The Story Hour

The central female characters at the heart of this novel come together through a series of meetings, as psychiatrist Maggie gives her immigrant patient, Lakshmi, treatment for attempted suicide. Narrator Sneha Mathan captures the vast differences between being an African-American woman and an Indian woman living in the U.S. She's most successful in the vocalization of Maggie, evoking a confident, thoughtful persona through deliberate, enunciated speech. The Indian-accented English used to characterize Lakshmi is hard on the ear. The purposeful grammatical errors the author uses to create the rhythm of nonnative English further limits Mathan. Thankfully, the characters alternate chapters, and the listener has some respite from the otherwise likable Lakshmi. M.R. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

June 30, 2014
The sixth novel from Umrigar (The Space Between Us) is a deeply moving portrait of connection, disconnection, and missed connections set in an unnamed Northeastern university city. Maggie Bose is a black psychologist married to an Indian man; when an Indian woman, Lakshmi, is admitted to the hospital after a suicide attempt, Maggie is assigned the case. She understands the woman’s sense of isolation, and offers to treat her pro bono. Lakshmi is lonely, married to a man who doesn’t love her, and she works without pay in his grocery store and restaurant. Maggie tries to befriend Lakshmi by telling her stories about her life. When Lakshmi brings food as thanks, Maggie and her husband encourage the patient to accept catering jobs in order to earn her own money. Soon, the lines blur between patient and friend. A secret from Lakshmi’s past and the impulsive action that follows her discovery of Maggie’s affair change their lives. Although Umrigar is sometimes heavy-handed, this compassionate and memorable novel is remarkable for the depth and complexity of its characters.