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This is not easy to read at times. It’s about the the haves and the have nots and is a commentary on class, but thankfully touching on the possibility of changing attitudes. It’s about friendships, hardships, identity and self esteem, about women with strength of character who somehow manage to uplift the reader in spite of their tough circumstances. It’s been a while since I read The Space Between Us. Having read that was my main reason for wanting to read this one. It could probably be read as a stand alone since some of what happened in the first book is reflected on here, but I think it was a more meaningful story having known Bhima from the first book. Between The Covers (6 x 30’) was commissioned by Emma Cahusac for BBC Arts and BBC Two. Created and produced by Cactus TV, Exec Produced by Amanda Ross with Series Producer Pollyanne Conway. However, when it comes the realistic elements within a sci-fi novel, I want them to actually be rooted in reality. For that reason I was immediately annoyed with the first few chapters of this novel, especially with the ridiculous depiction of the hospital-scenes. Since it’s mentioned in the synopsis, and happens in the first few chapters, I don’t consider this a spoiler; the inciting incident involves our protagonists suffering a simultaneous, unexplained stroke and waking up within the hospital afterwards. What follows is a scene in which they’re all in a multi-patient open room, having woken up not 5 minutes earlier, only for a doctor (read: walking-plot-vehicle-of-exposition) to walk in and explain in detail what happened. This involves exposing patient-sensitive medical info to other patients (hello HIPAA violations!!), discharging patients mere minutes after suffering massive strokes and potential brain-damage, and quite a few medical inaccuracies that can’t be explained by “magic-alien-stroke”. The entire sequence reads incredibly amateurish on an exposition level, and feels written by someone who has never experienced a hospitalization themselves. As a chronically ill, cancer-survivor and MD: this stuff bothers me personally more than it might most.
It is not the words we speak that make us who we are. Or even the deeds we do. It is the secrets buried in our hearts.”
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Ewan is a journalist. He senses a big story behind this occurrence and is baffled by why these three should be stonewalling his questions. But the more he learns, the more he feels a connection to these people and to Sandy. Umrigar is nothing if not a smart, insightful writer, so her two lead characters are drawn fully, with depth and texture of their own. Bhima carries prejudices from her traditional life that no longer make sense, as she comes to realize how the ignorance and bigotry she grew up with and still carries could harm others. Parvati has abandoned any hope for her life, is bitter, angry, and off-putting, is eager, even, to greet death, but is heartened by finding an outlet for her gifts, and appreciation for her strengths, so finds some light in the darkness. This duology is so lovely that it breaks my heart. I just had the strangest reading experience. I devoured the first 90% of this book in 2 days, and then I put it down and didn’t touch it again for 2 weeks. Not because I was bored or needed a break, but because I was terrified of reaching the end. I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want to reach a point where I would no longer be reading about these characters, and so I tried to stretch out the experience for as long as possible. But yesterday, I could no longer stay away, and now the end has come 😭 Grateful is how I am feeling. Grateful for this story that has threaded its way into my heart and makes me appreciate the life I have. For although there is always something that could be better, the lives of these women will make you rethink the positives and at least, temporarily, discard the negatives.
A group of people suffer a mysterious striking down. Some die, but a few, Lennox, Heather and Ava, miraculously recover. And when they do, they find themselves coming together to try and understand what has happened to them. It all centres around a cephalopod they find washed up on a beach and whom they call Sandy. We have six brand new books that I think might just be the best half dozen yet. Prepare to be taken on a whistle-stop tour of Europe - as we celebrate Eurovision by exploring six fantastic books set in countries competing in this year’s song contest. Doug Johnstone dipped his toes in the water of science fiction with Fault Lines, and now with The Space Between Us has dived in fully - but has not abandoned what I love about his novels, which is his amazing character work.
Article by TU – May 5, 2016 – Huffington Post - Bernie Bros Made Me Finally Recognize Misogyny in America Thrity Umrigar’s The Space Between Us was probably one of my best books of 2016. I don’t think I gave it five stars because of the relentless harshness of Bhima, the central character’s life, but it’s one I’ve never forgotten especially as the ending left me wanting more. I was thrilled, therefore, to see that Umrigar had written a sequel to that novel and enjoyed this one just as much, if not more.
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