Rating: 
Summary: Trapped between two cultures.
Review: Layla has spent her life on the periphery of two divergent cultures; while in India she is constantly reminded of her American upbringing whereas while in Minnesota her Indian accent is frequently remarked upon by strangers. This theme of not fully belonging to either culture runs throughout MADRAS ON RAINY DAYS as Layla marries her fiancé Sameer in an arranged marriage with plans to return to the United States afterward. This novel provides an in-depth glimpse of a Muslim Indian wedding and its varied traditions resulting in a colorful feast of words and images for the reader.As a result of Layla and Sameer's precarious situation of marrying someone that is a virtual stranger they join in matrimony with their own hidden secrets. Despite their pledge after the conclusion of the wedding festivities to leave the past alone when their secrets are revealed they cause significant tensions between husband and wife and aim to end their marriage. But in the tradition of Indian culture these problems don't simply exist between Layla and Sameer but rather become a matter of discussion and problem solving for both extended families and even the neighborhood itself. There is little doubt that Samina Ali paints a rather somber and sinister portrait of the restrictive Muslim customs and religious beliefs that void the freedoms of Layla and other women in general. In addition the centuries-old feuding between Hindus and Muslims in India also put women in peril and dangerous situations if they are found without adequate protection of men. Overall MADRAS ON RAINY DAYS is a vibrant and satisfying read that touches on several serious issues that deserve attention and consideration. In light of the seductiveness and whimsy of recent Indian literature published in the past several years this book is a good addition to the bunch. I'm looking forward to future books by this talented author. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: An Illuminating Portrayal of a Young Woman's Cultural Crisis
Review: MADRAS ON RAINY DAYS opens with the celebration of a wedding between Layla, a nineteen-year-old college student, and Sameer, an ambitious engineer. The five-day ceremony is lush with the rich traditions of the families' Muslim culture in the Indian walled city of Hyderabad, and by all accounts the arranged marriage is a good match for both families. Behind the scenes of the opulent festivities, though, something is terribly wrong. Layla, who has spent most of her life in the United States, is deeply conflicted about her parents' desire to have her participate in the traditional arranged marriage. She feels at home neither in India, where she is viewed with suspicion as an outsider, nor in America, where her parents deliberately segregated her from modern culture. "I was supposed to inhabit America without being inhabited by it," she says. Despite her parents' attempt to shelter her, though, Layla still underwent many American rites of passage, often without her parents' knowledge: "getting drunk for the first time, (...) This last transgression is deadly serious; if her previous sexual experience becomes public, not only will Layla's husband reject her, but her father will be at liberty to abuse and even kill her. Layla successfully conceals her previous relationship (and the resulting pregnancy and miscarriage) long enough for her to be embraced by Sameer's family. Indeed, much to Layla's surprise, she finds herself attracted to this husband she did not choose and does not yet love. (...) Why not let readers make those conclusions themselves? Astute readers, in addition to being able to decipher symbolism on their own, will also be less than surprised by Sameer's revelations near the novel's end. MADRAS ON RAINY DAYS is not a great novel, but it does offer readers an illuminating portrayal of one young woman's cultural crisis. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl
Rating: 
Summary: formulaic trash
Review: Ms.Ali's debut novel is a perfect example of how to write a soulless annoying novel based entirely on the perceptions that the western world prefers to hold of a 'backward' country and its customs and how reading books like these makes the civilised free world feel better about itself.
For starters Ms.Ali's heroine is an exceptionally stupid, spineless woman, having been raised in the modern world, it is hard to imagine more idiotic courses of action than what this protagonist chooses.
(...)
Expect major support for this 'new literary voice' for 2 reasons: 1. Extremely photogenic face. 2. Exotic Indian Name & Lineage. What more do marketers need? Major money will go behind this one and needless to say the support of establish crossover asian women writers like Amy Tan & Bharti Mukherjee. If i see their names on one more blurb endorsing one more silly "Asian Women Writer", i promise mayhem. Save yourself from this disastrous novel. And if you want to read the truly great Indian women authors, try Mahashweta Devi, Nayantara Sahgal, Amrita Pritam and the likes.
Rating:
Summary: Well written!
Review: Perhaps the best part of this book is that it is beautifully written. It's heartening to find a writer who can write well and plot well; too many so called "literary" novels today suffer from a lack of plot, a paucity of storyline.
One less star because this book did have the proverbial everything but the kitchen sink plot line. It's almost too dense.
As for the other reviewers, especially Madhu m from Chennai, it's a good story, well told, and that is really important. Writing a book is much harder than reading one, and Ali does a very good job of portraying a young girl's fears in the face of enormous family and societal pressure.
I only wonder if Ali has any more stories inside her--this book is said to be semi-autobiographical, so will be interesting to see her write something that is purely fiction. (And that is what makes this story so believable in many senses--the whole truth being stranger than fiction part--I can believe this to be very much a part of Indian life, even today. The forced arranged marriage, the gay husband who is to be set right by the right wife, of course, the willful blindess of everyone around to anything that goes against convention...even, at a stretch, the young girl who is half-American in upbringing, yet so deeply inculcated into her Indian side, it wins above all.)
MADRAS (why Madras though?) deserved much more hype than it got, and it got plenty, only in comparison to that other over-hyped book by the other Ali (Monica) this was a better book.
Rating:
Summary: A great read, unique and well crafted
Review: Samina Ali has written a fresh fictional documentation of a woman trapped by cultural expectations and tragic relationships. In the begining, the book is very interesting. However, as the story progresses there are a lot of unnecessary references to issues that have already been covered. Many cliche metaphors also litter the story that may perhaps be better told in fewer pages. Nonetheless, this story is very interesting, and certainly keeps the pages turning. A wonderful first novel- definately worth a look.
Rating: 
Summary: Riveting from Beginning to End
Review: The beautiful and talented Ms. Ali had me in the grips of her wonderful and enviable prose from the first page to the very last--and still I wanted more. She is a superb writer; her expert use of language drew me in immediately, as did the mood. The world she opens up for the reader is vivid and rich in detail. At the end of it, I felt like I really knew these people she describes. Layla, our protagonist is simply brilliant. Her growth as a character is organic and outstanding. She's at once complex and genuine; She's a character you can root for. And the suspense! This narrative is simply riveting. I never knew what would happen next, and I walked away with such wonderful insight into Indian culture and traditions. This book has it all. Well done, Ms. Ali.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Well Written
Review: The book had me riveted. The story, the style of writing, the whole flow of incidents. The ever changing scenes and the myriad of emotions was a colorful kaleidoscope and yet it did not confuse.
A new world was opened to me, a new India, a part I never knew about.
What happened to Henna - was too much to digest politely, too real, too sudden and wasteful. And yet we know that these incidents - lone incidents that people read in newspapers and see flashing on TV - incidents that happen to other people - do happen all the time.
The striking thing about the book was that it was so honest. Every character was human, one isn't sure whom to love and whom to hate, Zeba, Nafisa, Layla herself and even Sameer. Somehow one could see each side of the story, somehow in the end we know they were bound to do what they did, that it could not have been any different. The only people that is difficult to understand, the only people who aren't forgivable are Layla's parents. They did fail her miserably.
We too, like most people, like to be blind, to see, what we want to see and when truths are put in front of us, we flinch. We flinch when we think of the bird fluttering to her death, of the lamb to be sacrificed, of Henna's baby cut open.
Layla was unflinchingly honest, about everything, and we, like the very women in the book, feel like saying, "Why is she doing this", "Why is she raking it up", " Why can't she let it be ", "Why can't she accept?". It makes us uncomfortable. These questions, and worse, the answers.
I admit (as said by some reviewers) that there are many wonderful things that the author can write about, the diverse cultures and life in India and the many happy truths that is apparent in everyday life, but the truths in this book exist too, side by side and I thank the author for weaving these truths into a rich and admirable tapestry.
Rating:
Summary: Evocative and profound
Review: This book provides a searing look into the complex world of Indian Muslims, and particularly when it is mixed with the influence of Western culture, its materialism and its freedom. Layla is a young woman raised both in India and in the west and as a result she belongs in neither world. Yet that is what she longs for, more than anything -- to belong. So when her mother arranges a marriage to the son of family friends, Layla reluctantly goes along, rather than risk ostracism from her family. She soon finds that Islam provides her life with a safety net, a sense of belonging that she had never experienced before. And so she falls in love, not only with her husband, who is all but a stranger to her, but with her husband's family, and the closeness it provides. Ultimately however, the secrets everyone's been witholding are slowly revealed, including Layla's own, and she must make some tough choices. This is a gorgeously written novel that brings to life the dichotomy of life under Islam, particularly for women. I highly recommend it.
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