My deepest appreciation to Maria Cardona—my agent, my friend, and my closest confidant through this whole process. Thank you for your unwavering belief in this book and for helping this dream come to life. To Anna Soler-Pont, Marina Penalva Halpin, Leticia Vila-Sanjuán, and everyone else at Pontas who read an early draft of this manuscript: thank you for seeing its potential and for always being in my corner. To my editor, Lucia Macro, you took a chance on me, and I cannot tell you how honored and grateful I am to have been given the opportunity to work with you. To my copyeditor, Laura Cherkas, thank you for your patience and diligence while working out the kinks in this manuscript. Asanté Simons, thank you for taking care of all the details. I truly couldn’t have dreamt of a better publishing house or team of people to work alongside with.

My immense gratitude to my friends who have supported me through this process in innumerable ways: Lexi Solesbee and James An, for always lending an ear and for helping me maintain my sanity through all the ups and downs over the years. Helen Netramai Mollenbeck, for your constant encouragement and words of wisdom, most of which were imparted on our “early” morning hikes. Atinuke Adediran, for your selfless support and love through every major milestone. And Amy Patel, my long-lost twin, for blessing me with your friendship for the past seventeen years.

Last, but not least, to my husband, Matheen: you have held my hand through every major disappointment and celebrated with me even the most minor successes along the way. I am in constant awe of your unconditional belief in me, and without you, this book—this dream—could not have been possible. Thank you for being my biggest supporter, my most loving critic, and my best friend. I would not have had the courage to embark on this journey with anyone other than you.

P.S. Insights, Interviews & More . . .*

About the Author

Meet Zara Raheem

About the Book

The Inspiration Behind The Marriage Clock

Q&A with the Author

Reading Group Guide

About the Author

Meet Zara Raheem

ZARA RAHEEM received her MFA in creative writing from California State University, Long Beach. She is the recipient of the James I. Murashige Jr. Memorial Award in fiction and was selected as a 2019 Harriet Williams Emerging Writer. She resides in Southern California, where she teaches English and creative writing. The Marriage Clock is her first novel.

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About the Book

The Inspiration Behind The Marriage Clock

Like many South Asian American children who grew up in the nineties, I feel very much a product of what I consider to be the golden age of Bollywood. Bollywood in that era was dominated by the Khans and the collective belief that Prince Charming wore ripped denim and yellow hoodies with oversize Gap logos across the front. The predictable story lines, saturated with sequins and cheesy song-and-dance numbers, were my first glimpse into the world of romance; however, it was not until my twenties that I finally realized that IRL love stories rarely—if ever—begin with dimpled, floppy-haired men serenading you in a field of bright yellow poppies.