20181214_095500.jpgHappy Tuesday!  Today I have a review of Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal and publishing on January 15, 2019 by Random House/Ballantine. I adored this Pride & Prejudice retelling!

My Thoughts:

Wow, this one blew me away! If you are a Pride and Prejudice fan, don’t miss this one. If you aren’t, don’t miss this one. If you are a fan of diverse, multi-cultural reads, don’t miss this one. Moreover, if you are a fan of impeccable storytelling, Unmarriageable is a book not to be missed! 

Unmarriageable is set in modern day Pakistan. The Binat family consists of five sisters and their parents. A scandal erupts that causes the family to lose their fortune and any chance at desirable marriages for their daughters. 

Alys is the second sister in line, and she’s a pragmatist. She teaches English literature to school-aged girls who are unlikely to further their educations and will likely marry young. Of import to her teaching is Jane Austen because she believes this will inspire her students to dream. 

One day an invitation arrives for a fancy wedding, one the likes of which the village has never seen before. Mrs. Binat is hard at work getting her daughters in shape for possible bachelors attending the wedding.

The oldest sister, Jena, has attracted an eligible bachelor, but his friend, none other than Valentine Darsee, is not a fan of the family, and Alys overhears him saying so. As the wedding continues, Jena awaits a proposal while Alys becomes more interested in Darsee…

Unmarriageable is steeped in the culture of a Pakistani family. I especially loved the dialogue  between the sisters and with their mother. The idioms added to the authenticity of the story. The characters are so well-developed, and I loved the comparisons to Pride and Prejudice; so many connections and Easter eggs of commonalities to discover. 

Unmarriageable is a smart, evocative retelling of a classic that reads just like a modern classic. Everything about the story is perfection, intriguing, and completely enthralling. It was enjoyable and engaging from start to finish and receives my highest recommendation. 

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

In this retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan, the five Binat sisters and their marriage-obsessed mother navigate a world where money trumps morality and double standards rule the day.

A scandal and vicious rumor in the Binat family has destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to school girls. Knowing that many of her students won’t make it to graduation without dropping out to marry and start having children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire them to dream of more.

When an invitation arrives for the biggest wedding their small town has seen in years, Mrs. Binat excitedly sets to work preparing her daughters to fish for eligible–and rich–bachelors, certain that their luck is about to change. On the first night of the festivities, Alys’s lovely older sister, Jena, catches the eye of one of the most eligible bachelors. But his friend, Valentine Darsee, is clearly unimpressed by the family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her, quickly dismissing him and his snobbish ways.

But as the days of lavish wedding parties unfold, the Binats wait breathlessly to see if Jena will land a proposal–and Alys begins to realize that Darsee’s brusque manner may be hiding a very different man.

Have you read Unmarriageable, or is it on your TBR? Do you have a favorite Pride & Prejudice retelling? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR