BY CATHERINE ARMITSTEAD

 

A STORY about clashing cultures within a marriage - The Newlyweds urges readers to look past the initial problems in matching up an Asian bride with an American groom, and deeper into their thoughts and personal experience.

Amina, a Bangladeshi, comes to America to marry George. They met on the internet but, once together, it is apparent that that they have not been honest about their pasts and their intentions for their future married life.

The bride-to-be is determined to bring her parents over to the US and struggles to wait for visas to get them in the country. She travels back to Bangladesh, described using exotic images, where she realises after being in America so long, she no longer feels at home in her home country.

George tries to put a previous relationship behind him so he can build a small family unit, but when Amina comes to the country and themes of marriage and cultural difference are pondered upon, a betraying secret is revealed.

Having put the marriage together based on their online relationship, the reader finds neither George nor Amina can be blamed for the space between them as they glimpse into their heads for a time and feel empathy.

Throughout the story, which tackles the difficult task of taking on a persona of a character of a different ethnicity, culture and religion and brings authenticity to the role, the reader is led into making false assumptions. We are initially drawn, like Amina, to George's cousin, Kim. She has a passion for Indian culture, and a past love interest there, but a twist in the narrative means that we start to view her differently.

The main characters are thoughtfully drawn with each having their own selfish reason for behaving as they do, together with redeeming qualities which makes us sympathise with them, all written across a story that is not a dash to the closing page.

The author said she loved to travel and was inspired by a conversation that she had with a fellow passenger on an aeroplane. I believe it is an admirable achievement to build a whole story, with such plausible and convincing characters, on the basis of a mid-flight discussion.

 

This book was published by Penguin and is available to buy for £8.99. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.