'Interpreter of Maladies' by Jhumpa Lahiri
Fri, Oct 23, 2026, 2pm
In this collection of nine short stories, Jhumpa Lahiri examines the Bengali immigrant experience in themes of identity, loneliness, cultural displacement, and simply the search for somewhere to call home. Imbued with sensual details of Indian culture, the stories speak to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.
The collection received strongly positive reviews and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for Debut Novel in the year 2000.
Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times wrote, “Ms. Lahiri chronicles her characters' lives with both objectivity and compassion while charting the emotional temperature of their lives with tactile precision. Her prose is so eloquent and assured that the reader easily forgets that Interpreter of Maladies is the young writer's first book.”
Ronnie Noor of World Literature Today wrote, "The value of these stories lies in fact that they transcend the confined borders of the immigrant experience to embrace larger age-old issues that are, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 'cast into the mould of these new times' redefining America."
“Lahiri’s prose is deceptively simple, its mechanics invisible, as she enters into her character’s innermost journeys” —Los Angeles Times.
UMRA's Fourth Friday Club welcomes newcomers. For more information, please contact Bob Bache at [email protected] or Dorothy Marden at [email protected].
Upcoming Events
The architecture in Iceland is as spare as the culture -- honest and simple.
Michelle Trudeau-Spanjers leads the hike at William O'Brien State Park.
Topics include longevity, distributions, long term care, Social Security, and comprehensive planning.
The theme for October is "Monuments."
Join us for the UMRA Breakfast on Thursday, October 15, for a frank discussion about addiction and how it can affect families and friends of the addicted person.
UMRA’s second “Campus Conversation” with a University leader will offer UMRA members an exclusive opportunity to meet with John Morris, president and CEO of the University of Minnesota Foundation. The focus of the conversation will be the role of the foundation and its relationship to retirees.
UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss the historical fiction novel The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict when it meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 16.
Jon C leads the hike at Nerstrand Big Woods with lunch afterwards.
The Vaccine Integrity Project at the UMN Centers for Infectious Disease Research and Prevention is working to ensure that vaccine use in the U.S. remains grounded in the best available evidence, and focused on protecting public health. Kevin Griffis, director of CIDRAP Media Relations and Public Affairs, will tell us about this work as the featured speaker for UMRA’s Living Well Workshop on Tuesday, October 20.
Gather with UMRA members in the Campus Club West Wing to share lunch and conversation. No agenda.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club (aka UMRA Book Club II) will discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning debut novel by Jhumpa Lahiri when it meets at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 23, via Zoom. The nine short stories in the collection speak to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.
Discuss long term care options with Fred Andersen.
Chris Coleman, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity president and CEO and a two time alumnus of the University of Minnesota, will provide a deep dive for UMRA’s October 27 luncheon forum into how Habitat creates, preserves, and promotes affordable homeownership for low-income households.
Bob & Jean Hall and Andy Whitman, participants.
The theme for November is "Hands"
UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity tour will offer an insider's look into the important work happening at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center. We will enjoy a walking tour through patient exam rooms, student learning areas, and clinical/surgery suites, highlighting how faculty experts and student veterinarians collaborate to deliver life-saving care.
Gift planning strategies and ideas for impactful tax-efficient gifts to accomplish your goals.
Gather with UMRA members in the Campus Club West Wing to share lunch and conversation. No agenda.
The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne by Chris Sweeney.
Consult with a tax professional to come up with a financial plan well before year end.
The theme for December is "Pathways and roadways."