If Today Be Sweet

By Thrity Umrigar

Book Overview

Tehmina Sethna's beloved husband has died this past year and she is visiting her son, Sorab, in his suburban Ohio home. Now Tehmina is being asked to choose between her old, familiar life in India and a new one in Ohio with her son, his American wife, and their child. She must decide whether to leave the comforting landscape of her native India for the strange rituals of life in a new country. This is a journey Tehmina, a middle-aged Parsi woman, must travel alone. The Parsis were let into India almost a millennium ago because of their promise to "sweeten" and enrich the lives of the people in their adopted country. This is an ancient promise that Tehmina takes seriously. And so, while faced with the larger choice of whether to stay in America or not, Tehmina is also confronted with another, more urgent choice: whether to live in America as a stranger or as a citizen. Citizenship implies connection, participation, and involvement. Soon destiny beckons in the form of two young, troubled children next door. It is the plight of these two boys that forces Tehmina to choose. She will either straddle two worlds forever and live in a no-man's land or jump into the fullness of her new life in America. If Today Be Sweet is a novel that celebrates family and community. It is an honest but affectionate look at contemporary America--the sterility of its suburban life, the tinsel of its celebrity culture, but also the generosity of its people and their thirst for connection and communication. Eloquently written, evocative, and unforgettable, If Today Be Sweet is a poignant look at issues of immigration, identity, family life, and hope. It is a novel that shows how cultures can collide and become better for it.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061240230
• ISBN13: 9780061240232
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

One of my Favorite Books ? or Authors ?

I think this was the second book of Ms Umrigars that I have read. I happen to like the subtlety and the gentleness of her writing with the strong message she gets across. These characters awakened an awareness of what it feels like for a woman to re-locate and have to realize her own values and how to act on them. The author is a favorite and is it her writing or her insights that amaze me the most ?

Umrigar Does It Again

This is my second experience reading Umrigar, and it won't be my last. This story, about Tehmina, a widow from India torn between the old world and the new (her grown son's home in Cleveland) explores a range of emotions. Umrigar expresses the widow's grief with clarity and compassion. And Tehmina is a marvel of a character. Her instinct is to nurture and care for everyone, but often in American society, we are taught to not interfere with the lives of others. Tehmina is conflicted in many ways, and that makes her triumph all the more "sweet."

throughly enjoyed it!

i agree with the other reviews in which they write the characters are still lingering in their minds. i pulled into my driveway and envisioned Sorab parking his Saab in his garage! (ok, i can get carried away.) a rich in culture, beautifully written book. Umrigar brings you deep into the inner conflicts of a strong, proud woman who doesn't conform to the easy-way-out American life of superficiality. she portrays the family's love for each other so intensely, it makes my heart ache. i loved this book and will be sure to recommend it to a friend!

Very moving!!

I have never had an author move me as much or bring characters alive like Thrity Unrigar does in her novels. "If Today Be Sweet" was no exception. It is as if you are there with them, living their lives, feeling their sorrows and their happiness. It helps you to realize what is most important in life...your family and friends, not the material possessions that you have. Thrity Umrigar always leaves me thinking about her characters for days after finishing one of her novels...and wanting her to write a sequal.