The Newlyweds

The Newlyweds (2012) by Nell Freudenberger. This novel tells the story of Amina and George, two people who meet via Internet and eventually decide to marry. The twist is that Amina is Bangladeshi and George is American, so the clash of two cultures makes up the bulk of this book. This novel mostly tells Amina's story, as she is the one who is displaced and goes to live in America. Unbeknown to George, Amina plans to bring her parents to America after she has been here three years, and she plans for them to live with her and George in traditional Deshi fashion. The book is very entertaining, especially toward the end when Amina goes back to Bangladesh to gather her parents to her and bring them back to America. The contrast between Bangladesh and the good old U.S.A. is striking, and Freudenberger writes with authority, as if she had lived in Bangladesh herself. I recommend this book highly. Grade: A-