The Space Between Us

Thrity Umrigar, who “displays an impressive talent for conceiving multidimensional, sympathetic characters with life-like emotional quandaries and psychological stumbling blocks,” (Washington Post Book World) brings her talent to the social struggles of modern day Bombay in THE SPACE BETWEEN US.

“This is a story intimately and compassionately told against the sensuous background of everyday life in Bombay.”— Washington Post Book World

“Bracingly honest.”— New York Times Book Review 

The author of Bombay Time, If Today Be Sweet, and The Weight of Heaven, Thrity Umrigar is as adept and compelling in The Space Between Us—vividly capturing the social struggles of modern India in a luminous, addictively readable novel of honor, tradition, class, gender, and family. A portrayal of two women discovering an emotional rapport as they struggle against the confines of a rigid caste system, Umrigar’s captivating second novel echoes the timeless intensity of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible—a quintessential triumph of modern literary fiction.

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Published Feb 6, 2007

321 pages

Average rating: 8.36

11 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Maria Morgan
Jan 10, 2026
10/10 stars
Wow! Possibly the best book I’ve ever read. And it has a great sequel!
Louise K
Oct 29, 2025
6/10 stars
I liked this book, gives a really good insight into the difference between classes. An enjoyable read with an unexpected twist to the story. Didn’t have the happy ending I was expecting as such which for me made it all the more well written.
Peanuts56
Sep 14, 2024
8/10 stars
Good story about the differences between the wealthy and poor as portrayed with two women. Nice twist towards the end of the novel. The ending allows for a sequel by the author.

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