My granddaughter Rori suggested I read this Young Adult novel during a discussion we had about India and its culture, following my reading of Behind the Beautiful Forevers, another book she had loaned me. It concerns an American teenager who is the daughter of immigrants from Pakistan. Wishing to preserve their culture, the parents adhere to the values and many of the customs of their home country, so when they discover that their daughter Naile has a secret romantic relationship with a classmate whom they consider to be unsuitable, they take her to Pakistan, ostensibly to visit their large extended family and to teach her more about her heritage. In actuality, they are plotting to arrange a marriage for her to a suitable man.
The author is herself of Pakistani heritage, and, in a note at the end of the book, says that she wrote the book to spotlight the continuing practice of arranged marriages in many cultures and to provide encouragement to young women who find themselves in similar situations.
Rori's critical assessment of the book was that it had an interesting and suspenseful plot, but that its simplistic style made it seem amateurish. I agree with her.
Side note: I just love it that I have grandchildren who are also addicted to reading and who discuss books with me.
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