THE MARRIAGE BUREAU FOR RICH PEOPLE

Author: Farahad Zama ISBN: 9780425234242 6/2010 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: BERKLEY

ALI'S MARRIAGE BUREAU FOR RICH PEOPLE PROP: MR. HYDER ALI, GOVT. CLERK (RETIRED) PH. 236678 Bored with retirement, Mr. Ali sets up a desk, puts up a sign, and waits for customers for his new business. Soon enough, they start arriving. Some have specific requirements, like the man who wants a tall groom for his four-foot-eight daughter (of the same caste, and preferably an engineer). Some are a challenge, like the salesman who needs a lesson in selling himself. And some are a mystery—like the handsome young doctor who wouldn't seem to need Mr. Ali's services at all. Mr. Ali's assistant, Aruna, is learning from him, and showing a talent for matchmaking. But without a dowry, Aruna has no expectation of a match for herself. Then again, as we go about planning our lives, sometimes fate is making other arrangements...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Farahad Zama sets his contemporary novel THE MARRIAGE BUREAU FOR RICH PEOPLE in the small town of Vizag on the Eastern coast of India, where Mr. Ali has just retired from his job and is beginning to drive his wife nuts. He decides to start a marriage bureau on his shaded verandah, and it becomes so successful that he needs to take on an assistant in order to have some free time. His new assistant Aruna catches on to the process quickly, and she has a real knack with the people who come in to join the club. Mr. Ali is Muslim, Aruna is from a Brahmin family that has fallen on hard times, and the Ali’s housekeeper is from a lower caste. Even though the caste system is outlawed, it still permeates some parts of Indian society—most especially marriage and education. Aruna is virtually unmarriageable at the moment because of her father’s inability to pay a dowry, so it is ironic that she spends her days helping other people find their perfect match. Is it possible that just the right man will walk through the door? And if he does, will he have a heart big enough to overcome the obstacles his family could put in the way of his happiness with a girl who isn’t quite up to snuff?

Zama has a gentle way of storytelling that draws the reader into this complex world of differing religions, customs, regional mores, and contemporary generational and gender equality issues. I fell in love with Mr. Ali and his sweet relationship with his wife. I yearned for juicy mangoes; I hurt for Aruna and her impossible situation. I felt the oppressive pre-monsoon heat. This is a tale of community, of neighbors doing favors for each other, of loyalty, and common courtesy.

THE MARRIAGE BUREAU FOR RICH PEOPLE is a great jumping off point for anybody interested in good stories about the Indian culture. I look forward to more of these gentle tales of love and humanity. Bravo!

Susan Barton