THRITY UMBRIGAR'S NEW NOVEL, "HONOR," ALREADY GAINING NATIONAL ATTENTION

 

Former BJ columnist Thrity Umrigar’s new novel, “Honor,” is the Reese Book Club’s January 2002 pick.

It also is 13^th on a list of about 40 picks by Book Reporter.

“Honor” is  the story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide. A young wife seeks justice after her brothers kill her husband and maim her because she married outside of their religion.

·         Algonquin Books released it today, January 4, 2022. $26.95 for the hard cover version from Amazon.com.

 

Thrity was born in Mumbai, India (originally Bombay, which is why I called Thrity the babe from Bombay till it became too sexist to continue doing it) and many of her works are the foundation for her personal experience as an Indian (not the one Columbus though he discovered) from a well-off family on Salsette Island, one of the seven islands of millionaires and billionaires who observed the poverty in India before she came to America, became a newspaper columnist and then a nationally known author.

Thrity’s works include “The Space Between Us,” “The Girl They Left Behind,” “The World We Found,” “The Things We Cannot Say,” “Bombay Time” and “The Weight of Heaven.” And, of course, her memoir, “First Darling in the Morning.”

She credits author Toni Morrison for inspiring Thrity's journey into novels.

In her spare time Thrity teaches creative writing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Since 2002. Lucky students.

 

Thrity left India at the age of 21 to attend Ohio State University.

 

 

 

Thrity began her reporting career with The Lorain Journal. Two years later, in 1987, she came to the BJ.

 

 

 

She left the Beacon to attend Harvard on a Nieman Fellowship, wrote “Bombay Time” and her author career took off and left the rest of us behind to stare in awe of her brilliance. By 2014 Thrity already had 7 of her books getting national attention. I can’t keep up with all of them through 2022 but “Honor” is not the last of an already amazing total authored by the incredible India icon!

 

She also is a far cry from the stereotyped astrophysist Raj Koothrappali played by Kunal Nayyar in “The Big Bang Theory,” a great sitcom. Kunal was born in Hounslow, West London to India immigrants who returned to India and settled in New Delhi when Kunal was 4 years old. While Thrity came from India to Ohio State, Kunal came from India to the University of Portland, Oregon where he got his bachelor’s degree in business administration finance then went across America to Philadelphia for his master’s in fine arts.

 

Thrity has sold movie options for 3 of her novels: “The Story Hour,” “The Space Between Us” and the “Space” sequel, “The Secrets Between Us.” Maybe Kunal Nayyar will star in one of Thrity’s novels-turned-into-a-movie with a cameo role for Thrity?

Wouldn’t that be karma? After all, they once lived in India cities only 872 miles away (New Delhi is closer to Pakistan and Nepal while Mumbai aka Bombay is on the island of framed by the Gateway of India stone arch and the Arabian Sea. New Delhi is India’s largest city and Mumbai/Bombay is India’s 2^nd most populated city.

And since Mumbai/Bombay is heart of the Bollywood film industry then Kunal and Thrity could show up for the world premiere of Thrity’s first movie to promote it.

Regina Brett interviewed former BJ reporter Thrity Umrigar in Regina’s podcast, Little Detours.

For 35 minutes Thrity tells how her love of books led her from her native India to America.

She grew in upper-middle class in India, but observed the overwhelming poverty there.

The disparity then is the same as the disparity in America today, only in America it is “race” rather than “class.”

Thrity’s immense love for her businessman father comes through louder than a rock band concert.

Papa loved roaming around in Home Depot and always bought three Kit-Kats, one candy bar for each of the two children and the third he handed to the cashier.

It is a journey through Thrity’s mind and soul.

Both Brett and Thrity worked together at the Lorain Journal and the BJ.

Thrity has written 11 novels, many set in her native India. Till it became considered too sexist I called her The Babe From Bombay, mostly because it was a B-B shot and not in a sexist mindset at all but I decided the world no longer would see it that way so I stopped that tribute to Thrity.

Thrity oozes a tribute to author Toni Morrison for inspiring Thrity's journey into novels.

The only thing that disturbed me is that Thrity no longer drinks Pepsi, the drink that speaks to my spirit and body EVERY day!

I am a proud Pepsiholic!

To listen to Thrity and Reginia, click on the blue

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmVnaW5hYnJldHQuY29tL3BvZGNhc3Q_Zm9ybWF0PXJzcw/episode/NWU0ZGIxNGM0MDBiOGEzM2QzMDcwM2FhOjVlNTAzYmYzNThkODJiNmZiNTlmZmY3Yzo1ZWY5ZTM1Y2FhMjU3MDEzOTQ2Y2E4YTM?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwj8jf7426nqAhXSYDUKHXuSCt8QieUEegQICxAE&ep=6&fbclid=IwAR0M5fSddfH-sztwFJ_XcOp7djEoam7s_UVFI2hZ1ZiWwvFzOMbCtZgYDHk

Thrity and Cinda hold their own with a talented crowd of authors

Thrity with Lisa Ko (left), Celesta Ng

Former BJ reporter Thrity Umbrigar and former BJ ads-taker Cinda Williams Chima took part in the Tucson Festival of Books.

Thrity participated under the headings of “Crossing the Line” and “Extraordinary Bonds.”

All three “Crossing the Line” authors dealt with adoption novels, the bond between parent and children, the intersection of race, class, privilege and power.

New Yorker Lisa Ko (“The Leavers”) and Pittsburgh/Shaker Heights’ Celesta Ng (“Little Fires Everywhere”) were the other authors.  All are talented women of color, with Thrity (“Everybody’s Son”) being a native of India and Bombay.

The other “Extraordinary Bonds” author with Thrity was Lisa Wingate, who has published 30 novels, the latest being “Before We Were Yours.”


Cinda (“Flamecaster”), sister of BJ Art Advertising retiree Mike Williams,  was in the Young Adult division.

She was in the Shadows and Quests Into the Unknown Worlds discussion with Daniel Jose Yoder (“Shadowshaper Cypher”).

Cinda worked in the classified phone room as an ad taker/proofer in the '70s.

 

Nearly 200 authors took part in the two-day event.

Thrity also teaches creative writing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Thrity left India at the age of 21 to attend Ohio State University.

 

Thrity began her reporting career with The Lorain Journal. Two years later, in 1987, she came to the BJ.

 

She left the Beacon to attend Harvard on a Nieman Fellowship, wrote “Bombay Time” and her author career took off.

 

Thrity thrilled after Alabama literary festival

Former BJ reporter and successful novelist Thrity Umrigar’s journey to Alabama was a rousing success.

Amy Greene (left), Thrity Umrigar

Posted Thrity:

“So sad that my time in Hoover, Alabama at Southern Voices is coming to an end. I'm leaving tomorrow with many new friends, and many new books to read.”

Thrity Umrigar was one of the speakers at the Southern Voices literary festival in Birmingham, Alabama at Hoover Library.

Others participating were Wally Lamb (“We Are Water”), Karen Abbott (“Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy”), Amy Greene (“Bloodroot”), James Scott (“The Kept”), Jon Sealy (“The Whiskey Baron”), Meg Wolitzer (her work was made into two movies, “This Is My Life” and “Surrender, Dorothy,” which starred Diane Keaton) and Chelsea Cain (Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers).

Thrity has been teaching creative writing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland since 2002. Her 6^th novel and 7^th book is “The Story Hour.”

Her previous novels are “Bombay Time” (2002), “The Space Between Us” (2007), “If Today be Sweet” (2008), “The Weight of Heaven” (2010) and “The World We Found” (2012). Her memoir is “First Darling of the Morning”  (2008).

Thrity left India at the age of 21 to attend Ohio State University.

Thrity began her reporting career with the Lorain Journal. Two years later, in 1987, she came to the BJ.

Thrity to do children’s book

Former BJ reporter Thrity Umrigar, a national sensation as the author of six novels and a memoir set in her native India, is branching out. She will be putting together a children’s picture book.

Thrity Umrigar

Let Thrity, who has been teaching creative writing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland since 2002, explain it:

“Friends, I am writing with some incredibly good news. I have just accepted an offer from a publisher for my very first children's picture book. I love kids and have wanted to write children's books for a long time, so I am very happy to be able to finally do so. My editor seems very excited, also. More news to come.”

Bombay native Thrity’s previous novels are “Bombay Time” (2002), “The Space Between Us” (2007), “If Today be Sweet” (2008), “The Weight of Heaven” (2010), “The World We Found” (2012) and “The Story Hour” (2014), and all set in the country of her birth, as was her memoir, “First Darling of the Morning”  (2008).

Thrity began her reporting career with The Lorain Journal. Two years later, in 1987, she came to the BJ.

She left the Beacon to attend Harvard on a Nieman Fellowship, wrote “Bombay Time” and her author career took off.

Thrity left India at the age of 21 to attend Ohio State University.

Former BJ columnist Thrity Umrigar has sold movie options for 3 of her novels: “The Story Hour,” “The Space Between Us” and the “Space” sequel, “The Secrets Between Us.”

Thrity added:

“As most of you may know, selling an option doesn't mean that this will result in a movie being made. But, you gotta start somewhere, right?

“Also, I will have two new children's books out in 2020. The first is called “Diwali: Festival of Lights” (Scholastic).

"The second is about the Parsis of India, a project that's near and dear to my heart. This one will be published by Running Press/Hachette, who also published by first picture book, 'When I Carried You in My Belly.' ”

As we all know, Thrity has more novels published, many with themes about India, the country of her birth.

If any of these 3 novels do well as films you just know more of her novels will become movies.

There may be a string of Thrity movies some day.

It couldn't happen to a better person.

And to think I knew her when.

Thrity also published “If Today be Sweet,” “The Weight of Heaven” and “The World We Found.” Her memoir is “First Darling of the Morning.”

Thrity began her reporting career with The Lorain Journal. Two years later, in 1987, she came to the BJ.

She left the Beacon to attend Harvard on a Nieman Fellowship, wrote “Bombay Time” and her author career took off.

Thrity also teaches creative writing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Thrity left India at the age of 21 to attend Ohio State University.

Thrity’s book among 20 for Choose to Read Ohio

Former BJ reporter Thrity Umrigar’s “The Story Hour” is among 20 books selected by the State Library of Ohio, Ohioana Library Association and Ohio Center for the Book amalgamation for the 2017 & 2018 Choose to Read Ohio booklist.

Thrity’s work is among Books for Adults. It is 6^th novel and 7^th book.

Thrity has been teaching creative writing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland since 2002.

Her previous novels are “Bombay Time” (2002), “The Space Between Us” (2007), “If Today be Sweet” (2008), “The Weight of Heaven” (2010) and “The World We Found” (2012). Her memoir is “First Darling of the Morning”  (2008).

Thrity left India at the age of 21 to attend Ohio State University.

Thrity began her reporting career with the Lorain Journal. Two years later, in 1987, she came to the BJ.

Other selections:

Books for Young Children

Curious Critters: Marine by David FitzSimmons.
The Farmer’s Away! Baa! Neigh! by Anne Vittur Kennedy.
Henry Finds His Word by Lindsay Ward.
I Wanna Go Home by David Catrow  (illustrator), written by Karen Kaufman Orloff.
Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson (author) & Loren Long (illustrator).

Books for Tweens/Middle Grades

Eliza Bing Is (Not) a Big Fat Quitter by Carmella Van Vleet.
Moonpenny Island by Tricia Springstubb, illustrated by Gilbert Ford.
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall.
Winterfrost by Michelle Houts.
The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Abigail Halpin.

Books for Teens

East by Edith Pattou.
Fat Angie by e. E. Charlton Trujillo.
There Will Be Bears by Ryan Gebhart.
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer.
Voices from the March on Washington by J. Patrick Lewis & George Ella Lyon.

Books for Adults

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds by Julie Zickefoose.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.
The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar.
Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, The Creators of Superman   by Brad Ricca.

 

Thrity’s 6^th novel will be out Aug. 19

Former BJ reporter Thrity Umrigar’s upcoming 6^th novel and 7^th book is “The Story Hour,” scheduled for an Aug. 19^th unveiling.

Posted Thrity on Facebook:

“Just got the advanced reader copy for the upcoming novel, ‘The Story Hour,’ and I must say, it feels as thrilling as the very first time I ever held a galley of one of my novels. I think they did a great job with the jacket.”

Bombay, India native Thrity’s previous novels are “Bombay Time” (2002), “The Space Between Us” (2007), “If Today be Sweet” (2008), “The Weight of Heaven” (2010) and “The World We Found” (2012), and all set in the country of her birth, as was her memoir, “First Darling of the Morning”  (2008).

After a childhood as a Parsi child in a middle-class family attending a Catholic school in a predominantly Hindu country, Thrity left India at the age of 21 to attend Ohio State University. Parsis are members of a small ethnic minority who came to India as political refugees from Persia more than 900 years ago and became one of India's most affluent and Westernized ethnic communities.

Why Ohio State? “I was sitting in my living room in Bombay, checking off a list of American universities that offered an M.A. in journalism, when my eyes fell on ‘Ohio State University.’ There was a Joan Baez record playing on the turntable and right then, her song, “Banks of the Ohio,” came on. I looked up and thought, ‘It's a sign,’ and decided to apply there.”

After Ohio State, Thrity began her reporting career with The Lorain Journal. Two years later, in 1987, she came to the BJ.

She left the Beacon to attend Harvard on a Nieman Fellowship, wrote “Bombay Time” and her author career took off.

In 2002 Thrity began teaching creative writing, journalism and literature at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Thrity reading Saturday in Alliance

Former BJ reporter Thrity Umrigar will conduct a reading of her latest novel, “The Story Hour,” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 in the Rodman Public Library, 215 E. Broadway Street, Alliance.

Thrity Umrigar reading her novel

Thrity will be the second author appearing in the 2014 Fogle Author Series.  It was rescheduled from an earlier date.

Bombay, India native Thrity’s previous novels are “Bombay Time” (2002), “The Space Between Us” (2007), “If Today be Sweet” (2008), “The Weight of Heaven” (2010) and “The World We Found” (2012), and all set in the country of her birth, as was her memoir, “First Darling of the Morning”  (2008).

A $250,000 1956 donation by Alliance industrialist C. J. Rodman, a World War I doughboy who piled up the dough after “the war to end all wars,” was the major impetus to construction of Rodman Public Library. The groundbreaking came in 1961 and the dedication happened in 1963.

It will be Thrity’s first reading at Rodman Public Library.

Rodman also donated to Mount Union, Ripon and Parsons colleges. He had degrees from all three. He died in 1972.

Thrity joins avalanche of authors in Georgia

Former BJ reporter Thrity Umrigar will be among more than SIX HUNDRED authors at the Atlanta Journal Constitution Decatur Book Festival in Georgia on Saturday, Aug. 30. This is the largest independent book festival in the country.

Thrity will be in the Marriott Conference Center Ballroom at 3 p.m. with author Porochista Khakpour discussing “Love in the Time of Globalization.”

When she returns to Ohio, Thrity will get ready for readings of her 7^th book and 6^th novel, “The Story Hour,” which was published Aug. 19, on Thursday, Sept. 4 in Woodmere, Ohio.

9/4/14: 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
28801 Chagrin Blvd Woodmere, OH 44122

(216) 765-7520

Bombay, India native Thrity’s previous novels are “Bombay Time” (2002), “The Space Between Us” (2007), “If Today be Sweet” (2008), “The Weight of Heaven” (2010) and “The World We Found” (2012), and all set in the country of her birth, as was her memoir, “First Darling of the Morning”  (2008).

Thrity teaches creative writing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
(216) 765-7520