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Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Milan (A Wedding Story) by Simi K Rao : A Review



BOOK TITLE: Milan (A Wedding Story)
ISBN: 978-1517142865
AUTHOR: Simi K Rao
GENRE: Romance, Fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES: 161
FORMAT: Digital
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank Debdatta Sahay of Book Reviews tours for this review copy.
SUMMARY:
          When a daughter turns marriageable age, what should a responsible father do?
          Easy—wed her to the most suitable boy who comes knocking on their door.
          Jai Bharadwaj, Mili's father and owner of The Serenity Tea Estate in the idyllic Nilgiris would've probably liked to do the same, but being who he was, he had to ask her first.

          But what would Mili say?
REVIEW:
          A daughter has come to a marriageable age. What does the father do? Yes, I am starting my review with the same line as the summary. That is the whole story. As simple as that – anything and everything after that is just a story built up on this one liner.
          Mili is the daughter of Jai Bharadwaj, a tea estate owner. She has reached marriageable age (pre determined and set at an arbitrary preference as per every family’s rules, as is the rule in India. This usually falls between 21-25 for girls). Her father wants to marry her off to the most suitable groom and spare no expense while he is at it.
          Enter childhood classmate Ahaan who had seen Mili in a market and has taken to her. All Mili remembers is fighting with Ahaan and ruining his days in school. But all Ahaan remembers is how everything Mili did for him turned out good in one way or another. The silent nerd of schooldays had become a reputed officer in the nation’s capital. While the bubbly woman was now facing the reality of leaving her parents.
          Whether or not Mili and Ahaan end up happily married forms the rest of the story. Rest assured the ending is a happy one, it is the journey that counts. In my personal opinion, Mili takes the case of wedding jitters to a whole new level. She is twitchy, anxious and downright frustrating to me as a reader. It is expected in the case of weddings, but sometimes seems a bit overdone.
          Starting with the initial meeting, to the escapade in their alma mater, right up to the outburst during the wedding night, Mili managed to test my patience in some places. If the intention was to make her endearingly anxious about her wedding, that went right over my head. But this is entirely my personal opinion. As a reviewer I could feel that many girls would sympathise with Mili. She is, after all, very well written. Ahaan is the picture of calm, collected composure madly in love with Mili.
          There are also loose ends to be tied up. I for one would like to know what happened to the financial problems in the tea estate. The story is entertaining in its narration, but does not leave a lasting impression. Read it for the fun quotient and the huge wedding drama.
           The story itself is simple and elaborately written. The premise is small, but the story develops from that small one liner to a decently sized one that provides readers with a nice glimpse into arranged marriages of India. The language is decent and has very limited typos, which is a blessing! The editing is clean, and the use of vernacular lines (with the glossary of course) gives a sense of nativity.
          Special mention to the beautifully designed cover. Nothing conveyed the spirit of the novel better than this! Go for this one if you like novels with an Indian touch. You will learn a lot about Indian customs and the whole madness that is the great Indian wedding!
WHAT I LIKED: The premise of the story, and the glossary and recipes at the end of the book! Foodie, I agree!
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: The character of Mili could be a bit less anxious, seriously!
VERDICT: If you like romances, go for this!
RATING: 3.5/5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
          Simi K. Rao was born in India and has been living in the United States for several years. Milan (A Wedding Story) is her third novel. Her previous novels are titled: Inconvenient Relations and The Accidental Wife. The inspiration for her stories come from what she has seen transpire among and within the immigrant community. Some of the experiences included are her own; some have been garnered from friends. She currently lives in Denver with her family. You can connect with the author and read more of her work on her website.
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback, Digital
PRICE: $7.99 for paperback


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