For better or for worse
A story of the union of two South Asian families shines a light on their family secrets and ultimate clashes.
August 27th, 2024
Delta-based Gurjinder Basran was awarded the 2011 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for her first novel.
Gurjinder Basran delves into the intricate dynamics of the two families preparing for a lavish wedding, exploring themes of love, tradition and class, all while revealing hidden tensions that challenge the bride and groom’s relationship.
Review by Senuri Wasalathanthri
As a newly engaged woman planning her own wedding, I was excited and a little amused when I was asked to review a novel named The Wedding. “The timing is impeccable,” I thought. Then, I saw that the novel was written by a fellow South Asian. Although Gurjinder Basran is Indian and I am Sri Lankan, our cultures share many similarities.
In a nutshell, the story delves into the complex dynamics of two South Asian families as they come together for a lavish wedding, set in Vancouver and Surrey. The book starts off with an invitation to the wedding of Devi, the bride, and Baby, the groom—making the reader feel like an insider.
The invitation to Devi’s and Baby’s wedding, as shown in the book.
As soon as you turn the first page of the book, you’ll also find the list of characters and their roles (e.g. Bhajan, father of the bride; Gurjot, brother of the bride). I found this helpful as the story has a huge cast of characters, many of whom don’t appear frequently.
Each chapter centers around a different person who is somehow involved in Devi and Baby’s wedding, providing backstory to their intricate lives as they plan their marriage day. Devi is a marketing major, detail-oriented, loves to gossip (but despises it when it is about her, ironically), has a taste for luxury, and tends to always get her way, sometimes at the expense of others. Her family owns the “Blueberry King” farms and is well-known and respected within the local Sikh community. The rub is that Devi and her family frequently insinuate that the groom’s family are of a lesser standing. “The Dosanjhs [Devi’s family name]—so they liked to say—paved the way for other Indians to come to Canada, Indians like the Atwals [Baby’s family name],” writes Basran. “The way Devi’s grandmother had said it made Baby believe he and his family, with their humble beginnings, were supposed to be grateful.”
One of the Dosanjh family secrets is that despite being treated “like royalty,” they are more than a little dysfunctional. Devi’s father is an alcoholic who is physically violent towards her mother. Despite knowing this, Devi’s paternal grandmother, the mastermind behind the family’s successes, does not interfere. And, like most women who know little about life outside their marriage, Devi’s mother stays and hides her situation. As a little girl, Devi saw her mother putting make-up on her bruises after a bad beating from her husband. “[Her] eye was a patchwork of green and blue, and Devi, sitting on the bathroom counter, stick legs dangling, watched as her mother layered concealer on her face,” writes Basran. “When Devi asked why she was doing that, her mother said, ‘To look beautiful, of course,’ and playfully dabbed cream onto her daughter’s nose.”
In contrast, the groom, Baby, studies medicine and prefers a simple, minimalistic lifestyle. Baby’s family owns the “Baby Nanak’s Sweet Shop.” Baby is close to his brother, Gobind, who, after an unfortunate accident involving the wrong crowd, is confined to a wheelchair. Baby’s parents seem to favor Gobind, which Baby feel guilty for being the first to marry as there is an impression in the family that any marriage prospects for Gobind are bleak after the accident (which might not be true).
Another big secret is that both families are spending beyond their means for the wedding. They are doing it as much for Devi’s demands for an over-the-top wedding as that, in South Asian Cultures, social status is directly correlated to family wealth. But Devi’s family is struggling financially because her father has mismanaged their farm; whereas Baby’s family, reeling from Gobind’s accident costs, have also been expanding the family business. Money is tight on both sides but no one wants to say so.
To add to the woes, both the bride and the groom are having second thoughts of marrying each other. The stress and anxiety of planning the wedding and meeting everyone’s expectations has brought out unappealing characteristics in Devi and Baby, making them realize that they are quite different personalities and they want different things. They fall apart so much that Devi starts to have feelings for a “bad boy”—and eventually acts on them. This bad boy, Jessie, is a past friend of Gobind and has made a promise to him that “should have been enough to keep him away from Devi too,” writes Basran, “but then [Devi] texted him, and then she sent a nude, and then she started calling him late at night, and then last night she showed up at his place practically begging for it.”
Like a good Bollywood film, The Wedding is rich in family drama and steeped in tradition. It is an ode to love in all its forms, from romantic to familial, and it navigates the intricate dynamics that come with such relationships. Basran’s storytelling is imbued with humor, nuance and honesty, making the novel both entertaining and deeply reflective.
Basran doesn’t shy away from exploring complex themes such as desire and expectation, suffering and judgment, and class and race. Through these undercurrents, Basran provides a candid look at the immigrant experience, the clash of traditional values with modern aspirations, and the ways in which a community can both uplift and ensnare its members.
While reading Basran’s novel, I came to the obvious realization that love is a choice. And a huge part of that choice is continuously working on evolving and growing as a person, so that your flaws and shortcomings don’t end up hurting your partner and leading to resentment.
So, do Devi and Baby actually end up together? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Also, can a hotshot movie producer/director please acquire the movie rights for this book? 9781771624169
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Senuri Wasalathanthri is a Vancouver-based publishing assistant, writer and student.
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