The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

Set in modern-day India, this book tells the story of a Mr. Ali. Retired long enough to be bored, he decides to start a marriage bureau to help pass his time.  He hires a young woman, Aruna, to be his assistant. Together they work to find matches for men and women and along the way encounter prejudice, extreme poverty, the intricate details of the caste system, and social activism.

Although the book doesn’t have an extensive plot the book did not drag.  Mr. Zama does a wonderful job of describing the country and sights.  He would often detail what they were eating and it made me want it, even tough I had no idea what it was. 

The cover touts this book to be a cross between Alexander McCall Smith and Jane Austen.  Also, I saw several reviews that compared this to “Pride and Prejudice”.  While I understand the comparison to Smith, I do not agree with comparing it to Austen unless it is to say, “This is NO Austen…” 

Now it sounds like I didn’t like the book and that is not true at all.  I enjoyed its meandering style and vivd descriptions.  I would probably read a second book by him.

3 Stars (Rated PG – nothing terribly objectionable, just some violence.)