The Newlyweds

A couple months ago I read Nell Freudenberger's novel The Dissident and enjoyed it, so was eager to read her new novel, The Newlyweds. It is a delightful novel about Amina, a young woman from Bangladesh, who meets George (an American) on the Internet and the two get married. The couple must overcome secrets, cultural barriers, and a bad economy. There's not much more to say about the book's plot, without going into details that would be best unwoven by the reader.

The story is told from Amina's perspective and she is such a rich character. You really get into her world and feel for her, almost to the point that she doesn't seem like a fictional character anymore, but a friend. I could have read this book much faster than I did, but found myself wanting to stay in it so I dragged it out as long as I could. (I love books that make me feel this way; they're so rare.) It is incredible to me to see the growth of Freudenberger as a writer from her first novel to this second one. The Dissident was good, but The Newlyweds was stunning and beautiful, a book I'll likely be rereading eventually.