If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar
This is the third novel I've read by Umrigar, and as always, I enjoyed it. While her novels don't always have huge twists and turns, I feel like she always has an enjoyable story to tell about day to day life, and the twists of time. She is good at character development. This may not be on the same caliber as her last two novels but I still liked it, and her characters, especially Tehmina. Of course, unlike her other two novels, this one has a much happier ending so some of the poignancy of her other novels is lost.
Tehmina is currently visiting her son and his family in the States from Bombay. Her husband died earlier in the year, and she is now faced with the decision of where to spend the rest of her life. Her son wants her to move to Ohio but she feels conflicted about leaving behind her life in Bombay, the apartment she shared with her beloved husband and just the hustle and bustle of her neighborhood.
Most of the book shows Tehmina's adjusting to American life, and reminiscing about Bombay as she tried to make up her mind. As I said, given the premise of the novel, the book is of course much more about the character interactions and the mixing of two cultures than any large, twisting plots. Fortunately, Umrigar knows how to write characters and make them sympathetic with all their flaws. Unlike, say, the last book I read.
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