Once again, I am completely WOWed by Thrity Umrigar. “The Secrets Between Us” is the sequel to “The Space Between Us”. So all of the characters that I grew to love through Umrigar’s vivid imagery, were back, once again navigating through the hardships of life. Plus..there were a few new ones!
“Bhima’s misfortunes 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 fruit and vegetables at the local market. As they work together, these two women seemingly bound by fate grow closer, confessing to each other the truth about their lives and the wounds that still haunt them. Discovering her first true friend, Bhima weaves a new life, and together the two women learn to stand on their own.”
When I say, I have read a lot of books… I have read A LOT of books. That being said, the character of Parvati is definitely one of my top 5 favorite and most beloved characters of all time. At first everything about Parvati is enough to send anyone running (and it often does) but as you get to know her story and understand her life, you find yourself laughing at her crude jokes and longing to be a shoulder for her to cry on. Though she isn’t the “main character” of this novel, she is the driving/inspirational force of it.
“The Secrets Between Us” is yet another book that you will not want to put down. When I finished it, I had to sit in silence for awhile and take it all in. The beauty, the pain, the hope of this novel is just astounding.
Good Reads rating: 4.4
Page Count:357
Casey Joshi 