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Mariage à l'indienne
C'est le premier roman d'une jeune femme qui a commencé dans le journalisme à 17 ans, et qui a vécu dix-huit mois à Paris en étant correspondante du China Moming Post pour la santé, la mode et les personnalités. Sa famille qui vit à Bombay désirait beaucoup la marier dans son pays, mais c'est à Los Angeles qu'elle s'est établie avec son mari, et c'est là qu'elle vit depuis trois ans.
Il y a dans ce livre le ton de liberté sans complexe des jeunes femmes modernes délivrées des tabous et l'humour constant qui a fait le succès d'un livre comme Le Journal de Bridget Jones
. « A deux jours de son dixième anniversaire, ma grand-mère était déjà mariée. Ma mère, elle, avait trouvé un mari à vingt ans. J'en avais conclu que si l'on gagnait ainsi dix ans à chaque génération, pour arriver à l'âge idéal du mariage, à trente ans, au plus tard, j'aurais dû trouver un conjoint. Mais à trente ans, j'étais à mille lieues de convoler, d'où la consternation de chacun au mariage de ma cousine Nina. »
Ainsi commence le roman plein d'humour d'une jeune romancière indienne, racontant l'histoire attendrissante et drôle d'une jeune fille déchirée entre les coutumes rigides de l'Inde et la liberté de moeurs de l'Amérique. Si la recherche de l'amour peut emprunter des voies différentes, le chagrin et le rire sont, eux, universels.
Il y a dans ce livre le ton de liberté sans complexe des jeunes femmes modernes délivrées des tabous et l'humour constant qui a fait le succès d'un livre comme Le Journal de Bridget Jones
. « A deux jours de son dixième anniversaire, ma grand-mère était déjà mariée. Ma mère, elle, avait trouvé un mari à vingt ans. J'en avais conclu que si l'on gagnait ainsi dix ans à chaque génération, pour arriver à l'âge idéal du mariage, à trente ans, au plus tard, j'aurais dû trouver un conjoint. Mais à trente ans, j'étais à mille lieues de convoler, d'où la consternation de chacun au mariage de ma cousine Nina. »
Ainsi commence le roman plein d'humour d'une jeune romancière indienne, racontant l'histoire attendrissante et drôle d'une jeune fille déchirée entre les coutumes rigides de l'Inde et la liberté de moeurs de l'Amérique. Si la recherche de l'amour peut emprunter des voies différentes, le chagrin et le rire sont, eux, universels.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
19 people are currently reading
1602 people want to read
About the author
Kavita Daswani
24 books92 followersKavita Daswani is an American author who started her career as a journalist for South China Morning Post when she only seventeen. She lived in Hong Kong before moving to Los Angeles.
Now in her thirties, she has written several novels for grown-ups and young adults that represent her passion and love for the Indian culture. In her books, we see how young Indian girls are trying to break away from their tradition in pursuit of their dreams. She also brings some of her own life's experiences into her books.
She has been a fashion correspondent for CNN, CNBC Asia, and Women's Wear Daily, has written for the Los Angeles Times and the International Herald Tribune, among many other publications, and has been the fashion editor for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.
Now in her thirties, she has written several novels for grown-ups and young adults that represent her passion and love for the Indian culture. In her books, we see how young Indian girls are trying to break away from their tradition in pursuit of their dreams. She also brings some of her own life's experiences into her books.
She has been a fashion correspondent for CNN, CNBC Asia, and Women's Wear Daily, has written for the Los Angeles Times and the International Herald Tribune, among many other publications, and has been the fashion editor for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
May 6, 2013
Zabavna knjiga... indijske autorke... chick-lit...
July 12, 2013
Entering her mid-thirties, Anju has proven to be a failure as a daughter. Sure, she's well-educated. Sure, she has a successful career as a fashion publicist. Sure, she has remained a "good girl" despite living by herself in that den of iniquity known as New York City. But she's failed to do the one thing that would define her worth and ease the anxiety she's causing her ultra-conservative, ultra-orthodox parents: she still hasn't married.
And it's not Anju's fault. She's fasted, she's prayed, she's presented herself as meek and submissive. She's allowed her mother to drag her to every swami, fortune teller, and holy man she can find. She's had her birth chart read, her destiny foretold. She's tried to lighten her too-dark complexion. She's attended parties and reunions and the weddings of others, in the hopes of making a match--all to no avail. She's even tried online matchmaking for Indian couples only. What will it take for Anju to meet the man that others assure her has been born for her and, in the meantime, how can she balance her traditional Indian life with her increasingly independent American one?
Other reviews have listed two primary problems with this book: the lack of a clearly defined personality in the protagonist, Anju, and the perception of the novel as a piece of fluff with little to say. And, yes, this certainly isn't the type of novel that is going to deeply move you or offer profound insight into Indian culture. It also has an ending that is predictable and wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. However, the aforementioned criticisms are a little harsh.
First, the issue of Anju's personality, which to me is not a misstep on the part of the author, although it could seem that way to an American audience who would prefer a headstrong and fiercely independent protagonist eager to break the shackles enslaving her to a patriarchal society. But Anju is not American. While she has been raised in a family that loves her, she has also been raised to believe that who she is will always be defined by the man who protects her: first her father and later her husband. She has not been encouraged to become a fully realized person and therefore is waiting for her other half, who will define her existence by setting the boundaries of what her life will be. It should not be surprising that this protagonist hesitates to break with her religion and her heritage, despite sensing something is amiss with the expectations placed upon her. That she is uncertain, cautious, and hesitant makes her seem more real.
Second is the classification of the novel as mindless chick lit. Okay, I can't defend the chick lit part. And there are moments in the narrative when I became a little impatient with Anju's focus on designer shoes and the world of high fashion. But it could be argued that not accustomed to having a voice (or at least not confident enough to always use it), Anju is using fashion to communicate her values and her inner life to others. At home in Bombay, Anju tries to look the part of the fashionable and worldly expatriate, eager to show that she has become more independent, less constrained by social mores. Yet, while attending fashion shows in the U.S. and Europe, she opts out of the haute couture chic for traditional saris, demonstrating to Westerners her pride in herself as an Indian woman. Anju uses fashion in an attempt to attain balance and define herself: she does not want to lose that intrinsically Indian part of herself in America, but she does not want her desires and dreams to be subjugated to the search for a husband in her homeland.
And the novel, while perhaps simplistic in its presentation, is not mindless. Anju knows she is not just a disappointment because of her inability to marry; she knows it goes back to the day she was born: "And then I slid out, with a minuscule slit instead of the wormlike appendage [my mother] had been looking forward to seeing. Oh, God, she had delivered a daughter as a first-born. The unthinkable had happened" (102). Despite being a disappointment, Anju is not unloved and does not want to alienate her family by cutting all ties with her heritage and her customs. Her loneliness and alienation is real and will only worsen if she marries a white man, effectively becoming estranged from her family, or if she marries an Indian man whom she cannot love nor respect. And it's very easy for Americans (as just about every American character in the book does) to think that a family that would expect you to enter into an arranged marriage or to define yourself by who you marry doesn't really love you. But that's a bit hypocritical, no?
For all of our supposed independence, isn't our culture just as marriage happy, just as eager to be one half of a whole? Think we're not as guilty? Say Yes to the Dress, The Bachelor, at least a dozen Disney princess movies, and a wedding industry that sells fairy tales for a price that could put your first born through college suggest otherwise. I knew and know plenty of women who can't wait to get married because that's what they're supposed to do. They believe that's when they'll become who they were always meant to be--wives and mothers. The "arranged" bit isn't necessarily there, but a woman in her twenties is perpetually asked questions about her relationship status: Seeing anyone serious?
And this connection is what Daswani makes work for her in For Matrimonial Purposes. By presenting us with a protagonist with one foot in New York and the other in Bombay, we may see a bit more of ourselves in Anju's experience than we're comfortable with. All of the American superiority begins to deflate as we begin to realize much of Anju's plight may also be our own.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
And it's not Anju's fault. She's fasted, she's prayed, she's presented herself as meek and submissive. She's allowed her mother to drag her to every swami, fortune teller, and holy man she can find. She's had her birth chart read, her destiny foretold. She's tried to lighten her too-dark complexion. She's attended parties and reunions and the weddings of others, in the hopes of making a match--all to no avail. She's even tried online matchmaking for Indian couples only. What will it take for Anju to meet the man that others assure her has been born for her and, in the meantime, how can she balance her traditional Indian life with her increasingly independent American one?
Other reviews have listed two primary problems with this book: the lack of a clearly defined personality in the protagonist, Anju, and the perception of the novel as a piece of fluff with little to say. And, yes, this certainly isn't the type of novel that is going to deeply move you or offer profound insight into Indian culture. It also has an ending that is predictable and wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. However, the aforementioned criticisms are a little harsh.
First, the issue of Anju's personality, which to me is not a misstep on the part of the author, although it could seem that way to an American audience who would prefer a headstrong and fiercely independent protagonist eager to break the shackles enslaving her to a patriarchal society. But Anju is not American. While she has been raised in a family that loves her, she has also been raised to believe that who she is will always be defined by the man who protects her: first her father and later her husband. She has not been encouraged to become a fully realized person and therefore is waiting for her other half, who will define her existence by setting the boundaries of what her life will be. It should not be surprising that this protagonist hesitates to break with her religion and her heritage, despite sensing something is amiss with the expectations placed upon her. That she is uncertain, cautious, and hesitant makes her seem more real.
Second is the classification of the novel as mindless chick lit. Okay, I can't defend the chick lit part. And there are moments in the narrative when I became a little impatient with Anju's focus on designer shoes and the world of high fashion. But it could be argued that not accustomed to having a voice (or at least not confident enough to always use it), Anju is using fashion to communicate her values and her inner life to others. At home in Bombay, Anju tries to look the part of the fashionable and worldly expatriate, eager to show that she has become more independent, less constrained by social mores. Yet, while attending fashion shows in the U.S. and Europe, she opts out of the haute couture chic for traditional saris, demonstrating to Westerners her pride in herself as an Indian woman. Anju uses fashion in an attempt to attain balance and define herself: she does not want to lose that intrinsically Indian part of herself in America, but she does not want her desires and dreams to be subjugated to the search for a husband in her homeland.
And the novel, while perhaps simplistic in its presentation, is not mindless. Anju knows she is not just a disappointment because of her inability to marry; she knows it goes back to the day she was born: "And then I slid out, with a minuscule slit instead of the wormlike appendage [my mother] had been looking forward to seeing. Oh, God, she had delivered a daughter as a first-born. The unthinkable had happened" (102). Despite being a disappointment, Anju is not unloved and does not want to alienate her family by cutting all ties with her heritage and her customs. Her loneliness and alienation is real and will only worsen if she marries a white man, effectively becoming estranged from her family, or if she marries an Indian man whom she cannot love nor respect. And it's very easy for Americans (as just about every American character in the book does) to think that a family that would expect you to enter into an arranged marriage or to define yourself by who you marry doesn't really love you. But that's a bit hypocritical, no?
For all of our supposed independence, isn't our culture just as marriage happy, just as eager to be one half of a whole? Think we're not as guilty? Say Yes to the Dress, The Bachelor, at least a dozen Disney princess movies, and a wedding industry that sells fairy tales for a price that could put your first born through college suggest otherwise. I knew and know plenty of women who can't wait to get married because that's what they're supposed to do. They believe that's when they'll become who they were always meant to be--wives and mothers. The "arranged" bit isn't necessarily there, but a woman in her twenties is perpetually asked questions about her relationship status: Seeing anyone serious?
And this connection is what Daswani makes work for her in For Matrimonial Purposes. By presenting us with a protagonist with one foot in New York and the other in Bombay, we may see a bit more of ourselves in Anju's experience than we're comfortable with. All of the American superiority begins to deflate as we begin to realize much of Anju's plight may also be our own.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
May 6, 2015
An Indian girl from a very wealthy family inherits a curse and no one wants to marry her. The story is about how the very rich spend money on impressing other people with clothes, jewellery and parties, and the importance of a good ( meaning expensive) astrologer in getting an arranged marriage.
But when you are cursed, it doesn't matter how much money your family has and how desperate they are to marry you off, no one presentable will present themselves. The mothers (for it is they who decide who shall marry whom) can get all the material goods and a pretty face elsewhere, minus the curse. So the girl leaves India to strike out on her own and goes to New York where she ends up in a glittering job as a fashion publicist (Paris, Concorde, Blahnik) as everyone does in a chicklit novel, and eventually finds a man to marry.
The author attempts, not very successfully, to give the book depth by turning it into a moral story - the heroine must find herself before she can find a husband. She needn't have bothered, it was a fairly enjoyable piece of fluff anyway.
But when you are cursed, it doesn't matter how much money your family has and how desperate they are to marry you off, no one presentable will present themselves. The mothers (for it is they who decide who shall marry whom) can get all the material goods and a pretty face elsewhere, minus the curse. So the girl leaves India to strike out on her own and goes to New York where she ends up in a glittering job as a fashion publicist (Paris, Concorde, Blahnik) as everyone does in a chicklit novel, and eventually finds a man to marry.
The author attempts, not very successfully, to give the book depth by turning it into a moral story - the heroine must find herself before she can find a husband. She needn't have bothered, it was a fairly enjoyable piece of fluff anyway.
October 17, 2012
Very quick, easy-read, but the main character, Anju, got on my last nerves. Approaching 40, Anju flits back and forth between "Umrica" and her parents in India, looking for the perfect mate. The potential suitors found by her family aren't up to her standards, but she's not having much luck on her own, either. First and foremost, he has to be Indian.
Toward the end of the book, Anju finally gets her man, but is disappointed that he wants to get to know her and fall in love before marriage. She simply wants to get married.
To me, Anju sends mixed signals and is not sure why she wants to get married other than to appease her parents. But, when opportunity presents itself, she turns it down. For me, Anju is one of the msot annoying characters I've ever read and she's told old not to know what she wants and how to obtain it.
Author is too quick to wrap up the end and readers have no idea how the wedding, honeymoon or marriage turn out. In fact, very little details are given at all about Anju's prince charming.
Toward the end of the book, Anju finally gets her man, but is disappointed that he wants to get to know her and fall in love before marriage. She simply wants to get married.
To me, Anju sends mixed signals and is not sure why she wants to get married other than to appease her parents. But, when opportunity presents itself, she turns it down. For me, Anju is one of the msot annoying characters I've ever read and she's told old not to know what she wants and how to obtain it.
Author is too quick to wrap up the end and readers have no idea how the wedding, honeymoon or marriage turn out. In fact, very little details are given at all about Anju's prince charming.
January 9, 2009
really cannot describe the story or plot of this book. There really isn’t any. So here’s the blurb from behind the book.
Anju wants a husband. Equally important, her entire family wants Anju to have a husband. Her life in Bombay, where a marriage can be arranged in a matter of hours, is almost solely devoted to this quest, with her anxious mother hauling her from holy site to holy site in order to consult and entreat swamis and astrologers. As Anju’s twenties slip away, she’s fast becoming a spinster by her culture’s standards.
Only then is she able to persuade her parents to allow her to move to New York, where, she hopes, she will not be viewed as a failure. Making a new life, alone, will be hard, but if the stars align, she may even find love-on her own terms.
Anju is born in a family in Bombay-India, where girls are supposed to get married the moment they cross their teens. Or at least the search for a prospective bridegroom should begin. She is hauled to many get-togethers, be it a marriage, a sangeet, a post-marriage party or an engagement, for this is where Indian girls and their parents supposedly HUNT for grooms.
The perfect boy is the one who has a good job, good family, does not have any bad habits, is rich and yes, is obviously an Indian. All the girls want to marry her handsome brothers because they are rich and good looking. It’s basically an endless parade of arranged marriage meetings for Anju and her family.
As Anju turns 26 and is still un-unmarried, she decides to go to New York to study. And she stays on after studies to work and finally becomes a fashion publicist. But still behind all that success is her failure of finding a suitable boy and fulfilling her parent’s wishes. She tries all sorts of things, putting herself out there, trying on-line sites and so on without any positive outcome.
Okay, I guess my tone is a little sarcastic here, that’s not because I did not like the book. I did. In fact I think Kavita Daswani is a good writer with a good sense of humour. The endless efforts that her parents make to get her married are hilarious. And her mother’s worries about her growing age are equally funny. In fact, I liked the sense of humour in the book quite a bit.
‘But beti, look at your age! You’re not twenty-two anymore. You’re not going to get proposals like Nina and Namrata. There aren’t so many boys still unmarried who are older than you. Maybe he’s not perfect, but atleast he’s like you. Elderly type.”
What I didn’t like about the book? It was the carpet statements that suggested that all Indian girls get married when they turn 20. All Indian girls look for rich and handsome husbands. Nobody marries out of love. All the married Indian girls do not work and the only worry they have is from where to hire the third maid. That all Indian husbands do not passionately love their wives. And so on.
I mean hello? What century were you living in? I actually checked back to see what year this book was written in. 2003. That’s not quite old is it? And for God’s sake she lived in Mumbai. If it was a story set in a village I wouldn’t have disagreed. But this was a little too over the top.
I am not denying that arranged marriages are still prevalent in India. I am just denying the fact that all marriages are arranged. Not that there is anything wrong in an arranged marriage. I know perfectly and totally happy couples whose marriages are arranged.
She doesn’t say all these things directly, but the way she has described all the people in the book certainly suggests that. I wouldn’t have been so irritated if she would have kept this specifically related to her circle of friends. But statements that start with ‘All Indian girls…’ made me cringe.
That I have to say spoiled most of the book for me. BUT…it’s a good book. People who know nothing about Indian culture or who don’t care what image she has created will like the book. It’s hilarious with fun adventures of her arranged marriage efforts. And yes, also how in the end she manages to kind of live in the moment and finally finds happiness in a man and a marriage…apparently on her own terms.
Anju wants a husband. Equally important, her entire family wants Anju to have a husband. Her life in Bombay, where a marriage can be arranged in a matter of hours, is almost solely devoted to this quest, with her anxious mother hauling her from holy site to holy site in order to consult and entreat swamis and astrologers. As Anju’s twenties slip away, she’s fast becoming a spinster by her culture’s standards.
Only then is she able to persuade her parents to allow her to move to New York, where, she hopes, she will not be viewed as a failure. Making a new life, alone, will be hard, but if the stars align, she may even find love-on her own terms.
Anju is born in a family in Bombay-India, where girls are supposed to get married the moment they cross their teens. Or at least the search for a prospective bridegroom should begin. She is hauled to many get-togethers, be it a marriage, a sangeet, a post-marriage party or an engagement, for this is where Indian girls and their parents supposedly HUNT for grooms.
The perfect boy is the one who has a good job, good family, does not have any bad habits, is rich and yes, is obviously an Indian. All the girls want to marry her handsome brothers because they are rich and good looking. It’s basically an endless parade of arranged marriage meetings for Anju and her family.
As Anju turns 26 and is still un-unmarried, she decides to go to New York to study. And she stays on after studies to work and finally becomes a fashion publicist. But still behind all that success is her failure of finding a suitable boy and fulfilling her parent’s wishes. She tries all sorts of things, putting herself out there, trying on-line sites and so on without any positive outcome.
Okay, I guess my tone is a little sarcastic here, that’s not because I did not like the book. I did. In fact I think Kavita Daswani is a good writer with a good sense of humour. The endless efforts that her parents make to get her married are hilarious. And her mother’s worries about her growing age are equally funny. In fact, I liked the sense of humour in the book quite a bit.
‘But beti, look at your age! You’re not twenty-two anymore. You’re not going to get proposals like Nina and Namrata. There aren’t so many boys still unmarried who are older than you. Maybe he’s not perfect, but atleast he’s like you. Elderly type.”
What I didn’t like about the book? It was the carpet statements that suggested that all Indian girls get married when they turn 20. All Indian girls look for rich and handsome husbands. Nobody marries out of love. All the married Indian girls do not work and the only worry they have is from where to hire the third maid. That all Indian husbands do not passionately love their wives. And so on.
I mean hello? What century were you living in? I actually checked back to see what year this book was written in. 2003. That’s not quite old is it? And for God’s sake she lived in Mumbai. If it was a story set in a village I wouldn’t have disagreed. But this was a little too over the top.
I am not denying that arranged marriages are still prevalent in India. I am just denying the fact that all marriages are arranged. Not that there is anything wrong in an arranged marriage. I know perfectly and totally happy couples whose marriages are arranged.
She doesn’t say all these things directly, but the way she has described all the people in the book certainly suggests that. I wouldn’t have been so irritated if she would have kept this specifically related to her circle of friends. But statements that start with ‘All Indian girls…’ made me cringe.
That I have to say spoiled most of the book for me. BUT…it’s a good book. People who know nothing about Indian culture or who don’t care what image she has created will like the book. It’s hilarious with fun adventures of her arranged marriage efforts. And yes, also how in the end she manages to kind of live in the moment and finally finds happiness in a man and a marriage…apparently on her own terms.
February 7, 2017
I haven't read more superficial book than this one in ages! The feminist in me was cringing while reading this book. it was a quick read but I kept waiting and hoping she will do something with her life that will make her not obsess over getting married but ugh! Also, I absolutely hated the way she put muslim countries down in this book. Saying stuff about Pakistan and other muslim countries like India is any better I literally rolled my eyes when she mentioned in passing how her parents were not barbaric. Seriously keep your political agenda to yourself when writing a novel.
January 5, 2017
Unlike the promises on the back, I didn't laughed out loud when reading this book. Maybe one small smile, but that was it. Easy read though not much of a plot. Always interesting to read about Indian culture, and in this one, the marriage institution, not as in what happens after the wedding but as in what happened before and during the wedding.
July 6, 2013
Lots of great visuals in this one, as if it were written for a future Single Girl Comedy, but the storytelling is much more telling than showing: This happened, and then this happened, and then this happened.
March 28, 2020
Would have given a lower rating if I could, because this book just might be the worst book I have ever read. It was so preposterous, a lot of the times I had to put the book down just to wonder what could have possibly driven a person to write this insanely.
Be warned: this book is glaringly casteist, racist, sexist (duh), homophobic and Islamophobic. The protagonist, Anju, who is also the narrator, is a neurotic 33-year old unmarried orthodox Indian woman- this character could have had so much potential, but she is written so poorly, and any attempt at genuine character development is ridden with half-assed cliches. Meanwhile, the other characters are dealt a worse hand- if Anju is written poorly, the other characters are barely written at all. The novel is full of hollow stereotypes, and anyone with any connection to India would know that literally everything in this novel is a poor Yash Chopra/Karan Johar copy.
Also, if this book was a satirical look at the Indian marriage market, it would have made more sense, and been a better read. But it's so sincere in all its vileness and stupidity that it really makes you wonder what kind of horrible human being would write it. I have actually marked all the pages where the narrator says or thinks something disgusting and/or pathetic, and trust me, that's more than half the book.
Basically, just avoid this book. It'll make you angrier than you thought was possible. And not even in a good way.
Be warned: this book is glaringly casteist, racist, sexist (duh), homophobic and Islamophobic. The protagonist, Anju, who is also the narrator, is a neurotic 33-year old unmarried orthodox Indian woman- this character could have had so much potential, but she is written so poorly, and any attempt at genuine character development is ridden with half-assed cliches. Meanwhile, the other characters are dealt a worse hand- if Anju is written poorly, the other characters are barely written at all. The novel is full of hollow stereotypes, and anyone with any connection to India would know that literally everything in this novel is a poor Yash Chopra/Karan Johar copy.
Also, if this book was a satirical look at the Indian marriage market, it would have made more sense, and been a better read. But it's so sincere in all its vileness and stupidity that it really makes you wonder what kind of horrible human being would write it. I have actually marked all the pages where the narrator says or thinks something disgusting and/or pathetic, and trust me, that's more than half the book.
Basically, just avoid this book. It'll make you angrier than you thought was possible. And not even in a good way.
September 18, 2025
4⭐️
I really enjoyed this book. It was written in a funny way and even though it was about a different culture, it was still relatable at some points.
I really enjoyed this book. It was written in a funny way and even though it was about a different culture, it was still relatable at some points.
August 22, 2017
I knew right away that if I liked the book, it wouldn't be for the brilliance of the writing. Consider this gem on p. 14: "And with her soft, fair, plump complexion, she was every Indian male's dream-wife." Wait, did I just read plump complexion? What does that mean? And I also knew right away that it wouldn't be for the political views endorsed by the author. The heroine, Anju, belongs to a wealthy Sindhi family in Bombay and apparently sees nothing problematic about caste endogamy and class prejudice. I'm not saying the book has to be about exposing casteism, but surely a book about the institution of arranged marriages should have more than a casual mention of why the heroine is okay with sticking to the Sindhi-caste-only requirement for her husband. (One of the more wonderfully subtle examples of casteism is contained in this exchange, when Anju calls her mother to tell she's found the One: "Indian, he's Indian no, beti? Please say he is!" "Yes, Ma, Indian. Like us. Everything is like us." (p. 272, italics mine).
And our "liberal," "independent" New-Yorker heroine's attitudes to her parents' domestic help in Bombay are mildly jarring. Consider this on p. 212: "The jamandhar was cleaning the bathroom floors with a hard-bristled brush and limewater ... scrubbing, scrubbing. She probably had a husband, I thought. She, with three missing teeth and callused hands and dark, worn skin." Yes, clearly, the domestic worker's biggest problem in life would be to not have a husband (and nothing to do with the fact that she's compelled to clean Anju's toilets) and it's a shocking injustice that she has a husband - ugly as she is - and Anju doesn't. (Hello hello - what happened to intersectionality and feminist commitment to not hegemonically representing patriarchy exclusively as the kind that is suffered by elite women?). Equally jarring are Anju's casual expectations to be served chai and food and khichdi by her parents' domestic workers. I wonder, what does she do in the New York apartment that she is so attached too? Surely she wouldn't want to leave that wonderful independence back at JFK and actually start cleaning up after herself at home in Bombay?
I know that Anju is entitled to her voice or her story. Her voice makes it very difficult to not be reminded of the wealthy, upper-caste Indians who go to the US and loudly proclaim their allegiance to the ideals of liberalism and equality and modernity while retaining all their religious prejudice, their casteism and their classism. The problem comes when the latter are represented as being part of the exotic Indian package. Anju isn't just "Indian" - she's about as representative of Indian women as Paris Hilton is of an American woman - and it's rather irritating to have reviewers call the book "Bridget Jones's diary with a distinct Indian flavor" (Library journal, emphasis mine) or "matchmaking Indian-style collides with love American style" (Publishers weekly). It's grossly simplistic and reductive (and not to mention, offensive) to have this seen as representative of "Indian" marriages, a view that Daswani herself is clearly deluded enough to believe.
And our "liberal," "independent" New-Yorker heroine's attitudes to her parents' domestic help in Bombay are mildly jarring. Consider this on p. 212: "The jamandhar was cleaning the bathroom floors with a hard-bristled brush and limewater ... scrubbing, scrubbing. She probably had a husband, I thought. She, with three missing teeth and callused hands and dark, worn skin." Yes, clearly, the domestic worker's biggest problem in life would be to not have a husband (and nothing to do with the fact that she's compelled to clean Anju's toilets) and it's a shocking injustice that she has a husband - ugly as she is - and Anju doesn't. (Hello hello - what happened to intersectionality and feminist commitment to not hegemonically representing patriarchy exclusively as the kind that is suffered by elite women?). Equally jarring are Anju's casual expectations to be served chai and food and khichdi by her parents' domestic workers. I wonder, what does she do in the New York apartment that she is so attached too? Surely she wouldn't want to leave that wonderful independence back at JFK and actually start cleaning up after herself at home in Bombay?
I know that Anju is entitled to her voice or her story. Her voice makes it very difficult to not be reminded of the wealthy, upper-caste Indians who go to the US and loudly proclaim their allegiance to the ideals of liberalism and equality and modernity while retaining all their religious prejudice, their casteism and their classism. The problem comes when the latter are represented as being part of the exotic Indian package. Anju isn't just "Indian" - she's about as representative of Indian women as Paris Hilton is of an American woman - and it's rather irritating to have reviewers call the book "Bridget Jones's diary with a distinct Indian flavor" (Library journal, emphasis mine) or "matchmaking Indian-style collides with love American style" (Publishers weekly). It's grossly simplistic and reductive (and not to mention, offensive) to have this seen as representative of "Indian" marriages, a view that Daswani herself is clearly deluded enough to believe.
May 3, 2019
Ini HindiLit karangan Kavita Daswani kedua yang saya baca. Dan herannya, lagi-lagi saya merasa "senasib" dengan keadaan tokoh utama perempuannya (Anju). Kalau di Pengantin Dusun di Beverly Hills tokohnya sudah menikah, di buku ini Anju justru sedang berjuang mencari pasangan hidup. Dan itu bukan hal mudah, walaupun Anju mulai "menurunkan standard". Perjuangan Anju ini terasa familiar sekali hahaha..
Berawal dari ramalan yang menyebutkan kalau Anju baru akan bertemu jodohnya setelah berumur 26 tahun, perburuan pria pun dimulai. Anju jadi rajin diseret Ibunya menemui orang suci, berkunjung ke kuil/tempat suci demi menghancurkan halangan yang bikin Anju baru bisa ketemu jodohnya di umur 26 tahun. Ketika usia Anju bertambah dan status lajang masih nempel, perburuan pun jadi makin gencar sampai pria yang nyari istri dengan kriteria pembantu pun disodorkan.
Kisah dimulai dengan kepulangan Anju dari Amerika untuk menghadiri pesta pernikahan saudaranya. Berawal dari pesta itu, Anju didesak untuk segera menikah. Kisah pun mulai bergulir ke belakang, ketika Anju memasuki usia siap menikah dan tidak kunjung juga mendapatkan lamaran yang sesuai. Di awal masa ini, orang tua Anju masih sangat selektif, semua calon mempelai pria akan diselidiki. Ketika teman-teman Anju sudah mulai menanggalkan status lajang dan Anju belum, Ibunya berinisiatif berkunjung ke orang suci. Perjuangan lanjutan pun dimulai.
Kepanikan orang tua yang memiliki anak perempuan berusia di atas 30 tahun dan masih berstatus lajang diramu dengan menawan di buku ini. Semua usaha Ibunya Anju terasa nyata dan membuat saya tersenyum sendiri. Perjuangan dan perkembangan Anju sebagai perempuan lajang yang matang juga terasa nyata. Mulai dari Anju yang penurut (OK, aku puasa dan turuti semua petuah Ibu) -> aku sudah nyaman dengan posisiku di kantor dan kesendirianku -> tidak, aku kesepian, aku butuh pendamping.
Rasanya menyenangkan ketika membaca sebuah tema biasa yang diramu demikian apik sampai saya merasa ikut mengalai semuanya. Terkadang saya tersenyum, kadang merasa gemas dan di lain kesempatan... saya tergoda buat menghajar beberapa karakternya. Overall: saya sangat suka buku ini!
Berawal dari ramalan yang menyebutkan kalau Anju baru akan bertemu jodohnya setelah berumur 26 tahun, perburuan pria pun dimulai. Anju jadi rajin diseret Ibunya menemui orang suci, berkunjung ke kuil/tempat suci demi menghancurkan halangan yang bikin Anju baru bisa ketemu jodohnya di umur 26 tahun. Ketika usia Anju bertambah dan status lajang masih nempel, perburuan pun jadi makin gencar sampai pria yang nyari istri dengan kriteria pembantu pun disodorkan.
Kisah dimulai dengan kepulangan Anju dari Amerika untuk menghadiri pesta pernikahan saudaranya. Berawal dari pesta itu, Anju didesak untuk segera menikah. Kisah pun mulai bergulir ke belakang, ketika Anju memasuki usia siap menikah dan tidak kunjung juga mendapatkan lamaran yang sesuai. Di awal masa ini, orang tua Anju masih sangat selektif, semua calon mempelai pria akan diselidiki. Ketika teman-teman Anju sudah mulai menanggalkan status lajang dan Anju belum, Ibunya berinisiatif berkunjung ke orang suci. Perjuangan lanjutan pun dimulai.
Kepanikan orang tua yang memiliki anak perempuan berusia di atas 30 tahun dan masih berstatus lajang diramu dengan menawan di buku ini. Semua usaha Ibunya Anju terasa nyata dan membuat saya tersenyum sendiri. Perjuangan dan perkembangan Anju sebagai perempuan lajang yang matang juga terasa nyata. Mulai dari Anju yang penurut (OK, aku puasa dan turuti semua petuah Ibu) -> aku sudah nyaman dengan posisiku di kantor dan kesendirianku -> tidak, aku kesepian, aku butuh pendamping.
Rasanya menyenangkan ketika membaca sebuah tema biasa yang diramu demikian apik sampai saya merasa ikut mengalai semuanya. Terkadang saya tersenyum, kadang merasa gemas dan di lain kesempatan... saya tergoda buat menghajar beberapa karakternya. Overall: saya sangat suka buku ini!
August 11, 2008
Is this considered YA fiction? It should be. It reads easier than the latest issue of Cosmo. There isn't much to recommend this simple and rather boring story about a young woman who is pitied by seemingly everyone in her native India for not being married at a ripe and tender age. She feels pressure to follow the Indian customs regarding marriage, but doesn't actually want to do things as they have traditionally been done. The book spans many years in her life without showing much personal growth, but rather a continuation of the same attitudes from one chapter to the next.
I didn't hate it. I probably would have if I didn't get the distinct feeling that the author herself is terribly sweet. I didn't hate the characters; I just couldn't care less about them.
There is a passage that I found poignant in a very HBO show kind of way: "There were no words about being moved in deeper ways, except for those occasions when I might have attended a meditation class and returned home vowing to change my life, become connected with the greather universe, find inner peace. But then The West Wing came on, and all was forgotten. Mine had become a life lived on the outside. And if I tried to probe to see what was beneath it, there would only be concealed neuroses and petty jealousies and more dysfunction than I could deal with. So instead, I'd have a Cosmopolitan, buy a pair of shoes, whatever. It was, essentially, a biodegradable life, one that, if I let it slip from my grip, would merge with the dirt and disappear, leaving nothing behind."
I didn't hate it. I probably would have if I didn't get the distinct feeling that the author herself is terribly sweet. I didn't hate the characters; I just couldn't care less about them.
There is a passage that I found poignant in a very HBO show kind of way: "There were no words about being moved in deeper ways, except for those occasions when I might have attended a meditation class and returned home vowing to change my life, become connected with the greather universe, find inner peace. But then The West Wing came on, and all was forgotten. Mine had become a life lived on the outside. And if I tried to probe to see what was beneath it, there would only be concealed neuroses and petty jealousies and more dysfunction than I could deal with. So instead, I'd have a Cosmopolitan, buy a pair of shoes, whatever. It was, essentially, a biodegradable life, one that, if I let it slip from my grip, would merge with the dirt and disappear, leaving nothing behind."
March 29, 2012
Daswani does not disappoint: the first book I read from her was Village Bride of Beverly Hills and it got me interested in what all else she had done.
While it starts off short of fluff-brained and (as the back cover stated) "Like Sex and the City with saris and mimosas", it quickly evolved into some serious self-examination and exploration of just what cultural values are and how they should affect your life. There were some moments where I wanted to smack the heroine, but-objectively, at least- I know that her actions were motivated by a different cultural upbringing than my own.
The overall take-away is that this is a completely worthwhile book that I would recommend to almost anyone.
While it starts off short of fluff-brained and (as the back cover stated) "Like Sex and the City with saris and mimosas", it quickly evolved into some serious self-examination and exploration of just what cultural values are and how they should affect your life. There were some moments where I wanted to smack the heroine, but-objectively, at least- I know that her actions were motivated by a different cultural upbringing than my own.
The overall take-away is that this is a completely worthwhile book that I would recommend to almost anyone.
January 5, 2016
Setelah begitu rumitnya perjalanan mencari suami (bukan cinta ya), setelah beberapa pria yang singgah, setelah beratnya beban menjadi perempuan di pertengahan tiga puluhan yang belum menikah, bagaimana akhir kisah Anju?
Chicklit banget.
Tapi worth to read.
Sebenarnya 3.5 bintang, tapi saya bulatkan ke bawah karena banyak bagian yang saya skip.
Tapi perjalanan Anju membuat saya berpikir.
Bahwa kebahagiaan itu bukanlah ketika kita mendapatkan yang kita inginkan atau kita impikan.
Tapi ketika kita menerima apa yang sudah ditakdirkan dalam hidup.
Semakin bersyukur, semakin banyak berkah...
Begitulah.
*Tumben nulis review. Mungkin karena kekenyangan sarapan nasi uduk*
#selalutentangmakanan
Chicklit banget.
Tapi worth to read.
Sebenarnya 3.5 bintang, tapi saya bulatkan ke bawah karena banyak bagian yang saya skip.
Tapi perjalanan Anju membuat saya berpikir.
Bahwa kebahagiaan itu bukanlah ketika kita mendapatkan yang kita inginkan atau kita impikan.
Tapi ketika kita menerima apa yang sudah ditakdirkan dalam hidup.
Semakin bersyukur, semakin banyak berkah...
Begitulah.
*Tumben nulis review. Mungkin karena kekenyangan sarapan nasi uduk*
#selalutentangmakanan
November 22, 2014
4 STARS
"Anju wants a husband. Equally important, her entire family wants Anju to have a husband. Her life in Bombay, where a marriage can be arranged in a matter of hours, is almost solely devoted to this quest, with her anxious mother hauling her from holy site to holy site in order to consult and entreat swamis and astrologers. As Anju's twenties slip away, she's fast becoming a spinster by her culture's standards, so she moves to New York City to work in fashion." (From Amazon)
I loved this novel. I have recommended this novel to many of my girl cousins and even had my mom read it. it is romantic comedy looking at arranged marriages in the present.
"Anju wants a husband. Equally important, her entire family wants Anju to have a husband. Her life in Bombay, where a marriage can be arranged in a matter of hours, is almost solely devoted to this quest, with her anxious mother hauling her from holy site to holy site in order to consult and entreat swamis and astrologers. As Anju's twenties slip away, she's fast becoming a spinster by her culture's standards, so she moves to New York City to work in fashion." (From Amazon)
I loved this novel. I have recommended this novel to many of my girl cousins and even had my mom read it. it is romantic comedy looking at arranged marriages in the present.
October 14, 2013
A very enjoyable read. It is fast paced, light, and entertaining. If you are into Indian-American literature, you will certainly like this one.
May 26, 2017
Boring and stupid. There's no plot.
August 30, 2020
This is the first novel I've read from Indian author Kavita Daswani. Like the title says, the main theme of the novel is marriage in India, which I've already read another book about it from the perspective of a matrimonial agency.
In this book, readers admires the beauty of sumptuous wedding ceremonies in India of the wealthy families in contemporary and modern Mumbai. However, behind these phenomenal wedding festivities, there are thousands of years of traditions coming together to get 2 people married together without knowing each other before.
Among the many families and couples, there is a tiny exception of people who have difficulty in finding the right spouse the traditional way in this new and modern India. These unmarried women, like the leading character of this novel, feel the intense and continuous pressure of traditions, society, and family to get married as if the only purpose in life is to be married. The leading character feels even more the pressure as she lives and works in the USA and is torn between traditions and modernity.
I enjoyed reading this well written novel, but there was little surprise within the story.
In this book, readers admires the beauty of sumptuous wedding ceremonies in India of the wealthy families in contemporary and modern Mumbai. However, behind these phenomenal wedding festivities, there are thousands of years of traditions coming together to get 2 people married together without knowing each other before.
Among the many families and couples, there is a tiny exception of people who have difficulty in finding the right spouse the traditional way in this new and modern India. These unmarried women, like the leading character of this novel, feel the intense and continuous pressure of traditions, society, and family to get married as if the only purpose in life is to be married. The leading character feels even more the pressure as she lives and works in the USA and is torn between traditions and modernity.
I enjoyed reading this well written novel, but there was little surprise within the story.
July 9, 2022
I'm not a Hindi but as someone who grew up watching hindi series and bollywood i really like the concept of the story, think it's gonna be fun romantic comedy type of book. When it's start to take serious turn and discuss the topic of misiogyni in Hindi wedding culture i'm even more engaged, but halfway through the book they throw it all away. Don't get me wrong, a feminist protagonist doesn't have to be unmarried and abandon her culture and heritage completely to be depicted as strong. But there's so many problem with Anju character that ended up unresolved, did she want to get married for herself or because she want to please her parents? Did she really love Rohan or just see him as a way out of her problem? All of this could be discussed if we didn't spend most of the book talking about mans who unrelevant and contribute nothing to the plot. I'm sorry but this feels like a blatant self-insert, i didn't mind, but the author clearly had some unresolved problem that she either bury or make peace with without even trying to understand it, because it showed completely in Anju's character.
December 30, 2018
[REVIEW IN INDONESIAN AND ENGLISH]
[ENGLISH]
At first, I bought it because I had never read an Indian novel. After I read it, I was shocked because the writer describes how Indian people think about marriage. All of them look like they are in a hurry to get married. Don't expect this novel tells a romantic story between the main character with someone. Just like the title, this novel turns out to be truly a struggle for Anju looking for a husband (who always fails). This novel is quite unique, even though it's not really good.
[INDONESIAN]
Awalnya saya beli karena belum pernah baca novel India, saya pun tak begitu tahu tentang India , jadi yah, ketika membaca novel ini, saya sedikit kaget melihat bagaimana novel ini menggambarkan pemikiran orang India mengenai pernikahan. Semuanya tampak seperti kebelet nikah. Jangan berharap ada kisah romantis antara tokoh utama dengan seseorang. Sesuai judulnya, novel ini ternyata benar-benar berisi perjuangan Anju mencari suami (yang selalu gagal). Novel ini cukup unik, walau tak bisa dibilang benar-benar bagus.
[ENGLISH]
At first, I bought it because I had never read an Indian novel. After I read it, I was shocked because the writer describes how Indian people think about marriage. All of them look like they are in a hurry to get married. Don't expect this novel tells a romantic story between the main character with someone. Just like the title, this novel turns out to be truly a struggle for Anju looking for a husband (who always fails). This novel is quite unique, even though it's not really good.
[INDONESIAN]
Awalnya saya beli karena belum pernah baca novel India, saya pun tak begitu tahu tentang India , jadi yah, ketika membaca novel ini, saya sedikit kaget melihat bagaimana novel ini menggambarkan pemikiran orang India mengenai pernikahan. Semuanya tampak seperti kebelet nikah. Jangan berharap ada kisah romantis antara tokoh utama dengan seseorang. Sesuai judulnya, novel ini ternyata benar-benar berisi perjuangan Anju mencari suami (yang selalu gagal). Novel ini cukup unik, walau tak bisa dibilang benar-benar bagus.
October 12, 2024
As a young girl raised in a typical old-fashioned family in Bombay, Anju expected to have an arranged marriage while in her teens (hopefully with someone she is attracted to and can fall in love with) and raise her own family. Unfortunately fate has decided that she is still unattached at the age of thirty-two. An intelligent woman, she has furthered her education, and has moved to the United States to where she lives along, while pursuing a career. She is open to dating and agreeing to meet men through her family and matchmakers. She is not so desperate that she will accept a proposal from somebody she does not feel comfortable with, but is disappointed when she is rejected by men that she finds appealing.
This is a fluffy, entertaining, easy to read book, that may offend the reader who want a more complex heroine and romance, but this is definitely something to consider reading, if you're in the mood for a non-complicated piece of fluff that makes you smile and it's okay that not everything you read has to be deep, serious or conscious raising.
This is a fluffy, entertaining, easy to read book, that may offend the reader who want a more complex heroine and romance, but this is definitely something to consider reading, if you're in the mood for a non-complicated piece of fluff that makes you smile and it's okay that not everything you read has to be deep, serious or conscious raising.
August 10, 2019
"Mamma, voglio solo essere felice!", "Io non voglio che tu sia felice. Voglio che tu sia sposata!": basterebbero queste due battute tra madre e figlia per far comprendere il filo conduttore del libro.
Anju è una ragazza della media borghesia di Bombay, ha studiato e ha lavorato nel negozio del padre, si è trasferita negli Stati Uniti, ha iniziato a lavorare nello scintillante mondo delle pubbliche relazioni della moda e... ha realizzato che, nonostante tutto, l'unico obiettivo che una donna indiana può e deve raggiungere è il matrimonio. Glielo ricordano in continuazione i suoi parenti, spesso non senza una punta di commiserazione per lei, eterna invitata ai matrimoni di cugine ed amiche e mai sposa.
Un libro a tratti esilarante... La recensione completa qui.
Anju è una ragazza della media borghesia di Bombay, ha studiato e ha lavorato nel negozio del padre, si è trasferita negli Stati Uniti, ha iniziato a lavorare nello scintillante mondo delle pubbliche relazioni della moda e... ha realizzato che, nonostante tutto, l'unico obiettivo che una donna indiana può e deve raggiungere è il matrimonio. Glielo ricordano in continuazione i suoi parenti, spesso non senza una punta di commiserazione per lei, eterna invitata ai matrimoni di cugine ed amiche e mai sposa.
Un libro a tratti esilarante... La recensione completa qui.
January 5, 2021
3.5 I loved this novel the first time I read it. I still enjoyed it, but not as much, the second time. As other reviewers noted, this is a lighter chick lit read. What sets it apart is the insight into Indian culture and arranged marriages.
Anju is a successful New York transplant from Bombay. Due to familial love and obligation, she feels compelled to return periodically to be presented to various suitors.
The second time I read this I was frustrated by her passively and her family’s disregard for her as an individual versus a marital property. But that’s my problem and lack of understanding of the customs and cultural norms.
In the end, it was plain that Anju loved and respected her parents and was just trying to do the right thing in spite of her professional success. It’s a foreign concept to us Americans but really should be an endearing one.
Anju is a successful New York transplant from Bombay. Due to familial love and obligation, she feels compelled to return periodically to be presented to various suitors.
The second time I read this I was frustrated by her passively and her family’s disregard for her as an individual versus a marital property. But that’s my problem and lack of understanding of the customs and cultural norms.
In the end, it was plain that Anju loved and respected her parents and was just trying to do the right thing in spite of her professional success. It’s a foreign concept to us Americans but really should be an endearing one.
March 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this book until about the 80% mark — I guess around the point where the flashback ended. It was a very cute time capsule story — pre-9/11 but right around the time when “Sex and the City” started airing. Cell phones weren’t a thing and dating sites seemed totally bizarre.
Honestly, the whole “Happily ever Rohan” ending killed it for me. It felt very tacked on and rushed. Like, one day he was like, “Let’s not rush into anything,” and then a week later he’s proposing over the phone? Made no sense.
But I still enjoyed the beginning sections of the story. I enjoyed the characters and wish Anju could’ve just ended up happy on her own.
Honestly, the whole “Happily ever Rohan” ending killed it for me. It felt very tacked on and rushed. Like, one day he was like, “Let’s not rush into anything,” and then a week later he’s proposing over the phone? Made no sense.
But I still enjoyed the beginning sections of the story. I enjoyed the characters and wish Anju could’ve just ended up happy on her own.
October 13, 2021
This book offers a different look at romance as the Anju is seeking to find a husband in order to appease her family and be acceptable to her culture. Anju wants to marry and fit into the familiar patterns of life, but as time passes and no opportunities present themselves for marriage, she despairs. She comes to live with her aunt and uncle in New York to try to shake things up, but nothing develops either. The story is as much about finding contentment in oneself as it is about finding a partner. This is a fun and refreshing read that gives insight into the ways cultural and family norms can impact romantic expectations.
December 18, 2019
Una novela divertida, con buen ritmo, pero con un final tan predecible que hace que le quite una estrella. Me alegra saber que no solamente las mujeres buscamos el amor. Los hombres también, y en esta historia está bien mostrado. Me hubiese gustado un desenlace un poco más lento. Conocer más al amor de su vida, a ese hombre que es su alma gemela y a quien tanto tiempo ella estuvo esperando. No puedo con mi alma de editora, haría unos cambios en el arco argumental, para que la pluma de Daswani, su humor, su escritura rápida y entretenida, se luciera en todos su esplendor.
July 13, 2020
27/40 Autore indiano
Mamma mia che spreco di carta! Per fortuna ho speso solo 2€ al Libraccio...
Contavo su un polpettone stile Bollywood ma non ho avuto questa fortuna 😕 La ricerca di un marito per una ragazza indiana, con l’ansia che pervade ogni pagina senza nemmeno un po’ di ironia e con un finale ovvio ma nemmeno ben congegnato. Per non parlare del filo temporale, che fa salti a caso senza nessuna necessità per la trama...
Va bene che volevo dare una scossa alla lista per arrivare almeno al trentesimo libro per la fine dell’anno, ma questo è stato un vero sacrificio 🤦🏻♀️
Mamma mia che spreco di carta! Per fortuna ho speso solo 2€ al Libraccio...
Contavo su un polpettone stile Bollywood ma non ho avuto questa fortuna 😕 La ricerca di un marito per una ragazza indiana, con l’ansia che pervade ogni pagina senza nemmeno un po’ di ironia e con un finale ovvio ma nemmeno ben congegnato. Per non parlare del filo temporale, che fa salti a caso senza nessuna necessità per la trama...
Va bene che volevo dare una scossa alla lista per arrivare almeno al trentesimo libro per la fine dell’anno, ma questo è stato un vero sacrificio 🤦🏻♀️
May 10, 2017
I enjoyed the premise of this book; Anju searches for a husband in all aspects of her life, with her families' pressures mounting as she ages. I really enjoyed how Anju decides to start her life anew and do something that many single Indian women wouldn't do. In the end, Anju realizes all along how she should have approached finding a husband. I won't spoil it for you but there is definitely a life lesson to be learned! A great all-around read!
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