Can true love triumph in the face of fierce family opposition? Mr Ali's marriage bureau is flourishing but trouble isn’t far away once son Rehman begins secretly to woo TV journalist Usha in the small cafes and on the beautiful beaches of South Indian Vizag in an ill-advised romance.

Meanwhile the lovely Aruna has a problem or two all her own. She enjoys being Mr Ali’s right-hand woman at the marriage bureau, having a wonderful husband Ram, and living in a mansion a far cry from her parents' cramped one-room house; but how long can Aruna remain happy once her spiteful sister-in-law Mani comes home to stay? When Usha's father finds out about Rehman, a Muslim, the fat is in the fire. And what will Mr and Mrs Ali have to say when they discover too their son has been dating a non-Muslim?

Reviews

Praise for THE MARRIAGE BUREAU FOR RICH PEOPLE:

• ‘A witty, affectionate picture of modern India’ Kate Saunders, The Times
• ‘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 class’ Emma Hagestadt, Independent
• ‘Charming, warm-hearted and funny, a delightful debut . . . a real treat’ New Books Magazine

Paperback: £7.99

Published 01/07/2010