What a Desi Girl Wants

A queer teen travels from Kansas to attend the wedding of her estranged father, a famous polo-playing Indian royal, in this madcap romance by Khan (Meet Me in Mumbai). Ever since queer 18-year-old Mehar Rabbani and her mother emigrated from India to the U.S. without Mehar’s father when she was four, her relationship with him has been strained. When he invites Mehar to attend his wedding, she agrees, hoping to rebuild their relationship. Once she’s in India, however, her father has little time for her; it turns out that planning a wedding between royalty and a well-known socialite is a lot more involved than Mehar expected. While he’s preoccupied navigating press and media junkets with his fiancé and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, Mehar is thrust into a world of opulence and grandeur previously unknown to her, all the while growing closer to her extended family and finding friendship—and budding first love—with her grandmother’s assistant, Sufiya. A convoluted plot that feels reminiscent of The Reluctant Debutante sometimes moves in fits and starts. Khan nevertheless depicts Mehar’s trip to India—including a romantic midnight visit to the Taj Mahal—in dazzling detail that elucidates a lush and inviting atmosphere. Ages 12–up. (July)

Correction: The text of this review has been edited for clarity.