The Story Hour
India

The Story Hour

by Thrity Umrigar

Friendship Literary Fiction 2014

Summary

When Lakshmi, an Indian immigrant trapped in a loveless marriage, attempts suicide, she meets Maggie Bose, an experienced African American psychologist who becomes unexpectedly invested in her recovery. Lonely and isolated from her family in India, Lakshmi struggles to find her place in a country where she feels powerless and misunderstood. Maggie, who initially believes she can help Lakshmi through therapy, gradually discovers that their relationship is becoming something more complicated than a professional one. As the women share stories about their pasts, they develop a deep friendship that crosses boundaries of culture, class, and experience. But both carry secrets that threaten to shatter their growing trust. When painful truths emerge, their relationship is tested in ways neither could have anticipated. The Story Hour explores the stories people tell to survive, the complexity of human relationships, and the difficult path toward forgiveness and self-acceptance.

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About the author
Thrity Umrigar
Thrity Umrigar

Thrity Umrigar is an Indian-American novelist, journalist, and professor born in Bombay, now Mumbai, in 1961. She grew up in a Parsi family and moved to the United States at the age of 21. Her experiences of migration and cultural displacement have strongly influenced her writing, which frequently explores class, gender, identity, and the complexities of belonging. Umrigar earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Bombay before completing graduate studies in journalism and English at Ohio State University and Kent State University. Before becoming a full-time academic and novelist, she worked as a journalist for publications including The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. Her novels include The Space Between Us (2006), The Weight of Heaven (2009), The World We Found (2012), The Story Hour (2014), and Honor (2022). Her work often examines the lives of women navigating social hierarchies, family expectations, and cultural change. She is a professor of English at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she teaches creative writing and literature.

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Published
2014
Author
Thrity Umrigar