First Darling of the Morning: Selected Memories of an Indian Childhood

"[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."-- Washington Post Book World

From the bestselling author of The Space Between Us and If Today Be Sweet 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.

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.

First Darling of the Morning 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.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 10/21/2008
ISBN: 9780061451614
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.53lbs
Size: 8.02h x 5.38w x 0.77d
Award: Society of Midland Authors Award - Finalist

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 08/11/2008 pg. 35
Library Journal 08/15/2008 pg. 93
Booklist 09/01/2008 pg. 25
Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2008 pg. 1107
New York Times Book Review 12/28/2008 pg. 17
Booklist Editors Choice/Adult 01/01/2009 pg. 6
Booklist Ed Choice Adu Bk YA's 01/01/2009 pg. 12