The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim (review)

Still grieving her beloved aunt's death the year before, recent high-school grad and wannabe comedian/screenwriter Noreen Mirza puts off college for a year and travels with her mother to India for three months. There she soon meets and falls head over heels for gorgeous local boy Kabir. With his expert guidance, she tours New Delhi's ancient and sacred ruins, learning about the nation's history and culture, as well as its foods, customs, and heartbreaking poverty. When Kabir's famous father is called out for sexual misbehavior, though, it's Noreen's turn to provide support and shoulder to cry on. There's a lot going on in this otherwise simple story of a young woman's journey of self-discovery in India. As a travelogue it succeeds admirably, with descriptive prose that opens eyes to both stunning beauties and harsh realities. Unfortunately, that prose also creates a narrative distance that treats characters like the landmarks they visit, and Noreen's personal growth is stunted by the story's varied distractions. Kabir is similarly static, barely moving beyond the utterly perfect boyfriend who says and does the right thing, surrounded by friends who seem only there to enlighten. The story draws useful attention to a host of important issues, including racism, caste-ism, religious intolerance, and violence against women, alongside frank sex talk and a nuanced approach to #MeToo accusations, but all with a studied, rehearsed air that ultimately falls flat. Still, it's a solid option for the reader interested in learning about desi culture or looking for inspiration to plan their own travels.