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Marriage Material

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Marriage Material

By: Sathnam Sanghera
Narrated by: Asif Khan
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About this listen

To Arjan Banga, returning to the Black Country after the unexpected death of his father, his family's corner shop represents everything he has tried to leave behind. But when his mother insists on keeping the shop open, he finds himself being dragged back, forced into big decisions about his imminent marriage back in London, and uncovering the history of his broken family.

©2013 Sathnam Sanghera (P)2014 W F Howes Ltd Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Fiction Feel-Good

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Critic reviews

"A stunning novel...touching and funny and feels so fresh...it just leaps off the page. I adored it" (Deborah Moggach)
All stars
Most relevant  
Cracking read.
Flick in the tail at the end
Really enjoyed this one.
I found out about so much

Fab story with unexpected twist

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Absolutely loved it. A real insight into life in the Midlands for Indian families. I can see the shop and the characters in my minds eye.

excellent

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I really enjoyed the story line, characters and the intricacies of the family dynamics.

Great characterisation!

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I thought this was an excellent story on two levels. Firstly, a great story with interesting twists and turns. And secondly, a really interesting insight to the British Sikh life of your first, second and third generation seeks in Britain.

Arjan Banga returns home from London and his white English fiancée, to support his mother in running the traditional Indian corner shop after his father’s sudden death. The story also follows some of his grandfathers story and that of Arjan’s father, mother and aunt. we are introduced to the Sikh culture both back in India and how that plays out in the UK. With its own bigotry and cast system, arranged and love marriages, against the Enoch Powell times in UK up to the modern day. A really great insight to the challenges of navigating both cultures.

At first I didn’t like the narrator voice as i felt it was a little robotic, he was however excellent with all the different dialects and people, and I started to realise that actually it was the appropriate way to read the story and I ended up enjoying it and found it enhanced the book. There was a bit of a slow start as we learned a bit about the background, but it was worth it and actually has left me wanting more! If you like this book, then I’d also suggest you read ‘ the boy with the topknot’.

Excellent story and insight to British Sikh life

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Wonderful storytelling and loved being transported to different generations and their context. A beautiful book. Thank you.

Enjoyed every word!

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This is a deftly narrated and nuanced story, which combines acerbic humour and touching, delicately evoked emotion.

Funny and touching

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Any additional comments?

I feel that this is a pale copy of Arnold Bennett's 'The Old Wives' Tale' without the depth or realism of that classic and with a frankly ludicrous ending. Read the original, skip this.

Try 'The old wives tale' instead

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