Honor

Though there are many storytelling tropes in Honor -- the single, work focused, unconnected career woman with an awful secret going back to home/the scene of the unspeakable ... and the inevitable romance and reclamation of home, the reshuffling of priorities... with all that "Lifetime/Hallmark " structure acknowledged, THIS BOOK IS SPECTACULAR. The characters are multi dimensional, beautifully and richly drawn... their stories, their inner journeys are compelling. And what I learned about India. Wow! The descriptions of the city and the village, the customs and ethos - the time spent creating the worlds of India... rich, pungent, alive. When they're driving, I felt I was in the car with them. The horrible night I felt the terror, could almost smell the burning. The resonating story of Meena and Abdul, the hope for a new India... that hope lives on through Smita and Mohan and the little girl. This is a wonderful book, a gripping personal journey wrapped around a powerful, gorgeously written story.

A very intense and powerful novel about how the uneducated male dominant communities abuse the word honor under the theme of traditions and religions. Sadly but very true , this does not only take place in Hindustan but in all the different places of the world. This is a novel about the abuse of honor under traditions as well as the love and hatred one feels for their own country.

I had this book on my shelf for a long time, and was initially a little bit hesitant to read it, because I was worried it would feel too heavy. I was surprised once I started how enjoyable the book was, I really wanted to keep going. I think the story is set up very well, it kind of gives the viewpoint of what some of the issues women in India face when I looked at from a western viewpoint, well also sharing inside looks at the beauty of the country. The book looks deeply at women, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic power. But it does this all in a very human way. I was removed by the story, and the levels of incited gave. I do feel some things with the ending were a bit rushed. But that did not take away from the overall book.

This unflinching story contrasts two women – Smita, an American journalist set out to cover a trial and Meena, the young Hindu victim who is the defendant. When Meena fell in love with Abdul, a Muslim man, her brothers’ backlash against their marriage and child is so violent that Abdul dies and Meena is left grossly scarred. Represented by an activist attorney, Meena agrees to submit criminal charges against her family. As Smita investigates, we see how misogyny, torture, abuse, and public shaming all have been used to strip Meena of her dignity. The social structure upholds the perpetrators’ actions, excusing horrific cruelty. Although born and raised in India, Smita left for the States when she was a teenager and dislikes India. As she “gets” the cultural context of the grisly crime, we also find out she bears a secret reason for her dislike, she’s ultimately called upon to confront. This is a tough story to read but in the end worth it. Smita’s emotional journey resolving the past is satisfying. Meena’s first-person accounts of loving Abdul are beautiful and heartbreaking. The epic story itself of taking on the topic of a developing country’s social problems is enormous. Umrigar’s intentions of casting light and finding light in the darkness of incomprehensible acts is impressive and I’m grateful.

I set aside time each night to read in bed before I go to sleep. As a result of that, a book the size of Thrity Amrigar’s Honor, a little over three hundred pages, normally would take me six days. But I was so enthralled by the book that I carved out time each day to read, and I consumed it in two days. What an amazing book Amrigar has constructed. The story is of a young Hindu girl who marries a Muslim boy in rural India and her brothers murder him to protect their family’s honor. That story is being covered by an American reporter, she who was born in India and migrated. This is the basis of a story that explores all the shades of love, from family ties, to religious fervor, to country loyalties, to romantic entanglements. Amrigar examines the culture of India, both city and rural, and in the process, she draws parallels to American culture, and in fact, world culture. She shows us people are the same the world over. Some are tolerant and understanding and have a wider view of the world and religion, while others are tiny in their viewpoints. The book can be violent at times, but overall, it proves that love does indeed conquer all. The fact that it is set in a country few of us know much about is engaging and enlightening, all the while cautioning us that this is not a book about India, Hindus, or Muslims. It is about humanity.

Read this for a book club. Great coverage and background of religious tensions in India and what happens when people are uneducated & continue barbaric customs. It’s a sad story and difficult to read at times but it was a good read. My only criticism is the lead character and her “romance” story. Was a little predictable as it went the way of a Hallmark movie.

Bel libro, storia appassionante

I gave it 5 stars because of the writing style. It was an eye opener to the horrors and the beauty of India. A book not for the faint of heart but very well-written!

A beautiful book about a our prejudices and lack of tolerance as well as love kindness and family. We have so much to learn about each other. Love is an amazing healer. Highly recommended

So powerful, moving and important. Moved to tears. Hard to conjure up the words to describe. Grateful to have read it.

Loved this book. I found the start to be a bit slow but once it started getting into the main story line, I couldn’t put it down!