Unmarriageable

Pride and Prejudice with a Pakistani twist.

Alys Binat - second of five sisters, devoted friend, and literature teacher - dreams of a future of travel and independence.  While Alys has no interest in marriage and her older sister Jena wishes to marry for love, their mother is determined to arrange marriages with wealthy men for them before they are too old and lose their looks.  After all, the family fortune is gone and their respected family name will not keep them fed forever.  An invitation to the wedding of the year seems to be the answer, and sets the stage for anticipation and disappointment, love at first sight and heartbreak.  Fans of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice will recognize this as an adaptation of the much-loved original.   I particularly enjoy this retelling because the author so cleverly translates the characters, social commentary, and situational comedy to a 21st century Pakistani setting.  Even readers not familiar with P & P will enjoy the humor and absurdity of this roller coaster love story and the detailed descriptions of Pakistani culture.