Description

‘Staggeringly good… Much like Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women, it reads more like a novel than a piece of non-fiction… it does what all great writing should – it puts us into the world of someone else, so completely that days later I find myself missing the couples and wondering how their stories end’ Marianne Power, The Times

‘A profound book on the politics of love, of couples who brave everything and everyone to be together. Told with warmth, truth and humanity, Mansi Choksi’s The Newlyweds is an extraordinary look at what it takes to be together in modern India’ Nikesh Shukla

‘Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand youth in India today – or for anyone who believes in the galactic powers of love to change history, personal and political’ Suketu Mehta

What would you risk for love?

Twenty-first century India is a culture on fast forward, a society which is changing at breakneck speed, where two out of every three people are under the age of thirty-five. These young men and women grew up with the internet, smartphones and social media. But when it comes to love, the weight of thousands of years of tradition cannot so easily be set aside.

An extraordinary work of reportage, The Newlyweds is a portrait of modern India told through the stories of three young couples, who defy their families to pursue love. The lesbian couple forced to flee for a chance at a life together. The Hindu woman and Muslim man who must escape under the cover of night after being harassed by a violent mob. And the couple from different castes who know the terrible risk they run by marrying.

Writing with great insight and humanity, Mansi Choksi examines the true cost of modern love in an ancient culture. It is a book that will change the way readers think about love, freedom and hope.

Publisher Review

If you believe in great love stories, read Mansi Choksi's The Newlyweds. In this exemplary work of narrative non-fiction, Choksi follows three Indian couples for six years to bring us the most nuanced, lyrical, and moving book about love and marriage in modern India yet written. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand youth in India today - or for anyone who believes in the galactic powers of love to change history, personal and political -- Suketu Mehta, author of MAXIMUM CITY: BOMBAY LOST AND FOUND This is a startlingly good book. The meticulously reported stories of three couples - and the social forces that stand in their way - are intimate, revelatory and as gripping as a novel. I couldn't put it down -- Samira Shackle, author of KARACHI VICE: LIFE AND DEATH IN A CONTESTED CITY Mansi Choksi's rigorously reported, beautifully written debut signals the arrival of a major new voice in non-fiction -- Sonia Faleiro, author of THE GOOD GIRLS A profound book on the politics of love, of couples who brave everything and everyone to be together. Told with warmth, truth and humanity, Mansi Choksi's The Newlyweds is an extraordinary look at what it takes to be together in modern India -- Nikesh Shukla, author of BROWN BABY A rare insight into modern love in India ... astonishing and unforgettable ... a vibrant observer whose ability lies in capturing the subtleties of life in a way that's nuanced and purposeful -- Dhruti Shah * The New Arab * This is a heart-wrenching and inspiring portrait of love under pressure * Publishers Weekly * Truly lyrical... [A] well-reported account of love in modern India * Kirkus * Stunning... Mansi Choksi looks at love in modern India with the appealing perspective of both a knowing insider, and a curious, wary outsider. The result is an intimate story of India, and of the perils and pleasures of love, like no other -- Alexis Okeowo, and author of A MOONLESS STARLESS SKY Love is transformative, even when it fails. That is one of the lessons of The Newlyweds. And just as it is with love, I felt most alive when reading this book -- Amitava Kumar, author of A TIME OUTSIDE THIS TIME Brave and insightful -- Sunny Singh, author of HOTEL ARCADIA