'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
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.
Join Leader Neal Gale for the November 2 hike in the heart of Minneapolis’ Minnehaha Falls – Mississippi River area.
Bob & Jean Hall and Andy Whitman, participants.
How much do the experiences of our earliest years shape who we become — and even our physical health — decades later? For more than 50 years, University of Minnesota researchers have been exploring that question through the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation. In this UMRA Living Well Workshop, Professor Jeffry Simpson, PhD, will draw on findings from the study to explore the connections between our earliest relationships and our health later in life.
The theme for November is "Hands"
Join us for breakfast and discussion about this year's election results.
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.
Professor Kathryn Pearson, a well-known and respected specialist in U.S. politics and political behavior, will help us to decipher the results of the 2026 midterm elections as the guest speaker for UMRA’s November 2026 Luncheon Forum.
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.
Join us as we navigate the trails at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge Education and Visitor Center.
The theme for December is "Pathways and roadways."
"Landscape" is the theme of the UMRA Photo Club meeting on Tuesday, January 12.