel, The Secrets Between Us.
* * * * * * * *
In The Secrets Between Us we find Bhima in a very different set of circumstances than the previous novel. She is finding her way after being unceremoniously discharged from Sera's household. Bhima is not one to hang her head resignedly, and give up, though. She is one of the strongest women I've encountered, quietly demanding respect. In this sequel, we are introduced to Parvati, whom we only caught a glimpse of in The Space Between Us. She is as unique as a pink elephant. The friendship that blooms between Bhima and Parvati made my heart a flutter.
There were some serious themes in this book. Some of the most prevalent themes included poverty, sexual objectification, and inequity between the caste system.
Thrity Umrigar does it again, and again, and again. She is a beast! The language of her prose is almost poetic. When I'm reading her novels, I forget where I am. It's as if I'm in a trance-like state; Thrity Umrigarmakes the world stop. It's me and the book and nothing else. And I expect no less from a writer.
My review for The Space Between us (book1) can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Upon reading the opening paragraph, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was home. When I had finished The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar I felt a gaping void within me. I didn't know how to let go of Bhima and Sera. They are two of the most unforgettable protagonists I've ever experienced in literature. But worry I shan't. I found out soon after there was to be a sequel, The Secrets Between Us.
* * * * * * * *
In The Secrets Between Us we find Bhima in a very different set of circumstances than the previous novel. She is finding her way after being unceremoniously discharged from Sera's household. Bhima is not one to hang her head resignedly, and give up, though. She is one of the strongest women I've encountered, quietly demanding respect. In this sequel, we are introduced to Parvati, whom we only caught a glimpse of in The Space Between Us. She is as unique as a pink elephant. The friendship that blooms between Bhima and Parvati made my heart a flutter.
There were some serious themes in this book. Some of the most prevalent themes included poverty, sexual objectification, and inequity between the caste system.
Thrity Umrigar does it again, and again, and again. She is a beast! The language of her prose is almost poetic. When I'm reading her novels, I forget where I am. It's as if I'm in a trance-like state; Thrity Umrigarmakes the world stop. It's me and the book and nothing else. And I expect no less from a writer.
My review for The Space Between us (book1) can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
May 21, 2018
From the beginning, I was drawn in by the writing as I remember being when I read The Space Between Us. The story of Bhima, a poor servant continues as she works two jobs struggling to provide for her granddaughter Maya. I immediately felt as if I was back in the awful conditions, the poverty and dangers of a slum in Mumbai. It’s hard to believe that this is modern day India, but a quick internet search will lead you to numerous articles on the slums that exist in India today. As the sad things that happened to Bhima are recalled and the hard life she lives, I thought it couldn’t get any worse, until we meet Parvati, an ailing woman who sells nearly rotted vegetables at the market because that’s all she can afford to buy and sell. Her story felt like it was just too much at times, but I don’t doubt the author is depicting the reality.
Bhima recognizes the importance of education and that the only way out of the slum, out of the poverty is for Maya to continue with college. Bhima represents perhaps, the hopes of so many living there who struggle to lift themselves up when so much is stacked against them. Umigar, through the character of Sera Dubash, Bhima’s previous employer from the first novel, shows that women even in the upper class can be subjected to and suffer at the hands of male dominance.
This is not easy to read at times. It’s about the the haves and the have nots and is a commentary on class, but thankfully touching on the possibility of changing attitudes. It’s about friendships, hardships, identity and self esteem, about women with strength of character who somehow manage to uplift the reader in spite of their tough circumstances. It’s been a while since I read The Space Between Us. Having read that was my main reason for wanting to read this one. It could probably be read as a stand alone since some of what happened in the first book is reflected on here, but I think it was a more meaningful story having known Bhima from the first book.
I received an advanced copy of this book from HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
Bhima recognizes the importance of education and that the only way out of the slum, out of the poverty is for Maya to continue with college. Bhima represents perhaps, the hopes of so many living there who struggle to lift themselves up when so much is stacked against them. Umigar, through the character of Sera Dubash, Bhima’s previous employer from the first novel, shows that women even in the upper class can be subjected to and suffer at the hands of male dominance.
This is not easy to read at times. It’s about the the haves and the have nots and is a commentary on class, but thankfully touching on the possibility of changing attitudes. It’s about friendships, hardships, identity and self esteem, about women with strength of character who somehow manage to uplift the reader in spite of their tough circumstances. It’s been a while since I read The Space Between Us. Having read that was my main reason for wanting to read this one. It could probably be read as a stand alone since some of what happened in the first book is reflected on here, but I think it was a more meaningful story having known Bhima from the first book.
I received an advanced copy of this book from HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
January 23, 2024
I have not read The Space Between Us and I look forward to reading it; it is the book written before The Secrets Between Us. The main character, Bhima, is in both books.
I listened to The Secrets Between Us on audiobook and Sneha Mathan narrated it superbly! Her intonation, pace, and emotion captivated me immediately.
Bhima is illiterate and has worked in other people's homes her entire life. What little she earns is to help her granddaughter, Maya, attend college. Maya's parents are dead. Bhima encounters a bitter, ragged woman with a grapefruit size growth on her throat, Parvati. The two of them strike up an unusual friendship and end up in business together.
This masterpiece weaves together challenging issues: caste, rape, prostitution, domestic abuse, drug use, poverty, homelessness, healthcare, abortion, same-sex relationships, assumptions, biases, disrespect, and cultural norms. It's a powerful reminder to reach out and get to know people rather than make assumptions.
I listened to The Secrets Between Us on audiobook and Sneha Mathan narrated it superbly! Her intonation, pace, and emotion captivated me immediately.
Bhima is illiterate and has worked in other people's homes her entire life. What little she earns is to help her granddaughter, Maya, attend college. Maya's parents are dead. Bhima encounters a bitter, ragged woman with a grapefruit size growth on her throat, Parvati. The two of them strike up an unusual friendship and end up in business together.
This masterpiece weaves together challenging issues: caste, rape, prostitution, domestic abuse, drug use, poverty, homelessness, healthcare, abortion, same-sex relationships, assumptions, biases, disrespect, and cultural norms. It's a powerful reminder to reach out and get to know people rather than make assumptions.
September 4, 2020
This duology is so lovely that it breaks my heart. I just had the strangest reading experience. I devoured the first 90% of this book in 2 days, and then I put it down and didn’t touch it again for 2 weeks. Not because I was bored or needed a break, but because I was terrified of reaching the end. I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want to reach a point where I would no longer be reading about these characters, and so I tried to stretch out the experience for as long as possible. But yesterday, I could no longer stay away, and now the end has come 😭
Once again, the author invites us to suffer and rejoice alongside Bhima, the brave and loyal woman from the slums of Mumbai, who has dedicated her life and love to a family who would never treat her as a fellow human. But this is a different book from The Space Between Us. The Space Between Us was a tale of misery, of a painful fall, while this book is a tale of triumph, of climbing peaks higher than anything our characters have experienced in the past.
After reading The Space Between Us, I was left full of hope. It was a strange feeling. The book had been an endless string of misfortune and suffering, and nothing objectively good happened at the end; in fact, quite the opposite! And yet, I found the end hopeful in a spiritual way—we witness how Bhima’s thought process and state of mind changes, until she is unfettered and ready for a new beginning. And this book shows I was right to feel hope. Because Bhima, now free from the chains of her own mind, is ready to do wonders and conquer the merciless big city even when all is against her. And yes, the vast majority of people like Bhima never manage to achieve what she does, but no part of her journey felt unrealistic. All her struggles were real, all her victories—hard-earned and believable.
The story is so rich, so full of heart and soul, and so painfully human.
“In her time, she has known the evil that men do. But nothing matches with the evil of the Gods, who, having created humanity, now spend their days teasing and testing it.”
Once again, the author invites us to suffer and rejoice alongside Bhima, the brave and loyal woman from the slums of Mumbai, who has dedicated her life and love to a family who would never treat her as a fellow human. But this is a different book from The Space Between Us. The Space Between Us was a tale of misery, of a painful fall, while this book is a tale of triumph, of climbing peaks higher than anything our characters have experienced in the past.
After reading The Space Between Us, I was left full of hope. It was a strange feeling. The book had been an endless string of misfortune and suffering, and nothing objectively good happened at the end; in fact, quite the opposite! And yet, I found the end hopeful in a spiritual way—we witness how Bhima’s thought process and state of mind changes, until she is unfettered and ready for a new beginning. And this book shows I was right to feel hope. Because Bhima, now free from the chains of her own mind, is ready to do wonders and conquer the merciless big city even when all is against her. And yes, the vast majority of people like Bhima never manage to achieve what she does, but no part of her journey felt unrealistic. All her struggles were real, all her victories—hard-earned and believable.
The story is so rich, so full of heart and soul, and so painfully human.
July 5, 2018
I have read a few books by Thrity Umrigar, and I think this is my favourite so far. The Secrets Between Us features some of the same characters as her earlier book The Space Between Us. Set in Mumbai, India, the story focuses on Bhima and Parvati, two older women with difficult pasts living precarious lives. Bhima lives in a slum with her granddaughter, surviving on income made from cleaning and cooking for others. Parvati barely survives by selling six heads of cauliflower every day. Both women are hardened and guarded in their own ways — Bhima determined to be proper and Parvati quick to be irreverent. Through necessity, the women forge a business relationship and eventually a friendship selling produce together in the market. Their backstories are heartbreaking, but this is also a forward looking book, suggesting that there is room in modern India for women to be more independent and for the class system to lose some of its rigidity. This isn’t a literary masterpiece, but I really liked the characters — especially the relationship between Bhima and Parvati — and found the story kept me reading. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
October 5, 2022
The Secrets Between Us tells the tale of two women, fraught with unfortunate circumstances and the unconventional chance they take to change the course of their lives, as well as form an eternal bond of friendship and sisterhood.
While I haven't read the first book in the series, this was recommended to me as part of a book club read. It tells the story of Bhima, a poor servant, working tirelessly so that her granddaughter, Maya gets an education. While Bhima and Maya live in the slums of India, we are introduced to a world surrounded by the unspeakably harsh realities of poverty-stricken India.
We are also introduced to Parvati, a woman now in her old age who has lived an unthinkable life; being sold to a brothel at the age of 10. Her father chose to sell her over the cow that would continue to bring money and sustenance to his family. She continues to live in the brothel in a corner room while barely making enough money to bathe or eat.
This is not an easy read, at times unimaginably dark. The author, Thrity Umrigar, writes with an pronounced elegance and describes her scenes as poetry.
However, the book ended abruptly for me, as if Umrigar got bored with her story and decided to just shut the door.
As the story unfolded, we hold on to Bhima's broken marriage and why it fell apart. We also see the callous behavior of Parvati's father. The sudden conclusion of these two very important plots was a major downer for me. It's as if the denouement just shuts down without any warning.
I wish I could say I loved this book as it had great potential. I give it 3.5/5 stars.
While I haven't read the first book in the series, this was recommended to me as part of a book club read. It tells the story of Bhima, a poor servant, working tirelessly so that her granddaughter, Maya gets an education. While Bhima and Maya live in the slums of India, we are introduced to a world surrounded by the unspeakably harsh realities of poverty-stricken India.
We are also introduced to Parvati, a woman now in her old age who has lived an unthinkable life; being sold to a brothel at the age of 10. Her father chose to sell her over the cow that would continue to bring money and sustenance to his family. She continues to live in the brothel in a corner room while barely making enough money to bathe or eat.
This is not an easy read, at times unimaginably dark. The author, Thrity Umrigar, writes with an pronounced elegance and describes her scenes as poetry.
However, the book ended abruptly for me, as if Umrigar got bored with her story and decided to just shut the door.
As the story unfolded, we hold on to Bhima's broken marriage and why it fell apart. We also see the callous behavior of Parvati's father. The sudden conclusion of these two very important plots was a major downer for me. It's as if the denouement just shuts down without any warning.
I wish I could say I loved this book as it had great potential. I give it 3.5/5 stars.
May 30, 2019
[4+] Once I started The Secrets Between Us, I resented having to put it down, to sleep, to work. I bonded with each character and loved the way the friendships of the women, especially Bhima and Parvati, are at the forefront of this novel. The women have difficult lives, made bearable because of each other. Umrigar is a fine writer and cast a spell over me.
March 9, 2023
I really enjoyed The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. This is the sequetl to The Space Between Us
and I do think you need to have read the first in the series to enjoy the sequel
This novel takes us to India, and tells the story of Bhima and Parvati who struggle with unbelievable poverty and heartache, but their friendship tells a story of loyalty and dignity that these two women share come what may.
Having read and loved the first novel in the series I wanted to continue with the story of Bhima to find out what life had in store for her and I wasn't disappointed as The Secrets Between Us was such a page turner. Rich in characters and a beautiful sense of time and place.
You walk the streets with Bhima and Parvati and you feel invested in their stories.
This is the sort of novel you curl up and get lost in, It would make a terrific series to bring on holiday as the story is full of emotion.
I listened to this one on audible and narration was excellent.
and I do think you need to have read the first in the series to enjoy the sequel This novel takes us to India, and tells the story of Bhima and Parvati who struggle with unbelievable poverty and heartache, but their friendship tells a story of loyalty and dignity that these two women share come what may.
Having read and loved the first novel in the series I wanted to continue with the story of Bhima to find out what life had in store for her and I wasn't disappointed as The Secrets Between Us was such a page turner. Rich in characters and a beautiful sense of time and place.
You walk the streets with Bhima and Parvati and you feel invested in their stories.
This is the sort of novel you curl up and get lost in, It would make a terrific series to bring on holiday as the story is full of emotion.
I listened to this one on audible and narration was excellent.
November 12, 2018
Hands down one of my favorite books of the year, and possibly all time. The Secrets Between Us is actually the sequel to The Space Between Us, and while many people have read this one as a stand alone, I highly highly encourage you to read both books in order. Book one is just as good and sets up all the emotional and family backstory to be able to fully engage with and understand this one. Trust me - it is 100% worth the investment of time ❤️
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Set in Mumbai, this feminist tale is one of poverty and wealth, family and friends, business and the power of education, and most of all, the things that make a life worth living. The main character several times thinks to herself, “How many levels of hell can there be?”, when considering her place in the world compared to her friend’s, and this is something that will stick with me for life. Misery and poverty, as well as happiness and wealth, are all relative. Having a wider perspective can bring so much compassion and a sense of greater purpose.
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If you like international stories that will tug at your heart and that will help make you a better world citizen, read these two books ❤️ I actually listened to both of them on audio via @scribd and the performances are AMAZING. They enhanced my enjoyment of the books so much, and definitely helped set the place and tone of the story. If you are a listener, I strongly recommend this medium for these books 🎧
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Set in Mumbai, this feminist tale is one of poverty and wealth, family and friends, business and the power of education, and most of all, the things that make a life worth living. The main character several times thinks to herself, “How many levels of hell can there be?”, when considering her place in the world compared to her friend’s, and this is something that will stick with me for life. Misery and poverty, as well as happiness and wealth, are all relative. Having a wider perspective can bring so much compassion and a sense of greater purpose.
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If you like international stories that will tug at your heart and that will help make you a better world citizen, read these two books ❤️ I actually listened to both of them on audio via @scribd and the performances are AMAZING. They enhanced my enjoyment of the books so much, and definitely helped set the place and tone of the story. If you are a listener, I strongly recommend this medium for these books 🎧
July 28, 2018
What an amazing, heartfelt and uplifting book! The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar is the sequel to Thrity Umrigar's prior novel The Space Between Us. I quickly became absorbed by this book. It was so hard to put down.
As the novel began,the reader was reintroduced to Bhima, an extremely poor and illiterate Indian woman from the lowest of castes living in the slums of Mumbai. Bhima had worked for the Dubash family as their servant for over twenty years but recently found herself fired. Bhima's granddaughter, Maya, was the victim of a terrible crime committed by the son-in-law of the Dubash family. When Bhima confronted the family about the crime their son-in-law committed Bhima found herself ousted from her job and her life with the Dubash family. Sometimes things happen for a reason, though. Bhima was forced to seek new employment and because of this she became acquainted with Parvati, an old and bitter woman.
Bhima and Parvati were the most unlikely to ever become friends. They were total opposites of each other. Circumstances, though, brought the two together, into a business partnership where they worked together and sold fruit and vegetables in the market. Their lives and well beings came to depend on each other slowly over time. Secrets were revealed and their strengths complimented each other's. They came to depend on each other. As their friendship emerged, their business became more successful. Bhima and Parvati found their first friendship ever in each other.
The Secrets Between Us was a beautiful story about friendship, family, hope, faith and second chances. It demonstrated that most people are good and have good hearts. Sometimes when something devastating occurs other doors open so something good can happen.
I did not want The Secrets Between Us to end. A third book is definitely a possibility. I cried, smiled and cheered. It was well written and by the end of the book I felt like I really knew the characters well and developed a real liking for them. I highly recommend The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. I hope you like it as much as I did.
As the novel began,the reader was reintroduced to Bhima, an extremely poor and illiterate Indian woman from the lowest of castes living in the slums of Mumbai. Bhima had worked for the Dubash family as their servant for over twenty years but recently found herself fired. Bhima's granddaughter, Maya, was the victim of a terrible crime committed by the son-in-law of the Dubash family. When Bhima confronted the family about the crime their son-in-law committed Bhima found herself ousted from her job and her life with the Dubash family. Sometimes things happen for a reason, though. Bhima was forced to seek new employment and because of this she became acquainted with Parvati, an old and bitter woman.
Bhima and Parvati were the most unlikely to ever become friends. They were total opposites of each other. Circumstances, though, brought the two together, into a business partnership where they worked together and sold fruit and vegetables in the market. Their lives and well beings came to depend on each other slowly over time. Secrets were revealed and their strengths complimented each other's. They came to depend on each other. As their friendship emerged, their business became more successful. Bhima and Parvati found their first friendship ever in each other.
The Secrets Between Us was a beautiful story about friendship, family, hope, faith and second chances. It demonstrated that most people are good and have good hearts. Sometimes when something devastating occurs other doors open so something good can happen.
I did not want The Secrets Between Us to end. A third book is definitely a possibility. I cried, smiled and cheered. It was well written and by the end of the book I felt like I really knew the characters well and developed a real liking for them. I highly recommend The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. I hope you like it as much as I did.
February 16, 2018
Can I give this 6 stars?
Everyone needs to read The Space Between Us and then get ready to read this when it comes out.
Everyone needs to read The Space Between Us and then get ready to read this when it comes out.
April 20, 2020
I hope everyone is coping with this crazy COVID-19 situation and hopefully none of you or your loved ones has been affected. About 18 months ago I bought an iPad with the express intent of reading some eBooks. But I never got around to trying it. I just kept on borrowing the printed versions. The closing of our local council library has seen me finally putting the iPad to use and the two eBooks I have read so far, This Tender Land and The Secrets Between Us, have been real gems.
When I read The Space Between Us early in 2019, I was blown away, it went straight to my 2019 favourites shelf. The Secrets Between Us is the sequel – I didn’t think it possible but I actually enjoyed it even more. We reconnect with Bhima and her granddaughter Maya. At the end of the previous book Bhima was let go by her employer under dubious circumstances and is struggling with her new jobs and scrimping and saving to put Maya through college. She hatches a plan to go into business but needs the assistance of the irascible woman Parvati who has a prime location selling vegetables in the local market. An unlikely bond forms between the two women as they share their hardships and life secrets with each other. This is an uplifting story of friendship and survival and had me enthralled all the way through. The city of Mumbai and its streets, the slums, its colourful characters and changing landscape due to modernisation and the global economy comes to life and is an integral part of the story.
Could you read The Secrets Between Us without having read The Space Between Us? I think you could as Thrity Umrigar gives the reader occasional, useful background information on what happened in the first book and you would acquire a reasonable understanding of the significant events that took place. But I strongly recommend you do yourself a favour and read them both. You won’t regret it.
When I read The Space Between Us early in 2019, I was blown away, it went straight to my 2019 favourites shelf. The Secrets Between Us is the sequel – I didn’t think it possible but I actually enjoyed it even more. We reconnect with Bhima and her granddaughter Maya. At the end of the previous book Bhima was let go by her employer under dubious circumstances and is struggling with her new jobs and scrimping and saving to put Maya through college. She hatches a plan to go into business but needs the assistance of the irascible woman Parvati who has a prime location selling vegetables in the local market. An unlikely bond forms between the two women as they share their hardships and life secrets with each other. This is an uplifting story of friendship and survival and had me enthralled all the way through. The city of Mumbai and its streets, the slums, its colourful characters and changing landscape due to modernisation and the global economy comes to life and is an integral part of the story.
Could you read The Secrets Between Us without having read The Space Between Us? I think you could as Thrity Umrigar gives the reader occasional, useful background information on what happened in the first book and you would acquire a reasonable understanding of the significant events that took place. But I strongly recommend you do yourself a favour and read them both. You won’t regret it.
May 26, 2021
Sequel to The Space Between Us, where we are introduced to protagonist Bhima, a woman living with her granddaughter in the slums of Mumbai. Though it is a sequel, it can be read as a standalone, since Bhima’s backstory is told in sufficient detail to give the reader the gist of what happened previously.
The main storyline revolves around Bhima and another woman, Pavarti, who has had an even rougher life and sells six bruised cauliflowers daily to barely eke out a living. At first Pavarti believes Bhima looks down on her. Both women are scarred by past experience and have built walls around their hearts to avoid getting hurt. They almost accidentally form business partnership, and a friendship gradually develops between them.
A secondary plotline revolves around Bhima’s new employers, a lesbian couple, who treat her much better than her former employer, for whom she worked for decades. Bhima’s granddaughter is in college, working hard to get her degree, with a goal of getting herself and her grandmother out of the slum.
Umrigar is a wonderful writer, even when describing the harshness of a life in poverty: “But in the basti, one thing sizzles from hovel to hovel, much like the illegal, overhead electric wires that some of the residents have connected to their homes. It is hope. Even in the depth of their despair, hope runs like electricity throughout the basti. It is what makes the woman with no legs weave wicker baskets that she sells to a fancy shop. What makes the blind boy’s mother spend her days picking rags to pay his school fees. What makes the burn victim look for a good match for her daughter.”
The characters are vivid. It is rare for me to cry when reading a book, but this book is powerfully moving, and I admit to shedding a tear or two. The first book is well-constructed and beautifully written. The second is even better. The first is extremely sad. The second contains a more optimistic outlook.
The main storyline revolves around Bhima and another woman, Pavarti, who has had an even rougher life and sells six bruised cauliflowers daily to barely eke out a living. At first Pavarti believes Bhima looks down on her. Both women are scarred by past experience and have built walls around their hearts to avoid getting hurt. They almost accidentally form business partnership, and a friendship gradually develops between them.
A secondary plotline revolves around Bhima’s new employers, a lesbian couple, who treat her much better than her former employer, for whom she worked for decades. Bhima’s granddaughter is in college, working hard to get her degree, with a goal of getting herself and her grandmother out of the slum.
Umrigar is a wonderful writer, even when describing the harshness of a life in poverty: “But in the basti, one thing sizzles from hovel to hovel, much like the illegal, overhead electric wires that some of the residents have connected to their homes. It is hope. Even in the depth of their despair, hope runs like electricity throughout the basti. It is what makes the woman with no legs weave wicker baskets that she sells to a fancy shop. What makes the blind boy’s mother spend her days picking rags to pay his school fees. What makes the burn victim look for a good match for her daughter.”
The characters are vivid. It is rare for me to cry when reading a book, but this book is powerfully moving, and I admit to shedding a tear or two. The first book is well-constructed and beautifully written. The second is even better. The first is extremely sad. The second contains a more optimistic outlook.
August 10, 2018
Thrity Umrigar knows how to write a book that draws me in and keeps me in its clutches until the very last word. Her characters have depth and there are no gratuitous characters or tangents. The meaning unfolds with beautiful prose that allows space for the reader to react on a personal level. Generally, I’m not big on sequels but liked The Space Between Us enough to preorder this one. Glad I did.
Thrity took a minor character Parvati, the vegetable vendor, and turned her into a driving force in this book. The urban slums in modern day Mumbai come alive and haunted my consciousness. The inhabitants’ daily degradation was inescapable. I did not want all of the gruesome details but I needed them to take me out of my comfortable existence. Each of us carries our past inside of us and it is this past that inescapably directs our present. Yes, we can forge new paths, but I believe our past puts up roadblocks and forces us to take detours. To feel human, family is more important than money. Sure, that’s easy to believe if you’re not hungry and living in abject poverty. Even then, it’s still true. Bhima’s sacrifices for Maya, her granddaughter, bring hope that the cycle of poverty can be broken.
“It is not the words we speak that make us who we are. Or even the deeds we do. It is the secrets buried in our hearts.”
Or another way to say it......
“People think the ocean is made up of waves and things that float on top. But they forget the ocean is also what lies at the bottom, all the broken things stuck in the sand. That is the ocean too.”
Yep, I really loved this book.
Thrity took a minor character Parvati, the vegetable vendor, and turned her into a driving force in this book. The urban slums in modern day Mumbai come alive and haunted my consciousness. The inhabitants’ daily degradation was inescapable. I did not want all of the gruesome details but I needed them to take me out of my comfortable existence. Each of us carries our past inside of us and it is this past that inescapably directs our present. Yes, we can forge new paths, but I believe our past puts up roadblocks and forces us to take detours. To feel human, family is more important than money. Sure, that’s easy to believe if you’re not hungry and living in abject poverty. Even then, it’s still true. Bhima’s sacrifices for Maya, her granddaughter, bring hope that the cycle of poverty can be broken.
“It is not the words we speak that make us who we are. Or even the deeds we do. It is the secrets buried in our hearts.”
Or another way to say it......
“People think the ocean is made up of waves and things that float on top. But they forget the ocean is also what lies at the bottom, all the broken things stuck in the sand. That is the ocean too.”
Yep, I really loved this book.
July 20, 2018
This is a favorite author and her tales are never boring. And they highlight Indian cities and life during the most modern times of change.
Having said that, I also have to post this. That this is so sad and filled with tragedy that it can hardly be held as an "enjoyable" read. I stopped 1/2 way through for some days while reading much lighter and more joyful.
If you like the "light at the end of the tunnel" kind of development of hope or tolerance or friendship surmounting all in a death hour declaration style- and like to cry or seek out cry reads as favorites perhaps- then you will like this continuation of The Space Between Us far more than I did. Because in aspects it reminds me of the Job tale in the Bible. And every stereotype of miserable comes clearly around, despite all the poetic language surrounding the fact of it.
Truthfully, I would give it 3.5 stars rounded up for the excellent depiction of a personality with one set of values being made massively and most usually invisible or completely irrelevant by the sensibilities and standards of another time. And so having to adjust. Somehow. I rounded it up for her two principle women characters and how well she defined their conversations with each other. That was 5 star.
The "embarrassed" and "neglected" old women experience here might (I think probably) contain some equivalency for a majority of the populations of females on this entire earth that happened to be born in the first 1/2 of the 20th century and still remain alive today. Because the social and practical people to people approach (society in general too) is quite angrier and more selfish now than it was in their youth. Not by the judgments of the modern "enlightened" but by the comparisons of experiences for masses of those humans (not only the women either) within those varying periods. Despite wars and other terrible social detriments, the structures of family, community etc. were so much more defined. Strictures of class and other myriads of sensibilities and their perspectives of how "success" demonstrates itself to the wider community and to your own family and to other individuals (even to the thoughts of self-identity) are changed. As they are here within the very most important tenets and goals of these women's lives. And within the poorest strains of India- it's just magnified the "values" that have changed for the sacrifices that have been lived.
This is about two older women primarily, their life sacrifices and tales- and the values they are given for their lives. Even unto their own values for themselves and the values they give each other. Bhima from The Space Between Us is one of them. I think you'd miss some of the ambiance in this if you had not read that book first.
It's about different types of friendships too. But it is filled with betrayals, tragedy, and some ultimate social queasiness to place and being "comfortable" in the places they are too.
I found the names very difficult. More than in her previous books. And also I am ignorant of at least half of the foods, so that made some of the Parsi and also other allusions to comparisons nearly impossible for me to understand.
For some readers it will also be about the reaction of the youngest generations to a "success" model or ideal. And to others it might be about empowerment in general. Especially if you are rather in the school of "Mother Teresa" types of solutions, which I'm not.
Yet is it ultimately a very sad and painful history that you will read.
Having said that, I also have to post this. That this is so sad and filled with tragedy that it can hardly be held as an "enjoyable" read. I stopped 1/2 way through for some days while reading much lighter and more joyful.
If you like the "light at the end of the tunnel" kind of development of hope or tolerance or friendship surmounting all in a death hour declaration style- and like to cry or seek out cry reads as favorites perhaps- then you will like this continuation of The Space Between Us far more than I did. Because in aspects it reminds me of the Job tale in the Bible. And every stereotype of miserable comes clearly around, despite all the poetic language surrounding the fact of it.
Truthfully, I would give it 3.5 stars rounded up for the excellent depiction of a personality with one set of values being made massively and most usually invisible or completely irrelevant by the sensibilities and standards of another time. And so having to adjust. Somehow. I rounded it up for her two principle women characters and how well she defined their conversations with each other. That was 5 star.
The "embarrassed" and "neglected" old women experience here might (I think probably) contain some equivalency for a majority of the populations of females on this entire earth that happened to be born in the first 1/2 of the 20th century and still remain alive today. Because the social and practical people to people approach (society in general too) is quite angrier and more selfish now than it was in their youth. Not by the judgments of the modern "enlightened" but by the comparisons of experiences for masses of those humans (not only the women either) within those varying periods. Despite wars and other terrible social detriments, the structures of family, community etc. were so much more defined. Strictures of class and other myriads of sensibilities and their perspectives of how "success" demonstrates itself to the wider community and to your own family and to other individuals (even to the thoughts of self-identity) are changed. As they are here within the very most important tenets and goals of these women's lives. And within the poorest strains of India- it's just magnified the "values" that have changed for the sacrifices that have been lived.
This is about two older women primarily, their life sacrifices and tales- and the values they are given for their lives. Even unto their own values for themselves and the values they give each other. Bhima from The Space Between Us is one of them. I think you'd miss some of the ambiance in this if you had not read that book first.
It's about different types of friendships too. But it is filled with betrayals, tragedy, and some ultimate social queasiness to place and being "comfortable" in the places they are too.
I found the names very difficult. More than in her previous books. And also I am ignorant of at least half of the foods, so that made some of the Parsi and also other allusions to comparisons nearly impossible for me to understand.
For some readers it will also be about the reaction of the youngest generations to a "success" model or ideal. And to others it might be about empowerment in general. Especially if you are rather in the school of "Mother Teresa" types of solutions, which I'm not.
Yet is it ultimately a very sad and painful history that you will read.
August 18, 2020
When I learned that Thrity Umrigar had written a sequal to her book 'The Space Between Us' I was really excited but a little bit nervous. After such a long wait, what if it turned out to be a massive disappointment? I quickly re-read the first book and fell in love with it all over again. Within a couple of paragraphs of 'The Secrets Between Us', all my fears were gone. The book picked up exactly where the other left off, same tone, same passion for life, same un-put-downable joy.
The Space was a story of two women. The Secrets is much more focused on Bhima, the poor slum-dweller who loses her job, her friend and her 'almost' family at the end of The Space. Despite the terrible events that lead to Bhima being unemployed and very worried about her future and her granddaughter Maya's future, there's an amazing sense of hope about this book.
Bhima takes on two new jobs; one with a crazy old Parsi woman who makes her do bizarre rituals every time she leaves the house, and the other with a young businesswoman called Sunita.
Bhima has 'standards'. She may 'live' in a slum but she's not 'of' the slum. She won't be dragged down to the level of her neighbours. She certainly wouldn't be hanging about with ex-prostitutes or lesbians, would she? As the book progresses, she learns that people are worth so much more than their outward behaviour and what other people think about them. The book is about finding and building a real 'family' for herself and Maya with the most unexpected people.
Parvati is the wretchedly poor woman who sits in the market each day with half a dozen small 'throw-away' cauliflowers and a massive lump on her neck. She's caustic, foul-mouthed, aggressive and alone in the world. When Bhima's neighbour is killed, she finds herself helping the man's wife with a consignment of custard apples he bought before his death. With the help of Parvati and a young porter from the market, Bhima finds a new path in life, a pride in her own achievements, and a way to continue to support Maya. Phenomenal friendships are forged and I found my emotions put through the wringer again and again.
I loved the new characters. I got choked in all the right places. I hurt for the sad times and burst with joy at the happy outcomes. After the almost unremitting sadness and poverty of The Spaces, The Secrets Between Us is all about the good that can come out of the bad and it's such a fabulous book that I wanted to read it every spare moment I had, but I also feared coming to the end and knowing there was no more.
I rarely give out 5 stars but I can't give this one anything less.
August 2020 AUDIOBOOK update:
I normally 'dumb down' a bit when picking audiobooks and I would probably not have given this a go if I didn't already know I LOVED the book. Having re-read the book that precedes this one a few times (The Spaces Between Us), I knew any Thrity Umrigar book is worth another read and so I opted to listen this time.
The narrator is excellent. I particularly liked her 'Parvati voice' for the poor old lady. I already knew it was a great story and I loved it even more as an Audiobook.
I listen at 1.5x the narration speed. I was listening at the hairdressers at the weekend (our hairdresser is doing one person per room due to Covid so I wasn't disturbing anybody and I was listening whilst my colour was doing its stuff). The hairdresser asked me if I was listening to a book in a foreign language. I guess if you're not as used to the Indian accent as I am, it could be hard to follow at speed.
But it's SO worth it.
The Space was a story of two women. The Secrets is much more focused on Bhima, the poor slum-dweller who loses her job, her friend and her 'almost' family at the end of The Space. Despite the terrible events that lead to Bhima being unemployed and very worried about her future and her granddaughter Maya's future, there's an amazing sense of hope about this book.
Bhima takes on two new jobs; one with a crazy old Parsi woman who makes her do bizarre rituals every time she leaves the house, and the other with a young businesswoman called Sunita.
Bhima has 'standards'. She may 'live' in a slum but she's not 'of' the slum. She won't be dragged down to the level of her neighbours. She certainly wouldn't be hanging about with ex-prostitutes or lesbians, would she? As the book progresses, she learns that people are worth so much more than their outward behaviour and what other people think about them. The book is about finding and building a real 'family' for herself and Maya with the most unexpected people.
Parvati is the wretchedly poor woman who sits in the market each day with half a dozen small 'throw-away' cauliflowers and a massive lump on her neck. She's caustic, foul-mouthed, aggressive and alone in the world. When Bhima's neighbour is killed, she finds herself helping the man's wife with a consignment of custard apples he bought before his death. With the help of Parvati and a young porter from the market, Bhima finds a new path in life, a pride in her own achievements, and a way to continue to support Maya. Phenomenal friendships are forged and I found my emotions put through the wringer again and again.
I loved the new characters. I got choked in all the right places. I hurt for the sad times and burst with joy at the happy outcomes. After the almost unremitting sadness and poverty of The Spaces, The Secrets Between Us is all about the good that can come out of the bad and it's such a fabulous book that I wanted to read it every spare moment I had, but I also feared coming to the end and knowing there was no more.
I rarely give out 5 stars but I can't give this one anything less.
August 2020 AUDIOBOOK update:
I normally 'dumb down' a bit when picking audiobooks and I would probably not have given this a go if I didn't already know I LOVED the book. Having re-read the book that precedes this one a few times (The Spaces Between Us), I knew any Thrity Umrigar book is worth another read and so I opted to listen this time.
The narrator is excellent. I particularly liked her 'Parvati voice' for the poor old lady. I already knew it was a great story and I loved it even more as an Audiobook.
I listen at 1.5x the narration speed. I was listening at the hairdressers at the weekend (our hairdresser is doing one person per room due to Covid so I wasn't disturbing anybody and I was listening whilst my colour was doing its stuff). The hairdresser asked me if I was listening to a book in a foreign language. I guess if you're not as used to the Indian accent as I am, it could be hard to follow at speed.
But it's SO worth it.
February 11, 2018
I've loved everything I've read by this author.
September 20, 2018
Thrity Umrigar’s The Space Between Us was probably one of my best books of 2016. I don’t think I gave it five stars because of the relentless harshness of Bhima, the central character’s life, but it’s one I’ve never forgotten especially as the ending left me wanting more. I was thrilled, therefore, to see that Umrigar had written a sequel to that novel and enjoyed this one just as much, if not more.
The novel begins the day after the other left off and again, we follow Bhima and Maya, her granddaughter as they keep trying to keep their heads above water in the slums of Mumbai. They meet several new characters and one old, Parvati, who was featured briefly in the last book. Parvati’s story is told throughout the story, piece by piece and she is an often sympathetic and engaging character in her seventies with a foul mouth and a fierce intelligence. This really is a novel about two elderly women and the contrast between their lives and the lives of those two generations beyond them. The descriptions of the slums and the city as a whole, the way in which it is changing, leaving some behind while others soar is wonderfully done as is the characterization.
I wouldn’t want to give too much away but this is a happier book despite the tales of hardship, showing the power of friends and that, despite many negative changes, some things in modern India are changing for the better. Thrity Umrigar just does a wonderful job of making us care about these characters and want them be happy and although I had small reservations about the ending, I was glad that there was a happier resolution. A wonderful read for me.
N.B. The acknowledgements for the book are, unusually, on the very first pages and they are worth reading, Thrity Umrigar doesn’t just list the usual suspects but specifically acknowledges other writers as well as readers which I thought was a nice touch.
Some Favorite lines
‘At her age, time has stopped flowing in a linear fashion; rather, it ebbs and swirls, creating a whirlpool at its center that on most days swallows her whole. Her yesterdays have lost their bite; it is her todays that come bearing down with fangs and claws that she has to watch out for.’
‘Nothing slows the crowd down, nothing makes it pause. It is as if everyone in this city is chasing his or her fortune and to get at it, they will stand on and crush the heads of their own mothers. There is only one unforgivable sin in this city, and that is the sin of poverty.’
The novel begins the day after the other left off and again, we follow Bhima and Maya, her granddaughter as they keep trying to keep their heads above water in the slums of Mumbai. They meet several new characters and one old, Parvati, who was featured briefly in the last book. Parvati’s story is told throughout the story, piece by piece and she is an often sympathetic and engaging character in her seventies with a foul mouth and a fierce intelligence. This really is a novel about two elderly women and the contrast between their lives and the lives of those two generations beyond them. The descriptions of the slums and the city as a whole, the way in which it is changing, leaving some behind while others soar is wonderfully done as is the characterization.
I wouldn’t want to give too much away but this is a happier book despite the tales of hardship, showing the power of friends and that, despite many negative changes, some things in modern India are changing for the better. Thrity Umrigar just does a wonderful job of making us care about these characters and want them be happy and although I had small reservations about the ending, I was glad that there was a happier resolution. A wonderful read for me.
N.B. The acknowledgements for the book are, unusually, on the very first pages and they are worth reading, Thrity Umrigar doesn’t just list the usual suspects but specifically acknowledges other writers as well as readers which I thought was a nice touch.
Some Favorite lines
‘At her age, time has stopped flowing in a linear fashion; rather, it ebbs and swirls, creating a whirlpool at its center that on most days swallows her whole. Her yesterdays have lost their bite; it is her todays that come bearing down with fangs and claws that she has to watch out for.’
‘Nothing slows the crowd down, nothing makes it pause. It is as if everyone in this city is chasing his or her fortune and to get at it, they will stand on and crush the heads of their own mothers. There is only one unforgivable sin in this city, and that is the sin of poverty.’
July 13, 2019
How does Bhima's past fit into her present? Are Bhima's misfortunes her greatest treasures? Are the secrets we carry a unifying element in our relationships? Is holding onto grief the way we legitimize the things we have lost or broken?
Thrity Umrigar takes you back to India where the first book, The Spaces Between Us, left off.
The Secrets Between Us allows you to peek into daily Indian life and culture through the eyes of two poor elderly females Bhima and Parvati.
Bhima is raising her granddaughter, Maya, after losing her own daughter to AIDS. Bhima struggles to put Maya through college and takes multiple jobs after being fired from the Dubash family. Bhima gets a small taste of independence, selling fruit in the marketplace and balancing housework for the rich while playing tug-of-war with the caste system in India. She watches Maya changing along with Mumbai but isn't sure how she fits into this picture.
Parvati has nothing except a large mass growth to call her own. Her secrets lay deep within the darkness of her past where only she alone can find them. Her health and life depend on selling six old cauliflower at the fruit market until Bhima and her develop a business plan. Tougher than nails, Parvati relies on her past to gather strength and courage in her present. She challenges religion, the culture, and her newfound companion Bhima.
The ending of this book was majestic. I was sad that the story was over.
Thrity Umrigar takes you back to India where the first book, The Spaces Between Us, left off.
The Secrets Between Us allows you to peek into daily Indian life and culture through the eyes of two poor elderly females Bhima and Parvati.
Bhima is raising her granddaughter, Maya, after losing her own daughter to AIDS. Bhima struggles to put Maya through college and takes multiple jobs after being fired from the Dubash family. Bhima gets a small taste of independence, selling fruit in the marketplace and balancing housework for the rich while playing tug-of-war with the caste system in India. She watches Maya changing along with Mumbai but isn't sure how she fits into this picture.
Parvati has nothing except a large mass growth to call her own. Her secrets lay deep within the darkness of her past where only she alone can find them. Her health and life depend on selling six old cauliflower at the fruit market until Bhima and her develop a business plan. Tougher than nails, Parvati relies on her past to gather strength and courage in her present. She challenges religion, the culture, and her newfound companion Bhima.
The ending of this book was majestic. I was sad that the story was over.
May 18, 2018
Although this novel is a sequel to The Space between Us, it is perfectly fine to read as a stand alone. Heartbreaking,yet uplifting with coarse yet authentic dialogue, it had me mesmerized from the very start. Two women, living in the Mumbai slums, find their worlds intersecting as they try to eke out a living,beginning to understand and appreciate one another's strengths. Bhima, coming from a loving marriage, works diligently to try to provide an education for her granddaughter Maya. In the market she meets Parvati, a dour thick skinned elderly lady, selling her few measly cauliflowers as she squats on her haunches trying to make bare ends meet. Their worlds collide here as they both begin to develop an appreciation of each other's strengths, as they peel away the layers of prejudice and open the doorways to beginning communication with one another. By sharing their untold secrets, they learn respect and love for one another. There is so much to be gained in exploring this book as it plows through caste systems, prejudice, gay relationships, brothels and the meaning of sacrifice. As painful as some passages may be, and indeed, I shed quite a few tears, this is ultimately an uplifting experience and not to be missed.
June 26, 2018
THE SECRETS BETWEEN US by Thrity Umrigar is a beautifully-written and moving sequel to her bestselling novel, THE SPACE BETWEEN US. The sequel could be read as a stand-alone, but the story was even more meaningful to me because of everything I learned about the characters from the first book. Set in modern day Mumbai, THE SECRETS BETWEEN US picks up the story of Bhima, an impoverished servant who struggles against class limitations and sad twists of fate to provide a better life for herself and her granddaughter, Maya. Bhima’s life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with Parvati, a bitter old woman who is even worse off than Bhima. By learning to trust each other and sharing some of their secrets, they forge a strong bond that lifts them up from their pasts and empowers them both with hope for the future. Umrigar writes with vivid honesty about the unimaginably horrible conditions and ever-present danger in the slums. I was completely drawn in to this powerful story of love, family, friendship and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable adversity. This emotional and thought-provoking book is sure to stay with me for a long time to come. I won an early copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
August 16, 2018
If you read and enjoyed "The Space Between Us", you should definitely read this sequel. I'm sure that the book could stand alone but I don't know if it would have the same impact without reading the first in the series. I almost gave up reading this because the descriptions of life in the Mumbai slum were almost unbearable and I don't doubt that conditions are as-described or worse. My heart breaks for those poor people who have no choice but to struggle for survival in the most deplorable conditions. However, it's like reading about slavery and/or the holocaust: I'm not sure I've got the stomach for that stuff anymore. You can't really "enjoy" a book like this, despite the high quality of writing (unless you're a sadist). Still the plot, characters and setting carried me away so I have to say it was a good book.
December 31, 2022
A gem of a book – a poignant and heart-rending story of two strong-willed and proud women, buffeted by the inequities thrown at them by society and the adversities they face consequently. Despite their grinding poverty, cast aside by family and friends, homeless, friendless, physically weak and tormented by diseases, they are still spiritually undefeated and seek comfort in small delights and in the friendship with one another.
There are some very telling descriptions in the book. Here is a glimpse of life in the slums
There are some very telling descriptions in the book. Here is a glimpse of life in the slums
everyday sounds of misery that circle the basti like satellites: crazed-with-worry mothers loudly berating their idle, unemployed sons; the screams of women protecting their last rupee from their violent, hashish-addicted husbands; the high-pitched squealing of dogs being kicked and maimed by bored children; the vile, steady stream of curses muttered by mothers-in-law towards women their sons have married; the loud demands of slumlords threatening eviction and moneylenders threatening injury.On poverty
everyone in this city is chasing his or her fortune and to get at it, they will stand on and crush the heads of their own mothers. There is only one unforgivable sin in this city, and that is the sin of poverty. Everything else is taken in stride – corruption at the highest and lowest levels, disloyalty, betrayal.The apt title of the book
There is only one true evil. And that is being poor. With money, a sinner can be worshipped as a saint. A murderer can be elected chief minister. A rapist can become a respectable family man. And the owner of a brothel can be a Principal.
It isn’t the words we speak that make us who we are. Or even the deeds we do. It is the secrets buried in our hearts…People think that the ocean is made up of waves and things that float on the top. But they forget – the ocean is also what lies at the bottom, all the broken things stuck in the sand. That, too, is the ocean.On seeing the minuscule amount of ashes left after a cremation, the protagonist observes
It is hard enough to accept that this is what the physical body amounts to. But what about a person’s anger? What about her voice? Her laughter? Her arrogance? Her irreverence? Her humour, her ego, her honour, her character? Do these fingerprints of an individual life simply evaporate and disappear with the last exhale?...City dwellers on seeing the open countryside for the first time
It is the green that confuses them, shocks them, that makes bubbles of delighted laughter spurt involuntarily from their mouths. It is its lushness, its promiscuity, like a woman sitting with her lags splayed, that makes their city blink in astonishment, as they contrast the browns and blacks of their lives with this lavish fertile green.A wonderful book!
September 20, 2025
I loved The Space Between Us and was reluctant to pick up this sequel as I did not expect it to be as good. Well, color me delighted.
This book picks up right where The Space Between Us ends, and you must read that one first. I appreciated the skillful exploration of poverty, class, family, community, and gender. The subject matter is tough and Umrigar doesn't pull any of her punches. While I have my criticisms and that ending felt a tad too pat, I was along for this emotional ride from the very first page and was rooting for the women every step of the way.
I listened to the audiobook which is wonderfully narrated by Sneha Mathan, and would highly recommend this on audio.
Rating for Thrity Umrigar books
The Space Between Us (Between Us #1) - 5
The Secrets Between Us (Between Us #2) - 5
Honor - 4
The Museum of Failures - 3
The Story Hour -2
This book picks up right where The Space Between Us ends, and you must read that one first. I appreciated the skillful exploration of poverty, class, family, community, and gender. The subject matter is tough and Umrigar doesn't pull any of her punches. While I have my criticisms and that ending felt a tad too pat, I was along for this emotional ride from the very first page and was rooting for the women every step of the way.
I listened to the audiobook which is wonderfully narrated by Sneha Mathan, and would highly recommend this on audio.
Rating for Thrity Umrigar books
The Space Between Us (Between Us #1) - 5
The Secrets Between Us (Between Us #2) - 5
Honor - 4
The Museum of Failures - 3
The Story Hour -2
May 17, 2020
An excellent sequel to The Space Between Us
. I'm not sure if it would stand on its own. One of the main protagonists is Bhima, whose story we learned in The Space Between Us. This one takes up where that one left off. Maya, her granddaughter, is still living with her in their hovel in the slums. A minor character in Space, Parvati, an old woman selling old cauliflower heads in the market, becomes a major character. This is the story of the growing friendship and love between Bhima and Parvati. It's also the story of Mumbai in the aughts (2001-2010), where major changes are happening and lots of traditions and rules are coming into question. New characters appear to illustrate those changes. My one problem is with the use of Hindi words without translation (I think I had the same problem with Space). But on the whole, enjoyable and educational.
. I'm not sure if it would stand on its own. One of the main protagonists is Bhima, whose story we learned in The Space Between Us. This one takes up where that one left off. Maya, her granddaughter, is still living with her in their hovel in the slums. A minor character in Space, Parvati, an old woman selling old cauliflower heads in the market, becomes a major character. This is the story of the growing friendship and love between Bhima and Parvati. It's also the story of Mumbai in the aughts (2001-2010), where major changes are happening and lots of traditions and rules are coming into question. New characters appear to illustrate those changes. My one problem is with the use of Hindi words without translation (I think I had the same problem with Space). But on the whole, enjoyable and educational.
August 20, 2018
Thrity Umrigar is one of my favorite authors and I was thrilled to see this sequel to The Space Between Us. This book is excellent, so sad and beautiful, wonderful writing. Read the first book first, though. This is just icing on the cake.
February 4, 2020
Rarely do I finish a book and need more. I’m usually at peace and resolved with however the author decides to end their story. Years ago when I finished reading The Space Between Us, I was unsettled. I kept thinking about Bhima and wondering how she would/could move forward. So much loss, so much strength.
When I heard The Secrets Between Us was released, I hesitated. I wasn’t sure I remembered details, or wanted to. I’m so happy I got to revisit with Bhima and loved how the authors gave depth to other characters who didn’t figure as prominently in TSBU.
A story of secrets, ‘place’, friendships, love and survival. This time when I fished, I was content.
When I heard The Secrets Between Us was released, I hesitated. I wasn’t sure I remembered details, or wanted to. I’m so happy I got to revisit with Bhima and loved how the authors gave depth to other characters who didn’t figure as prominently in TSBU.
A story of secrets, ‘place’, friendships, love and survival. This time when I fished, I was content.
October 2, 2019
I loved it and was thoroughly engrossed. How she ever gets into the heads of India's truly poor and struggling is amazing to me. I followed the stories of the two older women with great fascination. It is hard to think that the right to sleep on a stair, tea being a luxury, hot water to bathe a luxury.... I want to read the author's biography next of her own privileged childhood to see how she reached out in her heart to this world of bitter poverty and how the women can be decent, giving people in spite of it.
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