3 Review(s)

As a dedicated and seasoned practitioner, psychologist Maggie prides herself on her ability to remain professionally detached from her patients. But when a young Indian woman ends up at her hospital after a suicide attempt, Maggie finds herself ignoring all the rules. Lakshmi, who left all her family behind when she immigrated to America, is desperately lonely and trapped in a loveless marriage, her life circumscribed by the walls of her husbands small Indian restaurant and grocery store. Ending her life feels like the only way out of her misery. Deeply affected by Lakshmis loneliness and disturbed by her domineering husband, Maggie impulsively offers to treat her as an out-patient free of charge. However, when the sessions begin in Maggies home office its apparent that Lakshmi doesnt really need a doctor, she needs a friend. Maggie abandons protocol, determined to empower Lakshmi as a woman who feels valued in her own right and the two develop a powerful relationship that is full of affection but also warped by conflicting expectations. This jewel of a novel once again demonstrates that few writers capture the complexities, challenges and rewards of love-both platonic and romantic-like Thrity Umrigar. In an achingly human story about our capacity for faith, forgiveness and hope, she allows us to celebrate the power of second chances.