For Matrimonial Purposes – Kavita Daswani
Adult/High School-Anju, 26, is the only daughter of an upper-middle-class Indian couple in Bombay. Friends and relations are pairing off in arranged marriages, but her mother and others cannot find anyone with any “chemistry” for her.
She talks her parents into letting her move in with an aunt and uncle in New Jersey, so that she can attend graduate school in New York City. Anju remains the dutiful daughter, keeping to herself while the search for a proper husband continues on two continents. Through the years, the search gets ever more desperate. Meanwhile, she finds a fashion-publicist job she loves, and becomes successful. There is much about Indian dating/marriage customs here, including descriptions of lavish celebrations that can last a week.
The tone is light, the look at the culture a little offhand, and the story races along. Anju loves her family and wants to please them, but she has a mind of her own. Her narrative includes current fads and names in the news, which are nicely contrasted with life in Bombay. Not until the end do readers know if she finds Mr. Right, and teens will empathize with this anxious protagonist as she waits.
No comments:
Post a Comment