This inventive retelling of Pride and Prejudice charms. People A fun page-turning romp and a
thought-provoking look at the class-obsessed strata of Pakistani society. NPRAlys Binat has
sworn never to marry until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider.
A scandal and vicious rumor concerning the Binat family have 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 schoolgirls. Knowing that many of
her students won t make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and have children Alys
teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire the girls to
dream of more. When an invitation arrives to the biggest wedding their small town has seen in
years Mrs. Binat certain that their luck is about to change excitedly sets to work preparing
her daughters to fish for rich eligible bachelors. On the first night of the festivities Alys
s lovely older sister Jena catches the eye of Fahad Bungles Bingla the wildly successful and
single entrepreneur. But Bungles s friend Valentine Darsee is clearly unimpressed by the Binat
family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her and quickly dismisses
him and his snobbish ways. 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 from the one she saw at first glance. Told
with wry wit and colorful prose Unmarriageable is a charming update on Jane Austen s beloved
novel and an exhilarating exploration of love marriage class and sisterhood. Praise for
Unmarriageable Delightful . . . Unmarriageable introduces readers to a rich Muslim culture. . .
. [Kamal] observes family dramas with a satiric eye and treats readers to sparkling
descriptions of a days-long wedding ceremony with its high-fashion pageantry and higher social
stakes. Star Tribune Thoroughly charming. New York Post [A] funny sometimes romantic often
thought-provoking glimpse into Pakistani culture one which adroitly illustrates the double
standards women face when navigating sex love and marriage. This is a must-read for devout
Austenites. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
