Brick Lane by Monica Ali

OK, so this book is not about India. It is about a Bangladeshi housewife whos life is transformed through a classic arranged marriage. An unspoiled, obedient, young girl hopes to get a better life abroad. An old, fat, ugly and not very smart man puts an advertisement in the newspaper. His only asset is the fact that he lives in London, where he works as a public servant. And so she moves to the London borough of Tower Hamlets, the UK centre of the Bangladeshi community. Her husband keeps complaining about his bosses, who keep holding up his promotion. In his narrow-minded world, it’s easier to blame his lack of career success on racism, than to admit that he may not be as smart as he would like to be. Meanwhile, she patiently stays at home, cleans the apartments, cuts his toenails and cooks dhal. When she asks her husband whether it may be a good idea for her to learn English, he explains that there is no need for her to do so, as she does not need to leave the apartment. After all, I am such a loving and caring husband and I can do all the shopping you want, so you don’t need to worry about going outside. Is this really love or does he fear that his wife might actually become an independent human being? Slowly, she manages to do just that ... 

You can buy the book here on Amazon.

I don’t think this book is specific to Bangladesh, and that is why I am including it here. It deals with many issues that are common to South Asian expatriates, such as arranged marriage, hope for a better life abroad, disappointment with the morals of Western society, rejection and resentment of Western lifestyle, isolation of Asian communities in cities such as London, blaming your own failures on racism etc.