"[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, a moving coming-of-age story 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 family 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 into life in 1960s and 70s Bombay from Umrigar's memories. Two coming-of-age stories collide in this memoir -- one of a small child, and one of a nation.

• A Vivid Indian Childhood Memoir: Told with unflinching honesty, this is the story of a girl's adolescence in a middle-class household, tracing her path from her earliest memories to her departure for America at age twenty-one.

• A Parsi Family Story: Step into the vibrant world of a Parsi family in Bombay, a world filled with unique cultural traditions, deep-seated love, and the struggles and small successes that bind them together.

• Complex Mother-Daughter Relationship: At the heart of this memoir is an emotionally charged look at a difficult mother-daughter bond, exploring family dynamics and the consequences of pain once considered unspeakable.

• Coming of Age in 1970s Bombay: Experience the sights and sounds of a bygone era as two stories collide -- the coming of age of a young woman, and that of a nation finding its footing in a new world.

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• Literature & FictionEssays & CorrespondenceEssays
• HistoryWomen in History
• Biographies & MemoirsWomen

• Publication Date: October 8, 2008
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 297 Pages
• File Size: 718 KB