MANNY WANTS TO BE A FOOTBALLER. OR A POP STAR. OR WRITE A BESTSELLER. HE DOESN'T WANT TO GET MARRIED... 'Harry and Ranjit were waiting for me - waiting to take me to Derby, to a wedding. My wedding. A wedding that I hadn't asked for, that I didn't want. To a girl who I didn't know... If they had bothered to open their eyes, they would have seen me: seventeen, angry, upset but determined - determined to do my own thing, to choose my own path in life...' Set partly in the UK and partly in the Punjab region of India, this is a fresh, bitingly perceptive and totally up-to-the-minute look at one young man's fight to free himself from family expectations and to be himself, free to dance to his own tune.

Mark Goldman has never gotten along with Shaina Fogel. Ever. Even when they were in diapers, their bestie mothers wanted them to grow up and get married. Not happening. Mark prefers his quiet, reserved life. But a family wedding is about to change everything Mark thought he knew about his archnemesis. A week of wedding events with Mark Goldman? Shaina would rather have a week of root canals. Maybe the guy is hot, but for their entire lives, he’s never once acknowledged that she's hard of hearing. So it comes as a massive surprise when she discovers that Mr. High-and-Mighty and Annoyingly Sexy simply didn’t know she couldn't hear him. And now she needs his help. When it’s revealed that the weeklong wedding events are actually a weeklong competition—for a dream vacation—Mark and Shaina do the unthinkable: they decide to work together. And the second the animosity begins to fade, something even more electric takes its place. Only now it’s not just an attraction between enemies. And nothing could be worse than the fact that their mothers might have had it right...

A powerful and gripping novel that sweeps the reader from modern-day Britain to the Punjab in the 1960s and back again in a ceaseless cycle of tragedy and conflict. 1950s Punjab - a secret affair goes terribly wrong and the bride commits suicide after her lover is attacked by her family. The two families part in violence and conflict. 2004 Leicester - Rani and Sukh fall in love, unaware of the terrible legacy of the past and the conflict between their two families-Can tragedy be averted or will the two young people be able to escape the cycle of violence and draw the families together for the future?

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. (Un)arranged Marriage, a Level 5 Reader, is B1 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing present perfect continuous, past perfect, reported speech and second conditional. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly. Manny lives in England with his strict Punjabi parents who are very traditional and want him to have an arranged marriage. There's just one problem: Manny definitely doesn't want an arranged marriage. With the help of his best friend, Ade, Manny makes a plan... Visit the Penguin Readers website Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.

Although Chitra Divakaruni's poetry has won praise and awards for many years, it is her "luminous, exquisitely crafted prose" (Ms.) that is quickly making her one of the brightest rising stars in the changing face of American literature. Arranged Marriage, her first collection of stories, spent five weeks on the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller list and garnered critical acclaim that would have been extraordinary for even a more established author. For the young girls and women brought to life in these stories, the possibility of change, of starting anew, is both as terrifying and filled with promise as the ocean that separates them from their homes in India. From the story of a young bride whose fairy-tale vision of California is shattered when her husband is murdered and she must face the future on her own, to a proud middle-aged divorced woman determined to succeed in San Francisco, Divakaruni's award-winning poetry fuses here with prose for the first time to create eleven devastating portraits of women on the verge of an unforgettable transformation.

Winner of the 2021 Bookbrunch Selfie Award for Best Adult Fiction. Meet the brown Bridget Jones... I know I'll land a husband… but will he be the one? The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage – A hilarious romcom that will redefine your Your views on love and matchmaking! Meet our British-Bengali protagonist, a spirited, acerbic woman on a quest for Mr Right. But in a world where tradition and modernity collide, her journey to find love takes a delightfully unexpected turn. Young, free and single, our heroine finds herself caught between two worlds, never fully fitting in with her English friends or her Asian community. As time ticks away, she embarks on a dual mission—her own dating adventures and the rollercoaster ride of an arranged marriage hunt orchestrated by her larger-than-life family. From her adorable yet overbearing mum to the army of pretend aunties and profiteering opportunists, everyone becomes invested in finding her the perfect match. With humour and wit, she embraces the chaos of this unconventional approach to love, never quite sure if her ideal partner lies within the boundaries of tradition or if she'll discover something entirely unexpected. The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage is a fresh and captivating debut novel by former journalist Halima Khatun. She explores the complexities of family dynamics, identity, and the eternal search for belonging. This is not your average arranged marriage romance—it's a romcom that breaks barriers and challenges preconceptions. Prepare to be swept away on a laugh-out-loud journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. Get ready to redefine your view of matchmaking and immerse yourself in a story that will leave you smiling long after you've turned the final page. The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage is a romcom like no other, defying stereotypes and offering a fresh perspective on the joys and pitfalls of finding love, or a boy you can at least grow to like. Don't miss this heartwarming and hilarious tale. Reader reviews: "This is a great book to read on transport or going on holidays. I finished mine in no time and laughed lots!" "I loved reading this book! Such an enjoyable read which was hilarious at some points but also really highlighted how arranged marriages are viewed from different perspectives, especially in western society. It's hard to find a book that isn't too 'heavy' but also covers important issues and makes you really empathise with the main character. Highly recommend if you're looking for a fun read but something a bit different from the usual chick-lit." About the author Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant. 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. 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.

Simran likes Tyrone from the moment she spots him in the crowd. He's gorgeous and he won't take no for an answer. There's just one problem. . . Tyrone is black and Simran's not sure how her family will react. Even though her parents were a 'love match' and married each other against the wishes of their families, Simran doesn't think they will approve of her having a black boyfriend, and her nightmare uncles and aunts certainly won't. Like her cousin Ruby says, it's the last taboo. But Simran likes Tyrone too much to walk away, so they face the problems their relationship causes together. But it becomes harder than either of them predicted and when the hatred they encounter escalates into violence, with families and friends turning against each other, Simran and Tyrone are forced to question whether they are strong enough to fight for what they believe in.