I bought this book at a library sale and took it with me on my cruise because I knew it took place in India and I'd heard that a lot of staff members on cruise ships are from India (true). I've always had an interest in India since befriending Pinky Patel, a high school exchange student from Bombay. We had a lot of fun together my senior year, and she is the reason I went on exchange myself (only India was not available at the time -- so I went to Denmark.) Enough backstory!
The book transfers you to a city in the south of India not far from the coast to the comfortable home of Mr. and Mrs. Ali. Mr. Ali has recently retired when the book begins and his wife is terribly concerned that he doesn't have enough to do. She's also frustrated that he's always underfoot, so she encourages him to start his own business. Due to India's tradition of arranged marriages, he has decided to open a marriage bureau catering to people from all three religious communities in India: muslim, hindu, and Christian.
Business is slow at first but quickly picks up, so much so that he decides to hire an assistant. Mrs. Ali selects the perfect assistant after observing her passing by their house each day on her way to secretarial school. She is as matter-of-fact as he is about what makes a good match.
The book bridges the gap between traditional arranged marriages and 'love marriages.' I kept thinking that I could predict what would happen next, but I was usually wrong, which is always nice. The characters were all likeable and realistic. The writing was never flowery. The action was very simple. The book was interspersed with humor throughout, some of it quite subtle.
I enjoyed how Mrs. Ali fretted about her husband when he wasn't working, then fretted about him when we was. And Mr. Ali's advice to a father who was upset about his son's apparently disjointed match was priceless!
What I enjoyed about the book more than anything was that its characters spoke the truth. I remember arguing with my English professor in college about "Death of a Salesman" and how I held the mother at fault for the whole situation because she would not speak the truth. She perpetuated all of Willie Loman's myths and delusions rather than protecting him and her sons by speaking the truth. The professor thought this was a form of mommy bashing, but I maintain that she had a obligation to confront reality. Anyway, I digress.
I enjoyed the book thoroughly, and I don't think it had anything to do with the fact that I was held captive on a ship at the time.
1 comment:
I want to read this book!
Post a Comment