The Secret Diary of a Bengali Bridezilla
And I thought finding a husband was hard...
One couple. Three months. 600 guests (most of whom I've never met) and LOTS of opinions.
Welcome to my big fat Bangladeshi wedding.
I've found my dream man but will my wedding day be a nightmare? If Fleabag and Bridget Jones got together over tea and a samosa, this is what you'd get. Former journalist Halima Khatun's hilarious follow-up to The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage is a must read for anyone looking for British wit with a multicultural twist.
Reader reviews:
I began this book with minimal expectations, not being a particularly huge fan of chick lit. And slightly dubious how this genre would tie in with a writer writing about my own community - I'm sceptical enough to know that the sensationalist, prejudice feeding, rescue the oppressed brown/ Muslim woman stories are the ones that sell best and one would have to be a brave and competent writer to go against the grain and not fall into that easy trap.
To say I was pleasantly surprised would be a big understatement. As far as the Bengali community I love (and sometimes loathe, lol) goes, Halima gives a pretty accurate, hilarious, yet affectionate insight into how it operates - with its own unique foibles, yet altogether not too different from any other community on the planet!
With a deft and witty hand and her own raw personal touch, she writes about the universal themes of family, friendships, identity and belonging, making it a story every woman can relate to and gain from one way or another. Laugh out loud throughout and poignant or indignant at other moments, the book will take you through a rollercoaster of emotions without weighing you down.
The heroine is a warm and down to earth character with an admirable stinginess - a girl after my own heart! In a world of materialism and image obsession, our savvy protagonist is a great role model who makes an important journey of self-discovery alongside her wedding planning struggles.
Diary of a Bridezilla is such a heart-warming book so full of positive vibes that if there was to be a Bengali version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding - this would definitely be it!
About the author
Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant.
Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children's story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and Journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies.
She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications. Halima also blogs on lifestyle, food and travel and parenthood on halimabobs.com. This is where she also shares updates on her novels.
