Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The World We Found
    The World We Found
    The World We Found
    Audiobook10 hours

    The World We Found

    Written by Thrity Umrigar

    Narrated by Soneela Nankani

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Best-selling author and PEN/Beyond Margins Award finalist Thrity Umrigar's acclaimed novels "resonate with rich prose and vibrant depictions of India" (Booklist). In The World We Found, Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta-once friends at the University of Bombay-reconnect 30 years later when Armaiti is diagnosed with cancer. Coming together, all four women are forced to reexamine their lives. "[A] powerful meditation on friendship, on loss, and all the regrets of middle age ." -Boston Globe
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 18, 2012
    ISBN9781464045127
    The World We Found
    Author

    Thrity Umrigar

    Thrity Umrigar is the author of seven novels Everybody’s Son, The Story Hour, The World We Found, The Weight of Heaven, The Space Between Us, If Today Be Sweet, and Bombay Time; a memoir, First Darling of the Morning; and a children’s picture book, When I Carried You in My Belly. A former journalist, she was awarded a Nieman Fellowship to Harvard and was a finalist for the PEN Beyond Margins Award. A professor of English at Case Western Reserve University, she lives in Cleveland, Ohio.  

    More audiobooks from Thrity Umrigar

    Related to The World We Found

    Related audiobooks

    Literary Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Moving On

      Dec 22, 2019

      Moving On
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Library

      Nov 4, 2021

      The Library
      2 min read

    • Article

      Winds Of Change

      Dec 10, 2019

      “Till the end of the pitted and dusty lane, she was a dry, brown leaf swiftly floating down a clear stream. Part of it was easy, the part about being brown. ‘Brown as mud and common as mud,’ Aaji would scream every morning waking her up. The rest of

      9 min read

    • Article

      Famous People

      Mar 1, 2022

      Famous People
      15 min read

    • Article

      Are You Lonesome Tonight?

      Aug 8, 2019

      Are You Lonesome Tonight?
      6 min read

    • Article

      O Fortuna, Velut Luna

      Sep 15, 2018

      What is Miss Treece’s trouble, according to a popular notion? The man A has failed to show up. Arousing herself at the restaurant, she fixes her lipstick when her solo supper concludes and takes herself down the stairs situated behind the bar. There,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Freedom

      Aug 6, 2020

      Freedom
      7 min read

    • Article

      Summer Of Love

      Jun 22, 2022

      Summer Of Love
      15 min read

    • Article

      Decisions, Decisions

      Jan 11, 2022

      Decisions, Decisions
      6 min read

    • Article

      Left To Lose

      Jul 10, 2022

      Around the time she gives up her name, it starts to feel like this entire revolution isn’t worth it anymore. The world is probably lucky that Kelian—she still remembers Kelian, in spite of everything—is there to pick up the pieces, the way he always

      11 min read

    • Article

      Six Million Reasons

      Jul 9, 2021

      Six Million Reasons
      6 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      Jan 1, 2024

      I’ve always been an easy crier (let it come, not ashamed, never held it back in joy or grief, and wherever … subway, teaching, grocery store, (oh the desolate grocery store during the height of Covid) but now, the welling up: that’s daily now. —Lia P

      5 min read

    • Article

      Wounds That Won’t Heal

      Oct 30, 2017

      Wounds That Won’t Heal
      7 min read

    • Article

      Right

      Jun 1, 2022

      Right
      4 min read

    • Article

      Why I Don’t Write

      Mar 7, 2019

      Why I Don’t Write
      6 min read

    • Article

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      Bring me HOME

      Feb 15, 2023

      Tash filled the teapot from the urn. ‘Centre’s busy,’ she said, nodding towards the snaking queue. ‘Weather’s driving them inside. It’s bitter,’ Vic said, handing a mug of tea to Stan, one of Sleep Tight’s regulars. ‘What’s for eats?’ the old man as

      7 min read

    • Article

      Two Sisters

      Dec 15, 2018

      Two sisters lived together in a two-room apartment. They were very poor. For lunch, they usually had a boiled potato; for breakfast, a slice of bread with a glass of hot water. They were very thin but very neat, and kept their home spotless. Every da

      23 min read

    • Article

      We All Have Our Stories

      Mar 1, 2021

      We All Have Our Stories
      14 min read

    • Article

      A Touch Of Summer

      Sep 7, 2020

      Leila had found a place she could go. A sandy cove, a short cycle ride from her flat, where she could spread out her beach towel, put on her headphones and watch the sea lap up onto the shore. She wasn’t sure what kept this spot so quiet, when the ot

      5 min read

    • Article

      Whom He May Devour: Saving her planet would ban her from paradise.

      Jan 7, 2016

      Lydia watched Ahad play the guitar. He leaned against a boulder, eyes shut, his face positioned to catch the last warm rays of the setting sun. His long, slender fingers caressed the strings, producing a slow, haunting melody. The music almost made h

      17 min read

    • Article

      Mr. Leith

      Jul 1, 2020

      Mr. Leith
      5 min read

    • Article

      All My Tomorrows

      May 10, 2022

      It was Misha’s first day minding the shop, and already she’d broken the fifth rule. Always lock the door immediately. When you had the most valuable merchandise in the universe, you had to take the utmost precautions. She hadn’t meant to disobey. It

      13 min read

    • Article

      The Currency of Tears

      Sep 9, 2019

      The Currency of Tears
      7 min read

    • Article

      Brothers and Sisters

      Dec 7, 2021

      Passing through the hallway on their way out, her sisters tipped their heads in the direction of the statue of the goddess Durga. They did it automatically, almost imperceptibly, and with wide, innocent eyes, like spies letting their handler know the

      13 min read

    • Article

      Suspicious Minds

      Apr 7, 2022

      Suspicious Minds
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The World We Found

    4.5/5

    26 ratings20 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      In the late 1970's Laleh, Kavita, Nishta, and Armaiti, were idealistic young students protesting the political conditions in India, passionate about their beliefs and seemingly willing to risk everything to see equality for India's religious and economic minorities. Thirty years later they are all living different lives then they imagined and they haven't stayed the close-knit group they once were. When Armaiti learns she is dying her last wish is to have all of her friends together again. But the reunion opens old wounds and brings to life carefully hidden secrets. Each of the women is forced to examine the life she is living and compare it to her past dreams and ambitions. How do you reconcile the present with the wild, ambitious plans you made in college?This is the first book by Thrity Umrigar that I have read, but it won't be the last. Each of the women in this book was interesting and likeable, though all were very different. The contrast of their differences alongside the obvious similarities that made them friends gave the story a very realistic depth and added layers to the plot. The World We Found was the best of both worlds, an easy read that made me think - about India, politics, and most of all how the idealism of university days fades into the reality of middle age forcing each person to hold strong to their ideals while bending them to fit ever changing lives and circumstances. In the end it was an eye-opening, yet lovely read about friendship, change, and growing up.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      A disappointing read. I was eager to read since each of the women's character seemed so appealing.Midway, the novel spiraled out of control. The book focused on one woman's effort to escape her marriage. I sloughed towards the end but it was a complete waste of time. No more Thrity
    • 4/5
      Not my favorite Umrigar - but she's like Austen for me, even a weak Umrigar beats most other books.
    • 4/5
      A story of friends that reconnect years later after one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer. This book is set in India and is the first I have read about that country. That alone was of interest to me. The actual story could be set in any country in the world. It is a story about making decisions and re-examining your life and the possibility of making a new start.
    • 4/5
      Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta all college friends and young activists. They soon find out that youth can betray and blindside you and life pushes through and begins to happen. Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta remained in Bombay while Armaiti decides to leave for America. Over the years marriages take place, children are born, and the distance between them begins to grow. When Armaiti is diagnosed with terminal cancer they all are summoned for a reunion. This request conjures up different emotions in them all. For Laleh it is old guilt she has disguised for years. The feelings Kavita has hid shamefully for years resurface. For Nishta it is the beginning of a new life.Each of these women have a unique life story that holds our attention throughout the narrative. Even though Armaiti's illness is grave Umrigar never allows the reader to get "in their feelings" because she always bring to light the joy of the friendships. The author deals with the social ills of the culture but Umrigar does an amazing job of portraying the heart of a wife dealing with a devoted Muslim husband in Nishta. Nishta's story was the highlight of the novel for me. It was as if she was buried alive in a marriage to her college sweetheart who had turned into a different man over the years. The World We Found shows that real friendships can heal and redeem.I must admit that I did not really start enjoying The World We Found until I was about halfway in. I still don't understand why the author divided the book into two parts the time frame did not change at all. Overall, I loved the balance of the book and how real these women were. Umrigar developed female characters that any woman can relate to no matter what country they live in.
    • 4/5
      Edging towards fifty, Armaiti has just found out she has terminal cancer. Her last wish is for one last get-together with her three best friends from college - Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta. College students in 1970s India, the once-inseparable group of four were Socialists, campaigning for a better India that they eventually moved away from in marriage and family. The friends have changed over the past few decades and each harbor their own little secrets about their college days and aftermaths, and gathering the other three to come to America, where Armaiti moved, may prove more difficult than thought and open up questions of friendship, love, and the past.The World We Found is a great read on several levels: a chick-lit novel exploring friendship, an examination of the changes in Indian society between the 1970s and now, a middle-age retrospection on youth. The four women have moved into diverse lives. Armaiti married (and divorced) a wealthy American; Laleh has a comfortable life with her Indian husband; Kavita, an architect, is finally ready for her friends to meet her lesbian lover; Nishta's once-Socialist husband has become a conservative Muslim who keeps his wife tethered to the home.Despite the prolific dialogue and range of high emotions, Umrigar's writing is always smooth, never stilted as is a common fallacy in such novels. I was surprised at how easy a read this was for me due to the graceful flow of the story. Each facet of the plot is examined equally and adequately, and evident behind the heartwarming friendship tale is the exploration of Indian society, Hindu-Muslim relations, and the effect of the past on the present. The only thing in which the novel disappointed me was the way a certain situation was handled, by pitting religious stereotypes onto a Muslim, though this was duly discussed.Nishta's side of the story reminded me of the plot of a Victorian "New Woman" novel - female is somehow restrained by a repressive society, comes to a crisis point, which path will she decide to take? Interesting how a common motif of American literature a century ago occurs now in a novel about Muslim India.
    • 3/5
      This is one of those books where the location, India, was one of the main characters. In fact, the lesson in cultural differences was what I liked most about the book. I thought the ending was too abrupt. The plot seemed to build and then the story just ended. The word "cliffhanger" comes to mind. But, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and was involved with the characters. I do wonder what Muslims would think of the way they are portrayed.
    • 4/5
      There were four university students, Laleh, Nishta, Kavita and Armaiti who became close friends. They had protested against authority and tried to make a better world back in the 1970s in Bombay. The book lets you know a little bit about each of their past as you learn about their present lives. Armaiti had been hurt in one of the protests and Laleh has always blamed herself for leaving. She thought she should have been there to protect Armaiti who ended up in the hospital with a concussion. Thirty years later, Armaiti called Laleh to ask if all of her friends could come to America to see her. She was terminally ill with a brain tumor. Armaiti had married Richard, an American. They were divorced now and she had a daughter in Harvard but they were both back home with her now. She had refused treatment and they wanted to be with her in her last days. Armaiti wanted Diane her daughter to meet her friends. Laleh and Adish were very well off financially and children. She had lost contact with Armaiti but still felt close to her and guilty for not protecting her. Adish is called Mr. Fixit by people at work and even his family and he is very important later on in the book. Kavita is well known architect who remained single. She used to carry her guitar with her all the time and still lived with her mother. She had always had a crush on Armaiti but had never revealed her secret. Lately she was seeing a beautiful tall German woman that she met through work. Nishta had always been exuberant and happy in college but now was married to Muslim and he forced to wear a burka and only saw her in-laws as her parents had disowned her. Her world has become much smaller than when she was in the university. Thirty Umrigar weaves together the lives of the women beautifully. There are little places where explains some of the cultural differences and gives a little bit of history but this does not interfere with the story. This is a story of friendship, forgiveness, independence and suspense. She is truly a great storyteller. Now I want to read other books by her. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in women’s friendships and India. I received this book from the Amazon Vine program but that in no way influenced my review.
    • 4/5
      This novel is the first book I have read by Umrigar, but I can tell you it won't be my last. The Weight of Heaven has been on my Kindle for quite some time, and if I didn't have to start my book club book next, I would definitely be reading that one. It's not a secret that I enjoy books that give me a taste of another culture, and Umrigar did not disappoint in this respect. Before reading this book I was unaware of the conflict between the Muslim and Hindu cultures in India that eventually led to devastating riots.Our four lead characters were best friends in college that end up losing touch with each other as each one follows their personal happiness. Armaiti marries a man who whisks her away to a life of luxury in America, while the other three are still in India, still find their lives drifting in opposite directions. Armaiti has lived a privileged life in America, but when she is given life-threatening news from her doctor, a sudden desire is sparked to see her long-lost friends one last time.When I read the summary I expected the book to be about the four friends being reunited once again. But it was actually about the obstacles and personal dilemmas they had to endure that would allow them to be together. They each have to confront their own demons and make peace with the choices they have made in this life that have turned them into the people they are today.I did enjoy this novel, even though it took a different path than I had expected. With themes of love, friendship, strength, and sacrifices, this truly was an amazing novel. I think it would be a great selection for a book club or for personal leisure. I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautiful story about friendship, written with such insight and empathy. Although about four female friends, I found that the male characters, Iqbal and Adish, were just as interesting as the female characters.I think this is one of the best books I have read this year, and I learned so much about Indian society in the 1970s and today.
    • 5/5
      Oh my, where do I start? I loved this book so much but I don't want to gush too much and ruin the story for you. Ms. Umrigar is a master of character development. Each character was multidimensional. Nishta's husband Iqbal is a Muslim fundamentalist and as a secondary character could have easily been portrayed as a stereotype. But even he has unexpected yet realistic motivations for his actions.The relationship between the four women was wonderful and complex. The prose was beautifully descriptive. I loved everything about this book and I highly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      Once I began reading, I didn't want to put it down.
    • 3/5
      Not as good as her other novels, but still a recommended read if you like to multicultural literature.
    • 4/5
      Story of four women from India and the unbrakable ties they share. Based on a planned reunion with one of the four who is in America with terminal cancer.Four different women with different present but a shared past from school days. Having similiar type of friends, it was nice to read . It affirms for me how lucky I am to have these ladies in my life although distance seperates us too.
    • 4/5
      This is about four women who went to university together in Bombay, India in the 1970s. They considered themselves revolutionaries at the time. In the end, one of them (Armaiti) moved to the U.S., two (Laleh and Kavita) remained friends, and one (Nishta) separated herself from the others after she, a Hindu, married a Muslim (and a mutual friend to them all). Fast-forward to current day and Armaiti has contacted them in hopes they will come visit before she dies of cancer. I really enjoyed this. You really see how different things can turn out from how you plan them, and how you yourself can change. The book switches viewpoints, so you can see what has happened in everyone's lives from their own perspectives. There were times in this book where I was ready to rate it even higher, but overall, it's a very solid 4 stars. I hadn't heard of Umrigar before, I will read more by her.
    • 5/5
      In the late 70's in Bombay, Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita and Nishta were inseperable university students. They were part of the protest movement, but then ended up going in different directions. Some 25 or 30 years later, Armaiti calls everyone to tell them she is dying of cancer and wants to see all of them. She has moved to America.The other two agree immediately and then have to find Nishta, whose husband is a devout Muslim and has become autocratic, forcing her to convert and treating her like property. They arrange for Nishta to go against his wishes, and her intent is to not return. In the meantime, Armaiti is getting worse, and has decided she doesn't want to die--unfortunately,she has not control over this. This is a beautiful book--well written with strong character development. It gives a picture of the Muslim divide even in India and the conflict between husband and wife over religion and politics.
    • 5/5
      Armaiti is living in America with her daughter and husband when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Immediately her thoughts return to her three best friends from thirty years before: Laleh, Kavita and Nishta – all who still live in India. In the turbulent 1970′s the four young women had challenged the status quo and fought for women’s rights. Now they are older and each has taken a different path in life, far from their revolutionary days and each other. Laleh harbors guilt and regret, Kavita hides who she really is from those closest to her, Armaiti struggles to let go on her own terms, and Nishta finds herself in a self-imposed prison of radical fundamentalism.Thrity Umrigar’s novel of women’s friendship and the challenges facing women in India unwinds in the multiple viewpoints of each of the four main characters. The nonlinear narrative revisits the past through flashback memories, and reveals the deep roots of friendship and love.I found myself especially captivated by Nishta’s story. Nishta has abandoned her Hindu religion to marry a Muslim. Blinded by love, she could not have anticipated her husband’s slide into radical fundamentalism which would leave her cloaked behind a burkha, enslaved to her mother-in-law, and unable to express her individuality. When Kavita and Laleh re-enter her life, Nishta is reminded of all she has sacrificed and she begins dream of a different future, one without her husband.Nishta’s throat ached with sorrow. Despite all that had happened between them, she loved the man sleeping next to her. Felt protective of him. Because despite the sober attire and attitude, his humorless demeanor, the bearded visage, the religious garb, the twinkle-eyed college boy he had once been occasionally shone through. – from The World We Found, page 220 -Umrigar’s writing sparkles with the lives of her protagonists. She dives beneath the surface to examine the characters’ search for truth and redemption and reveals the difficulties faced when individuals seek their own path in the face of entrenched religious, cultural and familial expectations. Umrigar reminds us that for every decision, for every path we choose, there are consequences both good and bad.I read this beautiful novel in record time, and was sorry to say good bye to its characters. Readers who love women’s fiction and novels about love and friendship will be well served to pick up a copy of The World We Found.Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      What a terrifically engaging read. Covers so many different aspects of life, like friendship, political activism, how and why people change, how they lie to themselves to stay with something that is not working. This book could have easily been maudlin and sad, concerning a group of four women who had been great friends and had drifted apart yet come together again when one falls ill, but instead it is a poignant and interesting story. Taught me things I didnt know, about Bombay, India and the 1993 riots between the Hindus and the Muslims, about the Indian culture and how important the little things in life are. Now I need to go back and read previous books by this author because her writing as quite won me over.
    • 4/5
      Excellent book. Not her best. However, it seemed slightly unfinished to me. Needed a better "ending".
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. The relationships of the women, their families and society at large were well-conceived, believable and engrossing. It is one of those rare, wonderful books that traps you: on the one hand, you want to return to reading, because you want to be a part of that world; on the other, you want to slow yourself down, because every word brings you closer to the end.It is one of the 15 or so books I have won through the GoodReads first reader program. It is, far and away, the best.

      1 person found this helpful