Read for Asian Readathon 2022, prompt: (4) Read a book by an Asian author that has a cover worthy of googly eyes. ( )

This is a disjointed novel about love and shame. Lucky's family immigrated from Sri Lanka, where they lived unsettled lives as Tamil minorities. After coming to the US, the customary Desi success story is turned on its ear for a family of three sisters, when Lucky's sister Vidya leaves home has a child with a Black lover, and Lucky, who is closeted, marries a fellow student, a Tamil gay man, to keep her parents off her back and to allow him to stay in the country. But now the pressure’s on to have a child, and Lucky's childhood best friend and lover Nisha is also being pressured to marry. The most unusual part of the story is that Lucky's parents are divorced, and Lucky's dad is now married to her mother's former best friend, Laila Aunty, and they all live in the same Massachusetts town. Just as being gay, childless, or single is verboten in the Tamil-American community, so is divorce, and the cause of her parents’ breakup is never explained, a major plot weakness. In the weeks before her own wedding, as Nisha pulls Lucky closer and then pushes her away, the reader grows impatient with them both and never quite regains sympathy as the resolution approaches. The confusing structure does improve by the ending, and some of the writing is very vivid, especially about Tamil cooking and clothing, but not so much the characters themselves.

Quote: "The whiskey has carved me empty." ( )

i liked this a lot, but also felt like it was missing quite a bit. she clearly has writing skills, and i'd read her next few books without hesitation, but with the hope that she'd have gotten even better and that there would be fewer holes in subsequent books. there were moments of excellence in the writing, for sure, but it wasn't consistent and there were a few places where, plot wise, things either didn't sit quite right or maybe just more explanation was needed.

still, that said, i really enjoyed this and thought it was well done. she has some lines that are perfection (just not consistently enough for me) and shows incredible potential. i enjoyed reading it the entire time and wished it could go on longer. sindu does a nice job with lucky's character growth, i think, even as some of it could use a bit more explanation. i thought it was mostly realistic (except, maybe, at the end for amma's reaction) and handled smoothly. i also enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences between the sri lankan and (what i know of) indian cultures (from my white perspective). this was well written and well handled. a very good first novel.

"Let me tell you something about being brown like me: your story is already written for you. Your free will, your love, your failure, all of it scratched into the cosmos before you're even born. My mother calls it fate, the story written on your head by the stars, by the gods, never by you."

"Grief is an impossible meal, so we cut it up into little pieces, dress it in ritual, and take it like a pill."

"In every story there's what is written for you, and then there's what you write." ( )

"Let me tell you something about being brown like me: your story is already written for you. Your free will, your love, your failure, all of it scratched into the cosmos before you're ever born. My mother calls it fate, the story written on your head by stars, by the gods, never by you."
SJ Sindu, Marriage of a Thousand Lies

I have not read many LGBTQ novels and I'm trying to change this. And what better time than during Pride month? Marriage of a Thousand Lies was a fascinating and interesting book. It reveals how challenging "coming out" can be for some individuals and why. Kris and Lucky are married, gay and in a marriage of pure convenience. They both lead secretive lifestyles due to the strict traditions and beliefs held in their Sri Lankan and Indian culture. Unfortunately, in numerous cultures, gay individuals are often disowned and rejected by their loved ones. I can't imagine my family disowning me simply because of my sexual preference. In Marriage of a Thousand Lies, my heart went out to Lucky, who was constantly between a rock and a hard place. Lucky wants her mother's approval and unconditional love, but this proves to be a challenge and central theme in the book. I found myself rooting for Lucky and wishing she would lead the life she so desperately craves. Sindu weaved a beautiful story full of complex and realistic characters. She is a remarkable storyteller and I look forward to more of her thought-provoking stories.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Soho for giving me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. ( )