I do not know what fascinates me more about India -- the fact that it is the world's largest democracy, a technological nuclear-armed marvel with the greatest disparity imaginable between the haves and have nots or the fact that it is so entirely foreign to me - caste system, Hindu-dominated, unbearable weather, and an education system that graduates more superior engineers in one year than the US does in 5 years.
Regardless of the source of my fascination, The Space Between Us reminded me that yes, again, the things that make cultures different are dwarfed by the things that are similar -- in this case, the fact that all families are dysfunctional in their own way, that the gulf between the servant under-class and the well-to-do is more about opportunity and luck than it is about desire and wisdom and finally, that power corrupts -- those that have the ability to exert power over others and do so for their own pleasure do so because they can - plain and simple.
The Space Between Us is reminiscent of A Fine Balance but is set in modern-day urban India. It is a very personal and intimate story of three women -- Sera Dubash, an upper middle class housewife trapped in an abusive marriage; Bhima, her servant of twenty years and Bhima's pregnant college-dropout grand-daughter, Maya Phedke. There is also Sera's daughter-in-law, Dinaz and her son, Viraf and her husband, Feroz. This book is about family drama and culture and the intermingling of both. This book is also devastatingly drawn around the pain of everyday life. While caste, religion and culture color everything - -and India is very clearly a foreign place (to this reader), the themes and results are universal, they happen everywhere, to everyone.
The magic and miracle of The Space Between Us lies in Thrity Umrigar's ability to have us feel for Sera, Bhima, and Maya while despising Viraf and Feroz without it becoming a parody. We have empathy for the women and disgust for the men and it feels right. So, culture, tradition, and economic disparity all combine to create empathy amidst tragedy. Umrigar is able to put us in these people's homes and lives in a way that creates familiarity - or at least a sensitivity - regardless of the foreignness of the reality. I have never lived in an urban Indian slum, but I have visited there with Bhima and Maya.
The Space Between Us is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a great book for those who are depressed. The themes and outcomes are dark and full of hurt and injustice -- and are very, very real.
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