Harper Perennial The World We Found: A Novel Paperback – Big Book, 31 July 2012

Although I enjoyed parts of the book and offline the details of the Indian city and culture mixes to be interesting; I kept waiting for the real story to begin. I was surprised the book ended where it did. I did t mind it. But I wouldn't read it again.

This book taught me much about culture and life in India, Mumbai, where most of the novel was set. For me, it was another example of the futility of violence. The transformation of Iqbol after his religious/cultural group was targeted with violence in the early 1990s was a response to fear. We can see this reaction everyday all over the world both in personal and political violence. Fear breeds fear and intense fear often leads to more violence in a shocking way. For me this was the heart of the novel, and the author dealt with it in a very complex manner.The story of the four women was an interesting look at friendship over time and the bonds that can be created. The author wrote sensitively about all of her characters. Their were no perfect people and none who were totally evil. They were mostly good people with unique flaws, strengths, and personalities. Their story was the context in which the main message (violence/fear) was contained.

Life after University and how different these four women, who shared passions and beliefs, or thought they did, chose to live their respective lives. Umrigar offers insights into the ways people change and the motivations which compel them. One wonders how it is possible for a well-educated Hindu to submit to the stifling routine of life as a Muslim woman. Among the questions the author poses are, "how well do we really know a person" and "how strong are the bonds of friendship?" It is a well developed narrative, with sympathetic characters drawn from ordinary life in modern day India, who take very different paths, yet manage to remain close in spite of their geographic and economic separation. I enjoyed getting to know them and could envision a cinematic adaptation.

I just finished reading this book and loved it!This book follows the lives of four girls who were best friends growing up in India; and who were fellow revolutionists at Bombay College in the 1970's. Now. thirty years later they hear from Armaiti. She is the only one of the group who is no longer in India. Armaiti is married and living in America. She has been diagnosed with cancer and wants to see her old friends once more before it is too late!The character development, the insights into the Hindu-Muslim War in 1993, and the varied paths of each of these women kept me fascinated.The suspense at the end kept me turning pages and ignoring my dryer buzzer!! Thrity Umrigar is a powerful, exquisite writer. I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were vivid and well developed and the plot held me until the end. Congratulations Ms Umrigar for writing a readable, enjoyable novel. I need to now read more about the riots of 1992-1993. I love the way we can educate ourselves by reading a good book!