Anjali Banjerjee Imaginary Men

Imaginary Men

Anjali Banjerjee

Downtown, Oct 2005, $13.00, 256 pp.

ISBN: 1416509437

San Franciscan professional matchmaker Lina Ray travels to Kolkata, India to attend her younger sister's wedding. At the gala her matchmaking Auntie Kiki tries to arrange a match with Nikhil Ghoge, an Indian version of Pee Wee Herman. Desperate Lina makes up a fianc living in America. She flees the gala only to run into Raja Prasad. They talk, but she concludes he is old line chauvinistic Indian, so she wants nothing to do with him, though he gives her a star galaxy granite stone as a reminder of their brief connection.

he next day Niki takes her niece to meet horoscope reader Pandit Parsus, who says the fianc seems unreal and that Niki needs to go to California to see if he is worthy of joining their family. As Lina's lies multiply, Raja hires her to find a spouse for his brother while he makes the case that they are right for another. Lina sees the "silvery threads" that she knows means they are right for each other, but first she must overcome the death over two years ago of her fianc Nathu, and her scorn of her Bengali heritage.

IMAGINARY MEN is a refreshing chick lit tale, starring a wonderful second generation American struggling between her India heritage and her San Francisco lifestyle. Lina and her family members provide insight into the Brachmo Samaj Hinduism within the humorous family drama. Learning first hand how a simple fib can gain a goliath life of its own, Lina is a fabulous lead character who anchors IMAGINARY MEN as she compounds her lie in comedic ways. Fans will want sequels from author Anjali Banjerjee.