In her fifth novel Thrity Umrigar explores the haunting themes of love and loss, idealism and disappointment, commitment and betrayal. The World We Found belongs alongside other outstanding fiction, like The Group and The Women's Room, which chronicles women's friendships and the forces that shape them during turbulent times.

When they were university students in Bombay during the 1970's Laleh, Kavita, Armaiti and Nishta were inseparable. Linked by a shared revolutionary ardour for political and social change, these young women took it for granted that their bond would survive whatever the future might hold. And while they might not have shared their deepest secrets, fears and desires, they were certain they knew each other as well as friends could.

However, thirty years on, Laleh, now a married mother of two teenagers, and Kavita, a successful architect, are the only members of the original group who have maintained regular contact with each other. Armaiti lives in the United States with her daughter, having married and then divorced an American, while Nishta has converted to the Muslim faith after marrying her university boyfriend.

What brings the women together again is the news that Armaiti has terminal cancer and is desperate to see her old friends one more time, particularly as she would like to introduce them to her daughter.

Laleh and Kavita immediately agree to travel to the States but first they must find Nishta. It is at this point that The World We Found becomes a deeper, darker study into the impact of fundamental religions on the rights of women. When Nishta first married her Muslim boyfriend, Iqbal, against the wishes of both sets of parents, the union was seen by her friends as a sign that times were changing for the better, and that there was a possibility that religious tensions would eventually disappear with a new generation of Indians. However after the traumatic Hindu-Muslim riots of 1992-1993 Iqbal became a conservative Muslim and insisted that his wife convert to Islam, wear a burqa and adopt a Muslim name.

By the time Laleh and Kavita locate Nishta, who is now living in a poor Muslim section of Bombay, they discover that their beautiful, free-spirited friend is a pale shadow of her former self, worn down by years of poverty and servitude to her husband's family. The chance to go to the States, with or without Iqbal's approval, acts as a catalyst for change in Nishta's life and provides Laleh and Kavita with a new set of challenges.

Beautifully written and cleverly constructed, this is a novel women will want to share with their own friends. While the narrative is relatively fast paced, Umrigar is still able to weave into the plot thoughtful meditations on the many twists and turns a person's life may take despite all the best intentions of idealistic youth. The World We Found is perfect for reading groups as it is sure to lead to much discussion about the roads not taken in our own lives.