Arranged Marriage

Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni | Award-Winning Short Stories

Introduction

Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a powerful collection of eleven short stories about Indian women navigating love, family, migration, identity, and change. Moving between India and the United States, these stories explore what it means to build a new life while remaining connected to the traditions, memories, and relationships of home.

About This Book

At the heart of this collection are women standing at moments of transformation. Newly married brides, immigrants, mothers, daughters, and women rebuilding their lives encounter circumstances that challenge their expectations and force them to reconsider what independence and belonging mean to them.

Divakaruni explores the emotional complexities of living between cultures, where treasured beliefs may exist alongside unfamiliar possibilities and changing desires. The stories address arranged marriage, family relationships, cultural identity, immigration, gender roles, grief, loneliness, resilience, and self-discovery.

What You’ll Discover

• Eleven stories of transformation: Meet women facing pivotal moments that reshape their understanding of themselves and their lives.
• The immigrant experience: Explore the challenges of adapting to a new country while maintaining connections to India.
• Love and family: Examine marriage, relationships, family expectations, and the bonds that endure through change.
• Identity and independence: Consider the complicated choices involved in balancing cultural traditions with personal aspirations.
• Resilience through adversity: Follow characters confronting loss, loneliness, uncertainty, and the possibility of new beginnings.
• Cultural transition: Experience the tensions and possibilities that arise when two worlds meet.

Perfect For

• Readers of literary and contemporary women's fiction
• Fans of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's writing
• Readers interested in Indian diaspora and immigrant stories
• Those exploring multicultural and feminist literature
• Readers who enjoy emotionally rich short-story collections
• Anyone interested in themes of identity, belonging, family, and transformation

Why You’ll Love This Book

Arranged Marriage combines intimate character portraits with larger questions about culture, migration, independence, and belonging. Its eleven stories give readers different perspectives on women negotiating expectations and change, making the collection both deeply personal and broadly relatable.

With its focus on emotional complexity and the experience of living between cultures, this paperback is a compelling choice for readers who appreciate thoughtful literary fiction and short stories that explore the many ways people adapt, endure, and begin again.