First Darling of the Morning

<p><strong>[Umrigar] communicates her childhood longing for a cohesive family in deeply felt portraits of those she loves. . . . It is this combination of personal revelation and empathetic observation that makes Umrigar's memoir so appealing.-- <em>Washington Post Book World</em></strong></p><p><strong>From the bestselling author of <em>The Space Between Us</em> and<em> If Today Be Sweet</em> comes a sensitive beautifully written memoir of Thrity Umrigar's youth in India told with the honesty and guilelessness that only a child's point of view could provide.</strong></p><p>In a series of incredibly poignant stories Thrity Umrigar traces the arc of her Bombay childhood and adolescence--from her earliest memories growing up in a middle-class Parsi household to her eventual departure for the U.S. at age 21. Her emotionally charged scenes take an unflinching look at family issues once considered unspeakable--including intimate secrets controversial political beliefs and the consequences of child abuse. Punishments and tempered hopes struggles and small successes all weave together in this evocative unforgettable coming-of-age tale.</p><p><em>First Darling of the Morning</em> also offers readers a fascinating glimpse at the 1960s and 70s Bombay of Umrigar's memories. Two coming-of-age stories collide in this memoir--one of a small child and one of a nation.</p>