Tehmina Sethna's beloved husband has died this past year and she is visiting her son, Sorab, in his suburban Ohio home. Now Tehmina is being as... read full description
reviews
Dec 29, 2011
Shelley
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I would give this novel a 2-1/2 star if I could. It wasn't the best writing and it did go on and on quite a bit about some things and it was quite predictable as well, but it's not too often that I find myself wanting to laugh out loud as I did in this story as it was just too cute to hold back. It's about a 66 year old Parsi woman who can't make up her mind where to live as her beloved husband, Rustom, passed away the year before. She has to choose whether to live in Ohio with her son, Sorab
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Jun 23, 2008
Erica
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I really enjoyed this book. Great infomation about Indian culture.
In Umrigar's tender fourth novel, Tehmina "Tammy" Sethna is torn between two cultures that couldn't be more different: Bombay and Cleveland. The former is her homeland, but after her husband's recent death, she's been staying with her son and his family in America. Tehmina loves being near grandson Cookie, but she often feels like an intruder in her American daughter-in-law's home, and she's disconcerted by More...
In Umrigar's tender fourth novel, Tehmina "Tammy" Sethna is torn between two cultures that couldn't be more different: Bombay and Cleveland. The former is her homeland, but after her husband's recent death, she's been staying with her son and his family in America. Tehmina loves being near grandson Cookie, but she often feels like an intruder in her American daughter-in-law's home, and she's disconcerted by More...
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Aug 14, 2008
Susan
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It's a sweet story, about a recently widowed woman from Bombay who tries to decide whether to move to suburban Ohio to live with family. But she spends the entire book deciding. Fortunately, she's an interesting character, but often annoying because she's indecisive. Finally something happens (she rescues two children) and gets off the fence, literally: Her deciding moment comes as she's climbing a fence, trying to decide on which side to jump down. Too literal a metaphor for me. But the c
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Aug 09, 2010
Kieran
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A really good book though not as emotionally developed as The Space Between Us. Clearly Umrigar understands the nuances of emigration (the pull from home), the intensity of a new environment and the heartbreak of indecision (for those with the luxury of choice). Tehmina's new life isnt as predictable as might be expeted. She's recently widowed, so clearly bereaved and deals with a myriad of cultural anamolies that are mostly beyond her reach yet accutely within her comprehension. Her son has his
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Jun 14, 2009
June
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This is the 3rd Umrigar book I have read and my second favorite. I still believe "The Space between Us" is by far her best book so far. I am not sure if it was true in "The Space..." as well, but I find that Umrigar goes into such long episodes of characters' thoughts that it is disorienting once she comes back to the scene. This was more so a problem in Bombay Time (when there were many more characters) but it happens quite often in this novel as well. But this book succe
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Jun 06, 2011
Lisa
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This book took off a bit slowly for me and then picked up a lot at the end. So, if you are planning to read it, or are reading it, don't give up. It gets better as you turn the pages!!
This is a story about a new widow, who has recently lost her husband and sole mate, Rustom. Tehmina Sethna is from Bomboy and visiting her son Sorab in Ohio. Though she has been to visit her son, his American wife, and grandson Cookie before, it is the first time she has been there without Rustom who More...
This is a story about a new widow, who has recently lost her husband and sole mate, Rustom. Tehmina Sethna is from Bomboy and visiting her son Sorab in Ohio. Though she has been to visit her son, his American wife, and grandson Cookie before, it is the first time she has been there without Rustom who More...
Mar 30, 2011
Candice
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I have been a fan of Thrity Umrigar since I read The Space between Us. Here is another excellent book by a talented author. Tehmina’s beloved husband, Rustom, had just died and the Mumbai native is living in Cleveland with her son and his American wife and son. She knows she must decide whether she will continue to live in America or return to her native India, and it’s not an easy task. As she weighs the pros and cons of life in these two very different parts of the world, we wonder what we
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Feb 21, 2010
Sarah
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I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it did not hit so close to my own experiences.
Tehmina recently lost her husband and moves to the US to live with her son, his American wife, and their son. The whole book centers around her experience of loss, change, America, and whether or not she will stay in America with her son. What I enjoyed about the book was how detailed Umrigar's depiction of the characters and their emotions was. For example, she goes into great detail ab More...
Tehmina recently lost her husband and moves to the US to live with her son, his American wife, and their son. The whole book centers around her experience of loss, change, America, and whether or not she will stay in America with her son. What I enjoyed about the book was how detailed Umrigar's depiction of the characters and their emotions was. For example, she goes into great detail ab More...
Aug 11, 2011
Susan
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This was a kind of silly book in many ways. There were some things that were interesting, but it wasn't nearly as good as The Space Between Us. Tehmina is a 66 year old widow who has come from Bombay to stay with her son and American daughter-in-law while trying to decide where to spend the rest of her life: in America with them or back in Bombay. There's a lot of agonizing over this decision by all parties. Then there's a sub-plot in involving an abusive mother living next door. The way this pl
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Jul 05, 2010
Kate
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I have been reading periodically books dealing with immigration or the immigrant's experience in America. I enjoyed this novel which focused on Tehmina, who's husband of many years (Rustom) dies suddenly. She travels to Ohio to visit with her son (Sorab) and his white American wife (Susan) and their son Cavas (nicknamed Cookie). Sorab and Susan want her to move to the U.S. and live with them -- kind of. She is on the fence -- she loves her son and grandson more than anything, but is not sure she
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Dec 15, 2008
Sarah
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This is an incredibly sweet-natured and even corny book, and I enjoyed it despite the stereotyped characters and occasionally wooden writing and imagery. Umrigar is writing about an older Parsi woman who comes to the USA to stay with her son and daughter-in-law after her beloved husband dies. She must decide whether to move to the US, or return to her life in Bombay. The whole book involves her sitting "on the fence," including a literal fence-sitting scene. But I enjoyed the detai
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Apr 10, 2009
Louise
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Another astounding and deeply tender novel from Ms. Umrigar that teaches and tells us about the slow pace, wonderful sights and sounds of India and how to take life as it comes.
Tehmina is a widow from India who has come to America to visit with her son Sorab, a 38-year-old with an American wife named Susan and one son, Cookie. Sorab had left his native India to pursue an education in the United States and never left after he graduated. Tehmina is devastated and lost without her belov More...
Tehmina is a widow from India who has come to America to visit with her son Sorab, a 38-year-old with an American wife named Susan and one son, Cookie. Sorab had left his native India to pursue an education in the United States and never left after he graduated. Tehmina is devastated and lost without her belov More...
May 05, 2011
Maayan
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I love Umrigar's sing-songy writing voice, and this story is somehow warm and familiar to me (a feeling I get with a lot of contemporary Indian writing)... I think my sense of comfort with these characters and their lives stems from my own cross-cultural upbringing. I didn't love this story as much as I loved The Space Between Us, but it was good, and moved quickly and fluidly. I think it just didn't hold up to The Space Between Us, so my expectations were high. This is a very different story. S
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Aug 18, 2010
Coralie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 21, 2009
Jan
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Alida recommended this book to me at Chautauqua. It was one of the CLSC selections for this year. Although our copy had a picture of a woman in a sari on the cover, it is not a book only for women. My husband Eric and I both read it and he thought it was one of the best he's read. It concerns a widow from Bombay who has to decide whether to live with her son and his American wife and grandson in Cleveland.( They have asked her to move in with them,) or to return to Bombay where she feels more at
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Feb 01, 2011
Christine
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This is a charming book with lovely characters. The book focuses on a woman from Bombay who comes to the states to live with her--clearly there are themes of the clash of cultures and the expected fall-out from that--issues of food intolerance, different expectations for children, how to approach one's work life, etc. But even broader than that, Umrigar manages to develop characters who have to deal with more universal issues: aging, how to accept in-laws whose ways are different than expecte
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Mar 16, 2009
Tehmina's husband dies and she has to decide whether she will continue to live in India or move to the United States with her son and his American wife. We learn about the close relationship Tehmina had with her husband and her journey of bereavement. There are so many themes in this book: loss of a loved one, the immigrant experience, culture clashes, generational differences and so much more.
CLICK HERE to find "If Today be Sweet" in Bismarck Public Library's online More...
CLICK HERE to find "If Today be Sweet" in Bismarck Public Library's online More...
Aug 12, 2008
Shakirah
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When I first read The Space Between Us by Umrigar, I was so mesmerised by her authorship that I was googling to find if she has any other published books. I was disappointed, then. That must have been about 2 years ago. A few days back when I was googling again to satisfy my craving for a shot of good literary work, I was elated to find quite a number of books by her and decided to take a trip to the bookstore to get this one. It is not as fast a read as the Space but as poignant and evocative
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Jul 01, 2008
Pamela
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Apparently I have chosen the wrong book of this author to explore. Why did I abandon this book? My top reasons: 1)after 3 chapters I found the writing to be incredibly cheesy . It almost seemed as if it was written by a junior high kid. Of course, I'm not a fabulous writer either but it is not my profession. 2) Please remember I've only read 3 chapters in this book when I say this and things might change later in the story. The writer points out what is "wrong" with every American char
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Mar 03, 2011
Rachael
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There was a lot I really loved about this book, particularly the main character. Tehima is recently widowed and temporarily living with her son and family in Ohio while she decides if she should stay here or return to her beloved India. Her love for family is strong and she carries much life wisdom. The comparisons between the Parsi and American way of life are also strong. Unfortunately, the writing is uneven and the dialogue is quite awkward at times in it's efforts to convey modern Americ
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Jul 26, 2009
i really needed to read something a little uplifting. i think this worked. the dialogue is a bit unnatural at times. there was also this pervasive idea that mother=all good by default--meaning any abberation is the result of bad life circumstances. so i guess the book at times seemed a little oversimplified. but i liked that this was largely written from the point of view of a middle-aged foreigner who struggles to accept her son's and her own relationship to a place that's not her home.
Aug 09, 2009
Heather
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Book was recommended by my mother-in-law. It's a story about a Parsi widow caught between her Indian past and potential American future. Overall, it's a good story but the writing can be laborious. The author is too prone to long asides and internal dialogue which slows the storyline movement. Then as the plot hits its pivotal movement, the author completely forgets to wrap up the storyline of the neighbors and the book ends in a series of cliches. Overall, it's an okay book and would only
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Mar 24, 2009
Jacki
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I thought that this book was really sweet. It was easy to fall in love with the lovable characters. Tammy and her son were great characters and I really liked seeing America from a different perspective.
My trouble with this book was that it was really, really predictable. I knew going in just about exactly what was going to happen. To be honest, it was fine though because it was a shorter book and I enjoyed reading about these characters.
My trouble with this book was that it was really, really predictable. I knew going in just about exactly what was going to happen. To be honest, it was fine though because it was a shorter book and I enjoyed reading about these characters.
Jan 31, 2009
Pamela
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I found this a sweet book, but a bit heavy-handed. The 66 year-old Parsi protagonist from Bombay looks at her life and her family and tries to determine her direction. The continous talk of the decision making is a bit too much. And the characters are developed more my obsvervation of the other characters rather than their own actions.
However the characters are sympathetic and the story has a universal appeal - fitting in with in-laws, moving from one culture to another.
However the characters are sympathetic and the story has a universal appeal - fitting in with in-laws, moving from one culture to another.
Feb 07, 2012
Mary
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I really enjoyed this story of recently widowed Tehmina (Tammy) who must decide whether or not to move from her homeland in India to live with her son and his family in Ohio.
Tammy struggles to define her new identity as a widow as she attempts to fit in with her son's American family who seem to have moved far away from her Indian traditions. A moving, character centered story of family relationships and cultural traditions.
Tammy struggles to define her new identity as a widow as she attempts to fit in with her son's American family who seem to have moved far away from her Indian traditions. A moving, character centered story of family relationships and cultural traditions.
May 20, 2011
Chia-Yu
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Overall, I enjoyed this book. I always have a soft spot in my heart for the immigrant-related books. Umrigar has a great observation of the North American culture, and it echoed many of my own thoughts. Besides the 66 years old main character, I can also identify myself with her son (who went to US from India when he was young and decided to stay in that foreign country). The struggles and dilemma are all so familiar!
Feb 11, 2009
Leo
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It was hard to rate this book, because some things about it I really liked, and some not so much. The overall plot I really enjoyed and I was really touched by the ending. Some of the writing seemed to me a bit amateurish - for me, there was a bit too much of "her heart swelled with love" kind of sentences. It's a little hard to describe :).
However, overall it was an enjoyable experience and I was glad to get to know the characters.
However, overall it was an enjoyable experience and I was glad to get to know the characters.
Mar 14, 2009
Judy
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This is the story of an Indian woman in her 60's from Bombay, now Mumbai who needs to make a decision of where to live: Mumbai or the US. Her life events that have necessitated this decision and her interactions with those she meets is heartwarming. You also get a picture of life in Mumbai. I loved it so that i went on to read another by the same author.
Jan 02, 2009
Geraldine
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My daughter gave me this book and I admit that I was hesitant to read yet another book by an Indian woman -- expecting woe, misery and cruelty. Instead I found a delightful storyteller who weaves Indian culture into plots with which we can all identify. This book is about a mother who must decide whether to continue to live in Bombay or move to America.
May 08, 2011
Elle
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This book was an easy read. Intriguing tale of two cultures. A recent widow from India staying with her son and his American wife and young child with a question of whether she will stay in the USA or return to her apartment and life in India. The culture clash carries this story. It is a tale of trying to fit in and find a place for yourself. I liked it.
