Missing Sam

A Novel

By: Thrity Umrigar

Narrated by: Reena Dutt

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

One night after a party, old grievances surface between married couple Aliya and Sam and the night ends badly with a heated argument. Sam goes for a run early the next morning to clear her head—and doesn’t come back.

Aliya reports her wife missing, but as a gay, Muslim daughter of immigrants, she can't escape the scrutiny and suspicion of those around her. Scared and furious and feeling isolated as strangers and acquaintances alike doubt her innocence, Aliya makes one wrong choice after another. She must fight to prove her innocence in the public eye even as she is torn between her fear that Sam is dead and her desire to find and save her wife. But is safety ever truly possible for them?

A provocative examination of suburban mores, Missing Sam captures the terror manifested in today’s political climate, and the real dangers, both physical and psychological, of being brown and queer in America.

Critic reviews

"Missing Sam is a sneaky novel. At first glance, it appears to be a thriller about a missing woman. But in actuality, Thrity Umrigar writes about gender, prejudice, cultural identity, race, and the complexities of love and marriage. What a feat! Like Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, this page turner delivers so much more than thrills and twists."—Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle

Loved the theme of family relationships

I really disliked the part where Sam went back to his house -- it didn't ring true to me at all.

Personal, Spiritual, Familial, and Cultural Healing

I began listening to this book expecting a bit of sapphic romance mixed with suspense. I did not expect to be taken along a journey and experience characters awakening to self enlightenment, familial healing, cultural and heritage exploration and understanding all rolled in to the suspense. This isn’t a book to read or listen to and then put back on the shelf. This is a book to experience and digest. I’ll be reflecting carefully pieces of these words as I go about my existence in this world. Thank you, Thrity Umrigar, for challenging me with your words in such an unexpected way.

Woke focus

I was a big fan of this author. I really enjoyed her other books, but this was a departure. There was a focus on race, color and politics that took away from the story. Read like propaganda instead of a story.