FICTION

The Marriage Clock

by Zara Raheem
Morrow. Jul. 2019. 368p. ISBN 9780062877925. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062877932. F
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DEBUT Raheem’s first novel features Indian American Muslim Leila Abid, age 26 and living with her parents. She’s launched a teaching career, but her parents want her to complete her life with a spouse. Leila has always dreamed of a Bollywood-style romance and love before marriage, not after. She quickly decides that she cannot accept her parents completely arranging her marriage and gets them to agree to a three-month deadline before they step in and take the more traditional route for her. Leila sets off on a dating spree to find Mr. Right, using a variety of traditional and nontraditional methods including online dating apps for Muslim singles and even a matchmaker. The author portrays this experience in an authentic and at times funny and heartbreaking way, and Leila’s struggles will speak to many. The ending may surprise some readers and make others applaud.
VERDICT This charming and humorous novel will appeal to a wide audience and should be an excellent fit for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, 1/7/19.]
Reviewed by Kristen Stewart, Pearland Lib., Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., TX , Jun 13, 2019
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