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ARRANGED MARRIAGE is a collection of short stories, and they are some of the most
beautiful short stories you will ever read. They are like tiny jewels glinting and glowing
behind the cover of this wondrous book. No two are alike, but together they weave a
tapestry of transformed lives, chronicling the experiences of Indian-born girls and women.
In "The Bats," a young girl struggles to understand both her abusive father and
a mother who remains with him despite the pain he causes both of them. "Clothes"
tells the story of Sumita, a young woman whose marriage to an Indian man in America has
been arranged. She travels to the United States, and discovers a whole new way of life.
One of the most moving stories in the book is "The Ultrasound," in which a young
woman in India is forced to have an abortion because an ultrasound indicates that her
first-born child will be a daughter.
At times funny, at times profoundly sad, each of these stories will captivate
you. Chitra Divakaruni writes with the pen of a poet. Her compelling chronicles
and lyric language will delight you.
--- Reviewed by Judith Handschuh (JHSCRIBA@aol.com)
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