The Matchmaker's List
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3.9 • 16 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
One devoted modern girl + a meddlesome, traditional grandmother = a heartwarming multicultural romantic comedy about finding love where you least expect it.
Raina Anand may have finally given in to family pressure and agreed to let her grandmother play matchmaker, but that doesn't mean she has to like it--or that she has to play by the rules. Nani always took Raina's side when she tried to push past the traditional expectations of their tight-knit Indian-immigrant community, but now she's ambushing Raina with a list of suitable bachelors. Is it too much to ask for a little space? Besides, what Nani doesn't know won't hurt her...
As Raina's life spirals into a parade of Nani-approved bachelors and disastrous blind dates, she must find a way out of this modern-day arranged-marriage trap without shattering her beloved grandmother's dreams.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Sometimes, trying to please the people we love while also staying true to ourselves puts us on a collision course with them. When Raina Anand agrees to let her grandmother find her a husband, chaos ensues: Raina’s ex reappears and complicates things, and her nani won’t take no for an answer when it comes to her list of preapproved (but totally undesirable) Indian men. Sonya Lalli’s intriguing and perceptive debut novel won us over with its sweet humor, painfully real family dynamics, and stereotype-busting insights.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lalli's debut is a skillful exploration of how the younger generation in an immigrant Indian community in Toronto bristles at tradition while discovering comfort and strength in family and community. Raina, 29, works at a multinational bank and agrees to check out a list of eligible Indian men her grandmother has vetted for an arranged marriage. But the bachelors all fall short of Dev, the dashing, globe-trotting banker from Raina's past whom she fell in love with, but who couldn't commit. The pressure mounts as Raina's best-friend Shaya, a pediatric resident, prepares for her own wedding on Raina's 30th birthday to white Catholic pediatrician Julian. After a series of hilarious dating misfires, a desperate Raina lets her grandmother believe she's a lesbian to stop the matchmaking pressure a duplicity that isolates her from her grandmother, Shaya, and Asher, a white groomsman who recognizes Raina as a "lost soul." Raina's ultimate appreciation of her grandmother's loyalty, the joy of her community and culture, and a man with whom she "could be the woman who didn't lose herself to love" helps her claim a life of her own. Lalli's sharp-eyed tale of cross-cultural dating, family heartbreak, the strictures of culture, and the exuberance of love is both universal and timeless.
Customer Reviews
A hilarious and touching romantic comedy
This is a warm, funny, and beautifully written story of an Indian-Canadian woman and the string of bad dates she goes on to keep her beloved grandmother happy. There are multiple layers to this story: a serious level about community and family and the immigrant experience, as well as gentle humour and some fun romantic moments. Recommended for both rom com lovers and readers of mainstream fiction.