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Whistle Stopper - The Space Between Us: A Novel (P.S.)
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List Price: $14.95
Our Price: $8.15
Your Save: $ 6.80 ( 45% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780060791568
ISBN: 006079156X
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 352
Publication Date: 2007-02-01
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: 2007-02-06
Studio: Harper Perennial
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Authentic... takes you there
Comment: I have read many novels set in India, many great, but not many that feel so authentic. This novel brings so much to life--the slums of India, the class system, juxtaposition/intermingling of wealth and poverty, and the complexity of life in a world where class is deeply rooted in religion, tradition, acceptance, etc. And it does it without resorting to what I consider "Bollywood" tactics--no weird coincidences, no savior appearing from nowhere, spontaneous dancing ;), etc.
There are many wonderful reviews here with summaries, so I will not offer one. One review contended that the ending did not feel "true to the characters," and I can understand that assessment. It might have made Sera's story more full circle had she defended Bhima and saved Dinaz from a potentially philandering husband. But I am Indian and I know Indian women Sera's age... no matter how much she wanted to, there's no way she could have chosen Bhima over her family. It rang true to me. And even if it had gone the other way, with Sera being the "freed and enlightened" one, it would have been a sad story bc of the loss/deterioration of her family.
The characters will stay with you, the prose is wonderful--never full of itself and intrusive, and this title (so apt) will cause you to consider the spaces between you and those in your world, something we often purposely ignore.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Positively Wonderful
Comment: Racism, cultural differences/disparities, relationships, tradition and of course the chasms between people-particularly painful when these people live in the same household.
Thoughtful, selective, evocative use of words-as in that's exactly what it feels like-ooh that hurts.
Ms. Umrigar is a wonderfully gifted writer-I just wish she wrote more!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Richly told, a depressing story of a domestic servant in India
Comment: Warning: some spoilers, but certainly not giving away the ending:
The Space Between Us is a beautiful yet depressing novel that realistically captures the everyday relationship between the Indian social classes. Having lived in a similar situation growing up, Thrity Umrigar breathes life into a story lived by untold millions.
In The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar weaves a story between the lives of Serabai, a Parsi middle class widow; and Bhima, her domestic servant for several decades. Serabai's extremely abusive and controlling husband dies suddenly leaving her to finally experience peace and happiness in her family life. In contrast, Bhima's husband loses three fingers on his hand and is left unemployed and unable to support his family. He turns to alcohol and then leaves her taking her only son with him. Bhima is forced to move to a tin shack in the slums without even running water, electricity, or private bathrooms. Her daughter and son in law die of AIDS in a poorly run underfunded government hospital leaving Bhima to raise her granddaughter.
Serabai lovingly cares for Bhimas granddaughter providing her with an education that is abruptly halted and her life possibly forever changed for the worse.
The Space Between Us goes from bad to worse as tragedy, pain, and hopelessness take over. The really depressing part is that this story is just a snapshot of the real situation taking place in many third world countries as well as India.
I highly recommend this book to book clubs because it is so thought provoking and can lead to some serious conversations and observations. I really look forward to reading additional books by this author. Ms. Umrigar has an unusual ability to breathe her characters to life. Her descriptions are rich, colorful, and full of texture. She does not waste a single word in the entire book.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: its alright...
Comment: The book is quite depressing. No major, exciting plot, just day-to-day story.
I Wonder why women who are beat by their husbands don't run?
Customer Rating:
Summary: a wonderful book
Comment: beautifully written, with dialogue that one can savor. the characters are multi-layered, thoughtful, credible. the story is gripping. I was sorry when I finished it......
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Editorial Reviews:
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The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar's poignant novel about a wealthy woman and her downtrodden servant, offers a revealing look at class and gender roles in modern day Bombay. Alternatively told through the eyes of Sera, a Parsi widow whose pregnant daughter and son-in-law share her elegant home, and Bhima, the elderly housekeeper who must support her orphaned granddaughter, Umrigar does an admirable job of creating two sympathetic characters whose bond goes far deeper than that of employer and employee. When we first meet Bhima, she is sharing a thin mattress with Maya, the granddaughter upon whom high hopes and dreams were placed, only to be shattered by an unexpected pregnancy and its disastrous consequences. As time goes on, we learn that Sera and her family have used their power and money time and time again to influence the lives of Bhima and Maya, from caring for Bhima's estranged husband after a workplace accident, to providing the funds for Maya's college education. We also learn that Sera's seemingly privileged life is not as it appears; after enduring years of cruelty under her mother-in-law's roof, she faced physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband, pain that only Bhima could see and alleviate. Yet through the triumphs and tragedies, Sera and Bhima always shared a bond that transcended class and race; a bond shared by two women whose fate always seemed to rest in the hands of others, just outside their control. Told in a series of flashbacks and present day encounters, The Space Between Us gains strength from both plot and prose. A beautiful tale of tragedy and hope, Umrigar's second novel is sure to linger in readers' minds. --Gisele Toueg
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