India, Present-day

The entirety of Honor takes place in present day India. At the beginning of the novel, Smita returns to India for the first time since her childhood. In Book One, the narrative descriptions of Mumbai focus on the smog, homeless population, and sharp economic divides that Smita notices. Her disdain for India, rooted in her personal trauma in Mumbai, is evoked through the narrative focus on the negative aspects of city life. As the novel progresses, the spatial descriptions of India take on a more neutral or positive tone as Smita’s attachment to the country shifts and she realizes that her past trauma is not a signifier of all Indian culture.

Birwad

Birwad is the rural village where Meena lives with Ammi. She moved to the small town after she fled her home in Vithalgaon to elope with Abdul. Meena’s home is on the outskirts...