Tucson Festival of Books | Thrity Umrigar

Thrity Umrigar (She/Her)

Laura Watilo Blake

Thrity Umrigar is the bestselling author of nine novels, including "Honor," which was a Reese's Book Club pick, as well as four picture books and a memoir. A former journalist, she has contributed to The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and The Cleveland Plain Dealer. She is currently a Distinguished University Professor of English at Case Western Reserve University. Her forthcoming novel is "Missing Sam."

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Communities: LGBTQ+, Asian American

Scheduled events:

Queer Love, Loss, and Representation

Representation matters. From the lives we see reflected on the page to the stories that challenge dominant narratives, queer storytelling has the power to validate experience, foster empathy, and expand our understanding of love and identity.

Student Union Santa Rita (Seats 110)

Sat, Mar 14, 1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
Fiction / Literature
Signing area: UA Campus Store Book Sales (Mall) (following presentation)

Panelists: Michelle Tea, Thrity Umrigar, Alejandro Varela
Moderator: Scott St. Marie

Trauma, Memory and Truth

What is the responsibility of a storyteller when recounting trauma, injustice, or loss? This panel brings together three authors who explore the fragile line between memory and reality, and how personal and collective histories shape our understanding of the world.

Commons 105 / Chemistry (Seats 217, Wheelchair accessible)
Sun, Mar 15, 1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
Fiction / Literature
Signing area: Sales & Signing Koffler/Commons (following presentation)

Panelists: Brandon Hobson, T Kira Madden, Thrity Umrigar
Moderator: Jessica Braithwaite

Books:

Missing Sam

A Novel
Fiction / Literature
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
January 2026
ISBN 9781643757629
Hardcover, 320 pages
Buy now

A tense and twisty story of a woman who goes missing on a morning run and her wife's determination to both find her and clear her own name--from the bestselling author of "Honor. More/less

The Museum of Failures

A Novel
Fiction / Literature
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
September 2024
ISBN 9781643755434
Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Buy now

From the bestselling author of "The Space Between Us" comes a powerful story about family secrets, a mother's power, and the importance of forgiveness. More/less