LOVE MARRIAGE

I missed it at first. It was on the bottom shelf of our ‘New Books’ display. Then I bent over to straighten the rug, and I saw the name – Monica Ali. Yes THAT Monica Ali, author of the hugely successful ‘Brick Lane’, about a young Bangladeshi woman trapped in a passionless marriage in London, published some 18 years ago. Now critics and readers alike are saying ‘Love Marriage’ is even better. I agree. Also set in London, this is a very clever examination of race, class and identity. Yasmin is Bengali Muslim. She’s training to be a doctor. Her brother has been reported for researching Islamic activism, her fiancé is in therapy for sex addiction, and his mother is an eccentric feminist who has written a book on sex – a subject off limits in Yasmin’s family. Now the families must get to know each other as the wedding approaches. Funnily enough, everything blows apart. It’s a wonderful story delivered with heart, humour and searing intelligence. Another one to add to my top reads of the year!

RRP $34.99