June 1, 2020
Tina Das is an Indian American who doesn't feel either Indian or American. Like many first generation Americans before her, Tina straddles a line of two different cultures that neither accept nor deny her. Traveling to Delhi for her cousin's wedding, Tina is hoping to become more in tune with her Indian side. But if she can't even cross a busy Delhi road without freaking out, how Indian can she be? Along for the ride to the wedding are Tina's divorced parents, her mom's boyfriend, and Tina's best friend Marianne. The wedding is the main event for the visit, but each character has their own agenda as well: Mr. Das is meeting an online date for the first time; Marianne is trying to escape the comfort that is her fianc�. And, amidst the wedding festivities Tina wonders if she'll find romance?but with musician Sid or jet-setting Rocco? Destination Wedding is a fun contemporary with characters that charm and writing that snaps. Fans of ensemble-cast novels, such as Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians (2013), will enjoy the latest from Basu (The Windfall, 2017).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)
August 3, 2020
Basu (Windfall) takes a humorous look at an Indian American family’s trip to the subcontinent in this charming, soul-searching tale. Brooklynite Tina Das, bored with her job seeking content for a streaming network, flies to India with her friend Marianne, Tina’s divorced parents, and Tina’s mother’s boyfriend, David, for a wedding. Tina’s father has engaged the services of a matchmaker in India and is hoping to meet someone there, while Tina, having recently broken up with her boyfriend, is determined to find an Indian man to marry. While Tina’s parents try to enliven their lives with new loves, Tina picks up with Rocco Gallagher, an Englishman living in India whom she had briefly dated in London a year ago. While exploring a relationship with Rocco and the possibility of moving to India to be closer to him, Tina gains newfound enthusiasm for her job after she gets the idea for a documentary on Indian weddings, starring her cousin’s wedding planner. While the shifts in point of view between Tina, each of her parents, and Marianne can be confusing, Basu is a capable plotter and creates vibrant set pieces, such as the elaborate wedding. From Brooklyn to New Delhi, Basu never ceases to entertain.