The Space Between Us

By: Thrity Umrigar

Narrated by: Purva Bedi

Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling author Thrity Umrigar won the Nieman Fellowship and earned a finalist spot for the PEN/Beyond Margins award with The Space Between Us. Set in modern-day India, this evocative novel follows upper-middle-class Parsi housewife Sera Dubash and 65-year-old illiterate household worker Bhima as they make their way through life. Though separated by their stations in life, the two women share bonds of womanhood that prove far stronger than the divisions of class or culture.

©2005 Thrity Umrigar (P)2013 Recorded Books

A Story that stays with you

The story of Bhima and her granddaughter Maya is s searing one. Having been forced to go from tiny but respectable apartment to the slums, Bhima continually tries to keep moving forward. It is hard to review The Space Between Us without giving the story away. I'll just say I recommend this to readers who can take a trip through a difficult and twisting story. I am still chewing on the ending and will go back and listen to that part again. Excellent narrator.

The Last One of These

I won't ever read another book about India and its women. The lives they lead in a country that likes to pretend it is in this century - Bollywood at all - is not. The writing was excellent, the imagery was lovely and the character development was fine, but the conditions under which these women live is very hard to take. The caste system is obviously still alive and well and the ranking of people put the women at the bottom of every list. It's more than I can bear tor read.

ordinary

ordinary.
narration is irritating at times with child like mimicking voice. story is melodramatic. not real content. very ordinary.

Learn about the caste system in India

If you could sum up The Space Between Us in three words, what would they be?

Great cultural experience

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Learning about the way the poor treat the poor; the rich and the servants

What about Purva Bedi’s performance did you like?

Great expression and portrayal of emotion;

Any additional comments?

the story sometimes gets bogged down in too much description, more that needed;

Predictable, Melodramatic

I really expected to enjoy this book but was disappointed by the predictable storyline which became obvious very early on. I normally love hearing Indian accents but I found the narrator to be overly dramatic . The idea of juxtaposing the lives of a wealthy woman with a poor servant was interesting but all of the characters seemed to be flat and one dimensional. I found the ending to be unbelievable.

Most depressing story ever

If you have a perfect family with no drama then read/listen to this book. W have enough that I couldn’t spend 12hrs listening to nothing but someone else’s. I gave up at 7 hrs and unfortunately that’s 7hr of my life I can’t get back.

Thrity Umrigar is a born storyteller

I read this book when it came out. Recently listened to The Secrets Between Us (sequel about the servant, Bhima. Also, excellent). And, immediately listened to The Space Between Us, enjoying it as much the second time as the first. Excellent narration. Umrigar never disappoints -- such a compelling story with characters I cared about. They share stories revealing the cores their lives as servant and employer, caring about each other while their education, economics and culture in India mean one lives with much and one lives with little. As women many of their experiences are similar.

Extraordinary

What did you like best about this story?

The depiction of characters that at first glance ... vastly different. Yet, this author so exquisitely wove this tale that ultimately revealed how alike we are no matter our geography, social class or race.

What does Purva Bedi bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Beautiful voice, sensitive and nuanced performance ... brilliantly done

Any additional comments?

This is such a beautiful story ... the characters truly come to life. In my top 3 of audible books.

The heart of a mother

This book was engaging and educational. It outlined class differences in a way that was heart rendering. You really cared about the characters and felt with & for their challenges. The narration was perfection. Listening this book made me greedy to listen to the second book, which I will download once I have a credit to do so.

I didn’t understand the ending

It was interesting about a lower class domestic who cannot read or write working for a wealthy educated upper class Indian family living in, then, Bombay.

I do not know the customs of India but it seems extremely different than The USA. I found it hard to relate and kept thinking of Pearl S Buck’s The Good Earth which I read in about 1965.

I will say I didn’t like the ending. I didn’t understand what she did. And I thought it was left unfinished. Up until then I was in for 4 stars. Now I want to give it 1. I’m really upset I wasn’t a credit. I’ve also purchased another of her books. I’m going to read most of the low reviews before I read it. I just can’t do 2 disappointments in a row.