A Bollywood Affair

Book excerpt: “An impressive debut . . . Vibrant and exuberantly romantic, Affair is chock full of details that reflect India’s social and cultural flux.”—NPR.org Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her. Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie. Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev’s debut is both a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love, in all its diversity. “Deeply-felt emotions that will keep readers turning the pages.”—Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times-bestselling author “Debut author Sonali Dev writes a beautiful love story in A Bollywood Affair . . . One of the best romances I’ve read this year.”—USA Today