This lighthearted multi-generational saga is a hard book to summarise. It tears along at an enormous pace and is both entertaining and enjoyable to read, although ultimately it doesn't amount to much.
Henna Rub is only 13, but her father sees her as a means to his social and economic advancement. So he passes her off as 17 and arranges her marriage to Ricky-Rashid, who comes from a well-to-do family. Ricky-Rashid is horrified on the wedding night to find out how old his bride really is. This is but the first of many deceptions that are to complicate their lives and the life of their daughter throughout the book, which spans more than 50 years.
It's easy to criticise this novel: yes, the plot is contrived and riddled with coincidences. At times the narrative changes tense, which I found irritating. Some of the writing is clunky. But it's fun. When you think you know where it's going, it twists itself around. The quirky chapter titles amused me. It reads like a trashy soap opera and I mean that it a good way. A good holiday read that won't stay with you anymore than the suntan will.