Title: When Dimple Met Rishi
Author: Sandhya Menon
Summary: Meet Dimple Shah. She just graduated high school and is ready to start proving to her tradition loving Indian parents that her future lies in coding and college- not marriage and tradition. Above all, she wants her parents to understand that an arranged marriage has no place in her life…ever. Considering her parent’s-particularly her mother’s- view on the necessity of a good Indian marriage, Dimple is shocked when they readily agree to her request to attend a prestigious summer program for aspiring web developers. The program will give Dimple a chance to get a leg up on developing her own app and put her in the running to win a chance to meet and collaborate with her idol app developer Jenny Lindt.
Now meet Rishi Patel. He also just graduated high school and comes from an Indian family deeply seated in tradition. However, Rishi embraces those traditions and looks forward to the day he is matched with a traditional Indian bride. With that in mind, despite almost no interest in web development, he accepts his parent’s proposal to participate in a summer coding camp that will allow him to meet the girl his parent’s hope to match him with, Dimple Shah.
When one person thinks they are meeting a potential partner for life and the other person thinks she is there to get a head start on an education and career opportunity- but instead finds out she is being manipulated by matrimony-obsessed mother- how can you expect anything but disaster? It may sound like it, but sometimes love works in unexpected ways.
Who will like this book?: There’s family, tradition, friendship and love all wrapped up in a tidy package in this book. So, high school and older readers who are looking for a fun summer beach read-for the fall or winter will certainly enjoy it.
If you like this, try reading: Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier, The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, and Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Where can I find a copy?: Paper copy available at Fairfield Public Library, Digital copy downloadable from Overdrive through Fairfield Public Library, and audio copy downloadable from Hoopla through Fairfield Public Library.
Recommended by: Jen, Fairfield Woods Branch Teen Librarian