First Darling of the Morning

“[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.