Review: Samosa with a side of snark for dipping....
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2012
What is most intriguing about this book is the interior ( and slightly secret ) lives of the two daughters, Nisha and her sister Vinita.  With a nod to the 'bodice rippers' that Nisha is so fond of, we find two young women who are doing their utmost to create a world where they matter, against the efforts of a father who feels it his duty ( and theirs ) to marry the man of his choosing.The story is funny. At times, laugh out loud funny. The setting is detailed to present a view of India that the travelogues seem to not present: the interior thoughts and frustrations of the people who live among the crowds, smells, traffic and clashes of modern and traditional.The two sisters were fairly well developed in terms of character, the father was an omnipresent and rather discordant character, well defined if a bit one-dimensional.  The rest of the characters ( the American cousins ) were portrayed as I feel many must see foreigners at first, even family, with a touch of mistrust, full of preconceived expectations and, of course, that touch of the thrilling intermixed with the traditional shock from years of the "we don't do that" behaviour that is so ingrained in long standing, near ancient traditions.As a fun, and funny, read - this was perfect. Light, but with still enough detail of the traditional to see a glimpse into life in India as a young, eligible for marriage woman with a longing for more.