Marriage of a Thousand Lies: Complexities Within Relationships and Personal Identity

 

Marriage of a Thousand Lies is a heartfelt debut novel that follows the journey of Lakshmi, a Sri Lankan- American lesbian married to Krishna, a gay Indian man. The protagonist of the story, Lakshmi (also known as Lucky), comes home to care for her elderly grandmother when she learns that her childhood best friend and first love, Nisha, is getting ready for an arranged marriage. This book is a must-read since it has a captivating plot and a gorgeously developed cast of characters. This author's debut is several things at once: it is a love story, a tale of coming of age in one's late 20's, a narrative of family, community, and the experience of South Asian immigrants in the United States.

Lucky is a little rough around the edges and has been working as a freelance digital illustrator while keeping her mother from finding out she is unemployed. Her love of dance and her tenderness toward her first love is where she gets her softness. While supporting her romance with Nisha, we also enjoy getting to know her better through her passion for dance and her difficult mother-daughter connection.
Nisha is also revealed to be more intricate than even Lucky realized. They were childhood sweethearts who later fell in love, but their paths have now diverged. Both the inevitable complexity brought on by the needs of their families and the ease with which they connect when they are alone are equally potent. While Nisha gets ready for her wedding, Lucky encounters a group of rugby-playing LGBT women from all origins who attend lesbian parties and drink beer.
As acceptance of LGBTQ rights grows in society, it can be simple to condemn family members or friends who don't share your views. Queer visibility has increased as a result of National Coming Out Day, an increase in celebrities being praised for coming out, and other factors. But many people have even more complicated relationships with their closets. Everyone agrees that visibility is a good thing, yet it puts people like Lucky in a difficult situation. When caring for your loved ones entails keeping a part of yourself hidden, how can you manage a relationship with them?
Everyone should read Marriage of a Thousand Lies because it is a fascinating exploration of LGBT South Asian-American identity. It is a well-written debut that not only gives voice to an experience that is underrepresented in the mainstream queer canon but also makes you care about all the characters, whether or not you agree with their choices. With incredibly moving characters who you'll miss after you put the book down, this work deftly addresses a variety of complex issues relating to relationships and personal identity.