The World We Found - Large Print by Thrity Umrigar (Paperback)

About the Book

Thrity Umrigar, acclaimed author of The Space Between Us and The Weight of Heaven, returns with a breathtaking new novel--a skillfully wrought, emotionally resonant story of four women and the indelible friendship they share. Fans of Jennifer Haigh's Faith, Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, and Katrina Kittle's The Kindness of Strangers will be captivated by Umrigar's The World We Found--a moving story of bottled secrets, unfulfilled dreams, and the acceptance that can still lead to redemption, from a writer whom the New York Times calls "perceptive and often piercing."

Book Synopsis

Thrity Umrigar, acclaimed author of The Space Between Us and The Weight of Heaven, returns with a breathtaking new novel--a skillfully wrought, emotionally resonant story of four women and the indelible friendship they share. Fans of Jennifer Haigh's Faith, Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, and Katrina Kittle's The Kindness of Strangers will be captivated by Umrigar's The World We Found--a moving story of bottled secrets, unfulfilled dreams, and the acceptance that can still lead to redemption, from a writer whom the New York Times calls "perceptive and often piercing."

From the Back Cover

As students in 1970s Bombay, Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta were inseparable, but the quartet has since drifted apart.

When Armaiti, now living in America, learns that she is gravely ill, she hopes to see the friends she left behind thirty years ago.

For Laleh, reunion is bittersweet, but she promises to fulfill her friend's wish. She convinces Kavita to put aside the past, and the two search for Nishta, who has long been hiding in a bitter, oppressive marriage. In the course of their journey to reconnect, the four women must confront the truths of their lives and acknowledge long-held regrets, secrets, and desires. And they will have to decide what matters most, a choice that just may help them reclaim the extraordinary world they once found.

Exploring the enduring bonds of friendship and offering an unforgettable portrait of modern India, The World We Found is a dazzling masterwork from the remarkable Thrity Umrigar.

Review Quotes

"Luminous. . . . Wise and absorbing, Umrigar's novel has the rich, chaotic vibrancy of a Mumbai marketplace." - People

"A master storyteller. . . . Umrigar creates characters that are fully rounded, characters with shades of grey. She puts them in positions where making the 'right' decision is often ambiguous; where the right decision feels and handles like the wrong one." - Hyphen

"Umrigar renders a vivid portrait of modern-day India as she meditates upon the power of friendship, loyalty, and love. Like her previous works, The World We Found is eloquent and evocative, bitter and sweet." - Booklist (starred review)

"A storyteller through and through, Umrigar ensures that her characters face up to the costs and consequences created by their choices, right or wrong, principled or unprincipled." - Washington Post

"There's ample discussion to be had here on the topics of family, friendship, religion and marriage. Umrigar is a lively storyteller. The women are sympathetic characters, their relationships fully realized and deeply felt. . . . Umrigar's evocative world is one worth finding, indeed." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Asparkling and sharp slice of life." - Nina Sankovitch, Huffington Post

"The World We Found is stunning in its credibility and nuance. . . . This is a novel that rewards reading, and even re-reading. The World We Found is a powerful meditation." - Boston Globe

"Umrigar's novel is both political and deeply personal. She is masterly at exploring the large societal tension of modern-day India through the lens of each woman's life. . . . Umrigar is a generous writer." - Oregonian

"There's ample discussion to be had here on the topics of family, friendship, religion and marriage. Umrigar is a lively storyteller. The women are sympathetic characters, their relationships fully realized and deeply felt. . . . Umrigar's evocative world is one worth finding, indeed." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Absorbing. . . . A rewarding novel." - Publishers Weekly

"The World We Found is absorbing and resonant." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Umrigar understands the universality of the human experience, and especially family life." - Richmond Times-Dispatch

"[Umrigar] displays an impressive talent for conceiving multidimensional, sympathetic characters with life-like emotional quandaries and psychological stumbling blocks." - Washington Post Book World

"A highly skilled storyteller." - Time Out New York