The Space Between Us

The Space Between Us

By Thrity Umrigar

            I started writing about this book when I was about halfway through it, but I never finished writing and now I am almost finished with the book. I chose it because I wanted a book with two main characters (because my film will have two main characters) and it takes place in India (and I am in India). That’s about all I knew when I first picked it up.

For those who don’t know anything about the book, which is probably most of you, I’ll give you the set up:

            The Space Between Us is the story of two Indian women, one living in the slums with her granddaughter, and the other a middle-class parsi (Zoroastrian) woman living in a home with her daughter and son-in-law. The woman from the slum works for the parsi woman, and the book takes turns going back and forth between the perspectives of the two women. Most of the story unravels through their thoughts, as they remember their difficult pasts, analyze their current states, and try to predict what will become of their futures and the futures of their children. Although the two women come from separate backgrounds and see each other as very different from themselves, they both have similar troubles and worries and think surprisingly alike. Being able to read the story from both of their perspectives narrows the distance between the two woman for the reader and shows that maybe the space between the rich and the poor isn’t as wide as we often judge it to be.

            At the halfway point of this book I think I would have recommended it to most people, especially anyone planning on traveling to India or anyone who is a woman.        

The truth is, most of my life I’ve read books written by men about men, and this book is just the opposite, written by a woman about women. It’s probably about time that I read a truly feminine book, but now, after reading a little further, I would give a warning to any men, and even to the women out there that it can get a little soapy (soap-opera-y) and even a little romance novel-y at times. I haven’t read any romance novels, but I suspect that two or three pages from this book could also fit into a romance novel. As for the soapiness, I can’t decide if it makes the book overdramatic or somewhat authentic because of its similarities to the many Indian soap operas they have here… Either way, the book is still probably worth reading. Just don’t complain that I didn’t warn you.

            All that said, the book is definitely much deeper than a soap opera or romance novel, and I actually feel like I have learned a lot from what I have read. Umrigar, the author, does a great job a describing the images, details, and ways of life in India, making this book a great supplement to my first few weeks in India. Often I will read about something and then see a real-life example of it within the next few days, or vice-versa. This combination of reading and seeing makes the book as well as my experience feel very authentic.

            In addition to this, I feel like this book has taught me a lot about the way people think. The women in the book are neither terrible sinners nor perfect saints. They are normal people. They have negative and positive thoughts and try to do the best they can, but sometimes their difficult situations can get the best of them and cause them to act in a negative way. Everyone has these battles of positive VS negative thoughts, and it’s up to us to learn how to control them and to choose the positive.

            The book has a lot to say about charity and the way we judge other people. I have felt my heart softened towards the Indian people, and especially to the less fortunate. Even though I am a poor college student, I still have so much more than most of the people I come in contact with here. It’s really not fair. I try to give what I can, whether it be my time, a few rupees, some small amount of knowledge, or something to eat, but it still doesn’t seem like enough. There are so many people that I would like to help but an unable to. So many people that I wish I knew their stories so I could understand them better, but can’t because of language barriers, my shyness, or just a lack of time. I suppose the point is, when linking this book to my experience, It has helped me open my mind to include people other than myself in my daily thoughts.  It has made me more conscious of others and more desirous to help. So despite the soapy parts, I feel that the book has been for my benefit and am happy to have had the chance to read it during this time.