I really enjoyed this work as a break from all the experimental stuff I read. Lahiri captures the Indian culture in a way that is accessible to people who long for culture but don't really have a sense of it (like me, who has never been on a plane). The relationships between women and men (arranged marriages usually) were interesting; men who put up with flighty women, women who fall in love with married men, couples married after a few days together who aren't sure if they'll like each other but learn to fall in love. I was really excited about this book because my new friend is a progressive woman from India (funny enough, she's married to a man from Tennessee) and I wanted more insight into the culture. Lahiri provides that in a way that digs into another's life rather than pouring in as many facts in a conspicuous fashion.