I bought this book two years ago from Delhi's International Book Fair. Now, I have finally read it. I have read this author's The Palace of Illusions, which was a retelling, didn't not liked it at all. However, this book has modern setting, so I had some expectations from it.
The book is set in the year 2002. The story follow Korobi, an 18 year old orphan(parents died before she was born), brought up by her conservative grandparents, decides to marry Rajat (who is probably in his mid-twenties) whom she only met three months ago and loves him very much. After the sudden death of her grandfather, she got to know that her father was alive all this time and her grandparents hid this fact from her. So, she decides to go to America to find her father and meanwhile the book also explores her struggles with her relationship with Rajat.
What I liked about the book is the author's language and her traditional Bengali home setting, which created a very good vibe.
But, overall, the book was very bad. This is the story of an immature girl who just got out school and is in a relationship with a much older guy, who is insecure, slightly controlling and classist. Again and again, her relationship looks so much forced from her side. It looked like she is in arrange marriage where she need to compromise on the relation no matter what. And I don't understand what is a guy in his mid twenties doing with an 18 year old kid, who have no maturity and experience.
We see her somewhat character development when she go the US to find her father. She became much more confidence. However, there is just one scene, where she went to meet with a lawyer (who she thought could be her father) invited her to his home and attempted to sexually assault her. This is where she takes help of the second lead, Vic. But, this scene looked so much forced, like straight out of an old movie. Villain attempts to rape the heroine and the hero saves the damsel in distress.
Spoiler: She finally found her father and the plot twist was that her father is a black man and her parents never actually married because her mother made vow that she would never marry without her father's permission. Then, the chaos happens, Rajat and his family, thought that she hid this from them on purpose. Yet, the author ended the story with Rajat apologising to her and their wedding. Like wth.
My main issue is the relationship of the leads, it looked very suffocating for the female lead. For every small steps, her main worry is what will Rajat think. She wore a western suit, again worry about would Rajat think, she was going to find her father Vic's help, again what will Rajat think, snowstorm happened she need to stay in the motel, again what will Rajat think, she cut her hair, again what will Rajat think, her father turn out to be black, what will Rajat think. In the whole story, her main reason for stress is Rajat and her family. Rajat was good to her in some extent, but that doesn't negates his weird personality. And don't get me started with his weird ex Sonia following him around.
So, I give this book 2/5 rating. You can skip it.
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