Promotional Information

Charming and funny yet acutely observed, this is what Jane Austen might write if she set a story in a contemporary Indian marriage bureau.

About the Author

Farahad Zama moved to London in 1990 from Vizag in India, where the novel is set. He is a father of two, and he works for an investment bank.

Reviews

A writer of charming and breezy prose, Zama pays homage to Jane Austen in a contemporary love story firmly grounded in classic wrangles over family, property and clas s' Emma Hagestadt, INDEPENDENT - ?A witty, affectionate picture of modern India?Kate Saunders, THE TIMES - ** ?If you?re in need of something to chase away the encroaching winter gloom, look no further than this joyous debut?Melissa Katsoulis, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH - ** ?A courteous, light read?Catherine Taylor, GUARDIAN - ** ?Charming, warm-hearted and funny, a delightful debut . . . a read treat?

Mr. Ali, a retiree in a city in southern India, decides he needs something to do and opens a marriage bureau. He is soon so swamped with business that to assist him he hires a young woman named Aruna, whose Brahmin family has fallen on hard times. Zama is an admirer of Jane Austen, and though his debut does not exactly parallel one of her novels, there is a Mr. Darcy figure in the person of a handsome young doctor. The author also touches upon such pertinent topics as the caste system, the perils of political protest in India, and how the ordinary Indian is at the mercy of corrupt officials. But mostly this is a delightfully exotic love story (to Western readers anyway) with engaging characters and a happy ending. Mainly appealing to readers with some interest in Indian culture and customs.-Leslie Patterson, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence, RI Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.