THE SECRETS BETWEEN US

Sneha Mathan is an excellent choice to narrate the many subplots in Umrigar's unexpected sequel to THE SPACE BETWEEN US, about an unjustly fired lower-caste Indian employee named Bhima. She captures the tensions between Bhima and her granddaughter, Maya, by establishing different personas for the very different women. She provides an older, slower, and deeper pitch and accented English for Bhima and faster, accent-free English for the younger, more cosmopolitan Maya. Mathan's accurate pronunciation of Indian names, words, and phrases makes the listening experience more authentic. We are transported into the world of three women, including neighbor Parvati, who are struggling to climb out of the grinding poverty life has handed them. This is a rich listening experience for fans of Umrigar and world literature. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2018]