By Shobhan Bantwal
Review by Lily Azerad-Goldman, B.F.A. is an artist and a children's author.
The Full Moon Bride is Shobhan Bantwal’s fifth book. Her first four books tackled serious and often complex topics of interest to contemporary women – especially women in India or of Indian culture. In her latest book she takes us inside the experiences of a young woman who is going through the arranged marriage process.
About The Full Moon Bride
What makes a marriage—love or compatibility? Passion or pragmatism? THE FULL MOON BRIDE is a compelling story that explores the fascinating subject of arranged marriage, as young Indian-American attorney Soorya Giri navigates the gulf between desire and tradition.
In choosing between two very different men, Soorya must reconcile her burgeoning independence and conservative background. And she must decide what matters most to her—not just in a husband, but in a family, a culture, and a life.
About Shobhan Bantwal
Award-winning author Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing “Bollywood in a Book”—romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture—stories that entertain and educate. Shobhan has five published novels by Kensington Publishing, with a sixth slated for 2012. Shobhan can be contacted through her website: www.shobhanbantwal.com or Facebook.
Since 2002, Shobhan's articles and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including The Writer magazine, India Abroad, Little India, U.S. 1, Desi Journal, India Currents, Overseas Indian, and New Woman. Her short stories have won honors and awards in fiction contests sponsored by Writer's Digest, New York Stories and New Woman magazines. Shobhan can be contacted through her website: www.shobhanbantwal.com or Facebook.
What People Are Saying –
Shobhan Bantwall is certainly a prolific author with her fifth book, The Full Moon Bride just released. After writing about serious social issues as India's dowry system, female-fetus abortions, the repressive lives of some women and political violence in India, she has chosen a lighter subject, the Indian-American immigrant experience. Her compelling characters and fine writing will keep readers enthralled.
Women's Fiction with a touch of romance and sometimes a little mystery is what Shobhan Bantwall is all about. She enjoys incorporating the rich elements of her Indian culture, religious beliefs, myths, legends, superstitions, foods, scents, recipes, clothing, accessories, language including slang, history, geography, and most anything that she feels adds to entertainment and knowledge.
Moreover, she beckons her readers to travel with her on adventures where they not only experience different places, tastes, smells and feelings through her characters, but also perceive their thrills, joys, sorrows and triumphs.
Moreover, she beckons her readers to travel with her on adventures where they not only experience different places, tastes, smells and feelings through her characters, but also perceive their thrills, joys, sorrows and triumphs.
Written in the first person, The Full Moon Bride is charming and engaging. Soorya Giri has everything, wealth, a rich doting Indian family and a successful career. Despite the fact that Soorya is intelligent and a successful lawyer, she is very shy and at age thirty has not yet been on a date, let alone been kissed! She lacks the self-confidence of American girls. Thanks to her Indian upbringing and customs, she considers an arranged marriage, without giving it a second thought! Under the auspicious purnina (full moon) her parents invite a prospective groom and his family. She believes she will be rejected because of her “homely” appearance, as has occurred previously.
Much to her surprise, she likes the charming prospective groom Roger, but her self-confidence is such that she does not believe he is attracted to her. Perhaps, he will only like her because of her money and rich father. He has grandiose dreams of putting up a play on Broadway that require a substantial investment.
A game of cat and mouse ensues with Roger. Does she or does she not like him? Does he truly love her? And at about the same time, she is attracted to a widowed black lawyer. We cannot wait to see who is going to gain her heart.
The author mixes this love triangle with Indian culture, cuisine and customs from the old country. She brings to life her characters with a lot of bantering dialogue and authentic descriptions of their lives in America. Join Soorya on her bumpy journey to find that nebulous, elusive thing called “love!”
Bantwall's new novel explores the complicated patterns of self-confidence, love and attraction, trying to balance Indian customs and American experience. She has created credible characters, with all their vulnerabilities, flaws, quirks, virtues and vices! The characters were so true to life that I found that I missed them a lot when I finished reading The Full Moon Bride! Maybe they will come back in Ms Bantwal's next novel. This one is a real page turner, don't miss it!
Title – Full Moon Bride
Author – Shobhan Bantwal
Author's website link – http://www.shobhanbantwal.com
Genre or category – Women’s Fiction, Suspense, Ethnic Fiction
ISBN – 978-0-7582-5884-7
(Review originally posted at - http://www.bookpleasures.com/websitepublisher/articles/3504/1/Shobhan-Bantwalls-The-Full-Moon-Bride-Reviewed-By-Lily-Azerad-Goldman-of-Bookpleasurescom/Page1.html)
For much more information about Shobhan Bantwal and Full Moon Bride, you can visit her website http://www.shobhanbantwal.com and you can order your own copy at http://www.amazon.com/Full-Moon-Bride-Shobhan-Bantwal/dp/0758258844
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