ALWAYS BE MY BIBI

A romance brews on a tea estate in Bangladesh.

Sixteen-year-old Bibi Hossain finds herself traveling to Sylhet, Bangladesh—far from her Paterson, New Jersey, home—when her older sister, Halima, surprises everyone by announcing her plan to marry. Halima also defers her Princeton Law enrollment; she and her fiancé, Sunny Rahman, plan to spend some time living on Sunny’s family’s tea estate. Even though Bibi’s own family is relatively wealthy—her father founded the Royal Fried Chicken restaurant chain and is a generous donor to their mosque—when she sees the Rahmans’ opulent home, Bibi can’t help but think she’s in a version of Crazy Rich Asians. Never mind the frosty reception from the future in-laws, there’s the added complication of Sunny’s very cute brother, Sohel, who keeps getting Bibi into trouble. Convinced their siblings’ marriage is a “train wreck,” the two team up for Operation Breakup. Complicating matters, Bibi’s grandmother in Bangladesh produces the Great Big Book of Biodatas—possible matches for Bibi to meet. The story has multiple strands, most of them deftly woven together, including some interesting snippets of history, such as the colonial history around tea plantations. While readers may not believe that “Daddy’s little princess” Bibi, who cherishes her Louboutin boots, transforms enough to truly find picking tea leaves “meditative,” this is a quick and fun read about finding love in the most unexpected place.

Family dynamics, love, and dating make for a bracing cuppa.