{"product_id":"the-story-hour-a-novel-isbn-9780062259301","title":"The Story Hour: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\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\/strong\u003e\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\u003eFrom the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe World We Found\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Space Between Us\u003c\/em\u003e comes a profound, heartbreakingly honest novel about friendship, love, and second chances.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn experienced psychologist, Maggie carefully maintains emotional distance from her patients. But when she agrees to treat a young Indian woman who tried to kill herself, her professional detachment disintegrates. Cut off from her family in India, and trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering man who limits her world to their small restaurant and grocery store, Lakshmi is desperately lonely.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoved by Lakshmi's plight, Maggie offers to see her as an outpatient for free. In the course of their first sessions in Maggie's home office, she quickly realizes that what Lakshmi really needs is not a shrink but a friend. Determined to empower Lakshmi as a woman who feels valued in her own right, Maggie abandons protocol, and soon doctor and patient become close. Even though they seemingly have nothing in common, both women are haunted by loss and truths that they are afraid to reveal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, crossing professional boundaries has its price. As Maggie and Lakshmi's relationship deepens, long-buried secrets come to light that shake their faith in each other and force them to confront painful choices in their own lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith Thrity Umrigar's remarkable sensitivity and singular gift for an absorbing narrative, \u003cem\u003eThe Story Hour\u003c\/em\u003e explores the bonds of friendship and the margins of forgiveness.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“[a] thoughtful and moving new novel...” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCleveland Plain Dealer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLuis Alberto Urrea, author of The Hummingbird's Daughter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePaula McClain, author of The Paris Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Story Hour\u003c\/em\u003e is…a compelling testament to the power of story to unite people, transcend differences, and ultimately heal both the self and relationships.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookBrowser Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I was hooked immediately…. The book will make a great movie…with actresses vying for the roles of these strong, unforgettable characters.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMidlife at the Oasis\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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!” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of Oleander Girl and Sister of My Heart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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?” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eO Magazine, “10 Books to Pick Up Now”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888167809253,"sku":"NP9780062259301","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062259301.jpg?v=1730228317","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-story-hour-a-novel-isbn-9780062259301","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}