{"product_id":"9780062344120","title":"The Story Hour : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Story Hour\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Thrity Umrigar\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the critically beloved, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe World We Found\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Space Between U\u003c\/em\u003es, whom the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e calls a “perceptive and . . . piercing writer,” comes a profound, heartbreakingly honest novel about friendship, family, secrets, forgiveness, and second chances.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn experienced psychologist, Maggie carefully maintains emotional distance from her patients. But when she meets a young Indian woman who tried to kill herself, her professional detachment disintegrates. Cut off from her family in India, Lakshmi is desperately lonely and trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering man who limits her world to their small restaurant and grocery store.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoved by her plight, Maggie treats Lakshmi in her home office for free, quickly realizing that the despondent woman doesn’t need a shrink; she needs a friend. Determined to empower Lakshmi as a woman who feels valued in her own right, Maggie abandons protocol, and soon doctor and patient have become close friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut while their relationship is deeply affectionate, it is also warped by conflicting expectations. When Maggie and Lakshmi open up and share long-buried secrets, the revelations will jeopardize their close bond, shake their faith in each other, and force them to confront painful choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e““A taut, suspenseful page-turner with depth, heart, and psychological credibility whose believable and enduring characters ponder the meaning of friendship, the challenges of marriage, and the value of storytelling itself.”\u003cbr\u003e“With grace, wisdom and incredible compassion, Thrity Umrigar has woven together the lives of two seemingly dissimilar women who must learn—against steep odds—to forgive each other and themselves.”\u003cbr\u003e“Past misdeeds threaten the friendship of a psychologist and her immigrant patient in a fictional tale that asks, are we more than the sum of our mistakes?”\u003cbr\u003e“Thrity Umrigar has an uncanny ability to look deeply into the human heart and find the absolute truth of our lives. \u003cem\u003eThe Story Hour\u003c\/em\u003e is stunning and beautiful. Lakshmi and Maggie will stay with readers for a very long time.”\u003cbr\u003e“Thrity Umrigar’s novel \u003cem\u003eThe Story Hour\u003c\/em\u003e showcases her ability to bring to life characters who are…sympathetic yet flawed in ways we can all relate to.… I read deep into the night to find out how their stories end, and I predict you will, too!”\u003cbr\u003e“The sixth novel from Umrigar (\u003cem\u003eThe Space Between Us\u003c\/em\u003e) is a deeply moving portrait of connection, disconnection, and missed connections…. [T]his compassionate and memorable novel is remarkable for the depth and complexity of its characters.”\u003cbr\u003e“Umrigar’s novel begins as a small domestic drama and develops into a forceful examination of identity, cultural isolation and the power of storytelling.…An impressive writer, Umrigar delivers another smart, compulsively readable work.”\u003cbr\u003e“Skillful…. Much like a therapy session, this deft, well-paced novel contains breakthroughs and growth, and, at its end, leaves the reader wistful that the allotted time on the couch has run out.”\u003cbr\u003e“Explores cross-cultural friendships, troubled marriages, love, loss, and forgiveness with [Umrigar’s] characteristic wisdom, humor, and warmth.… This satisfying, psychologically complex story will appeal to a wide range of readers.… its characters are both smart and likable without being sentimental or idealized.”\u003cbr\u003e“[a] thoughtful and moving new novel...”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9780062344120\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"HarperLuxe","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":41105510203598,"sku":"9780062344120","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/9780062344120.jpg?v=1649564264","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9780062344120","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}