The narrative delves into the dynamics of two families while addressing the clash between Eastern and Western cultures. Beyond the multicultural aspect of the story, the author focuses on child-parent relationships and modern romance. It highlights the important social issues in the current climate that include immigration, cross-cultural tensions, and career choices. The focus is on Yasmin and Joe’s relationship as their families finally meet certain truths and cultural observations.
The story is set in present-day London and revolves around the recent engagement of Yasmin to her coworker Joe. As a second-generation Bengali immigrant, Yasmin is glad that she will be able to have a love marriage akin to her parents. However, little does she know that her parent’s marriage is far from perfect since her father has had multiple extramarital affairs. The assumptions she held her entire life dictated her choices in a partner which are later shattered with the new revelation. On the other hand, Joe comes from a liberal household that is quite open to the Ghorami family and their culture. Despite this, a big gulf still exists between the two families since they hail from different social classes, races, and religions. With this in mind, the narrative untangles the relationship of the main characters who are keeping critical secrets from each other. Joe suffers from sex addiction, and he sees a therapist while Yasmin is less experienced sexually than her partner is. Therefore, Yasmin finds herself having an affair that will continue to breed guilt within their fragile relationship.
The relationship that Yasmin and Joe have with their respective parent plays a significant role in their decisions. Yasmin seems to have followed her father’s example in an effort to impress her parents rather than cultivate her own identity. Meanwhile, Joe follows her mother’s advice who seems to be domineering over his life choices. Besides, the cultural tensions between their families, workplace politics, and marital issues come forth challenging the strength of the young relationship.
