The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger - April book club

Our April book club novel is The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger, an engrossing story of cultural differences thrown into sharp relief in suburban America. Nell answered your questions here.

George is a 34-year-old American engineer, and Amina, who tells the story, is a 24-year-old Bangladeshi. They meet via an internet site called AsianEuro.com, which Amina likes to think of as an updated version of the village matchmaker who arranged her grandparents' marriage. George wants a stable home life and a family; Amina wants the chance of an American education and career.

But as Amina struggles to find her place in America, it becomes clear that neither she nor George has been entirely honest with each other. What they expect from marriage is rather different and each has brought to their life together a secret - a vital, hidden part of themselves, which will reveal who they are and whether their future is together or an ocean apart.

In 2001, while Nell Freudenberger was working as an editorial assistant at the New Yorker, she had her first story published in the magazine. A bidding war broke out over her first — at the time, unwritten — book. Her novel The Dissident was longlisted for the Orange Prize and Granta named her one of the Best Young American Novelists. She has lived and taught in Bangkok and New Delhi and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

"Every moment I was away from this book I was longing to be back in the world she created," Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder.

We're sorry but the free books have now gone.

If you're not in time for a free one, don't forget you can always get a copy from Amazon or an ebook for your kindle.