“…a women’s fiction novel of epic proportions…undoubtedly one of the best novels I have read this year.” —Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite

As a girl on the brink of womanhood in 1960s India, Shanti Bamzai has big dreams. Rather than enter into an arranged marriage like her sister, Shanti embarks on a journey into the unknown, leaving her family home behind for an education and a chance to chart her own destiny. While India experiences an upheaval of cultural and societal changes as old-world traditions collide with the modern global era, Shanti navigates college, a marriage of her own choosing, and motherhood, fighting a constant battle between the pressures of traditional expectations and her own burning desire to be an artist and an independent woman. A move to America presents exciting new opportunities, but Shanti is disappointed to find herself still hemmed in by the restrictions of her Indian upbringing. As her children become adults and her marriage becomes a shell of what it once was, Shanti must find the courage to step out of her husband's shadow and into the life she's always dreamed of.

More Reviews & Awards:

2017 Indie Excellence Books Award Multicultural Finalist

2017 Winner Next Generation Indie Book Award Multicultural Finalist

2017 Readers’ Favorite Award, 5 Stars

"The novel is rich in content and the writing is exceptional…An excellent book, providing a rich and authentic look into Indian society and culture., and I highly recommend it." —Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite

“In her debut novel, The Immigrant Wife, Madhu B. Wangu brings to life a mysterious time and place. Wangu creates rich, dynamic images of India, comparable to her watercolors, evoking every sense. The indigenous sights, sounds, and smells are so vivid that I swear I could find my way to Shanti’s home. Wangu’s style is gentle and quiet like the protagonist, and deeply powerful. This tale of love and nurturing, loss and growth, and transformation will stay with readers long after they finish the novel.” —Kathleen Shoop, award-winning author of The Last Letter and After the Fog

 “This book is an experience worth treasuring. Readers who are fascinated by Indian culture, or who wish to challenge the biased traditions of a society, would enjoy Madhu’s work.” —Ankita Shukla for Readers’ Favorite

Author Bio:
Founder of the Mindful Writes Groups and Retreats, Madhu Bazaz Wangu is an author and meditation instructor. Her CDs, Meditations for Mindful Writers I & II guide and inspire writers of all levels to tap  into their creative flow and delve deeper into their writing. Her essays on Hindu and Buddhist art have appeared in anthologies in India and the United States.