Missing Sam
A Novel

Umrigar has always delivered impactful and often shocking, stories. Ali’s wife has gone missing the morning after an argument. She never returned after her run. Ali becomes the one who goes under the microscope. Umrigar has us bear witness to the discrimination Ali experiences as a Muslim Indian Ameri......more

From the very first pages, I felt that tightening in my chest that only truly powerful stories can create. What starts as a tense moment between two people who love each other slowly turns into a nightmare that no one could ever be prepared for. The way this novel unfolds feels unsettlingly real, as......more

At first glance, Sam and Aliya are the perfect picture of a modern American couple; the two women live in a suburban home in Ohio and have been married for several years. Ali, an Indian-American entrepreneur, runs her own successful interior design business while Sam is a college professor. Their li......more

This story questions the limits of marital bliss and asks what we owe to one another: spouses, community members, family members, even those who have wronged us. I thought Umrigar did a great job of inhabiting both main characters' perspectives. We begin the novel with Aliya, who has woken up alone......more

This is the author’s first mystery novel. It takes getting used to since I’ve learned to love Thrity’s brand of writing about social injustices and poverty. Missing Sam is still packed with what’s-wrong-with-the-world kind of stuff. I love Ali’s father’s character. I wish every daughter has a dad li......more