From the lively crossroads where two continents and several cultures meet comes this quixotic and charming romantic comedy. In her whimsical portrait of a young Indian woman, Kirin Narayan affectionately skewers the all-too-common quest for the perfect hero. Elinor Lipman renders high praise: "Gita in Berkeley has to be the most appealing cultural exchange since Dorothy returned from Oz.".

Gita, of late an overworked graduate student, finds the notion of dating as alien as the black-leather-with-metal-spikes daywear she sees out on Telegraph Avenue. The very word connotes the romances Gita's classmates used to read under the desks at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour back in Ooty. Besides, Gita's beloved Saroj Aunty's astro-numerologist has predicted that in Chaitra 2040 - otherwise known as March 1984 - Gita will meet her jori. Or, as they say in America, Mr. Right.

Never mind that Westernized Gita can't even name the months after Chaitra; when her month of destiny arrives, intriguing males do appear at every turn. In fact, Gita can't help wishing that the stars had been just a bit more specific. This one has a girlfriend, that one's too blond, the one with the Guru turns out to be gay. But Gita continues to line her eyes with kajal and let her tresses of hair fall free from their customary braid - all to make it easier for her Prince to recognize his Princess.

Love, Stars, and All That is the story of what happens when our endearing heroine thinks she's identified her March Man. Should she follow the Indian road sign that cautions Dashing Means Danger, or the one that assures Better Late Than Never? As Gita figures out the difference between a friendly pucker and a passionate kiss, she also discovers that America needn't be just one big lonely place.

And that no matter how loudly her relatives' refrain of "You want to grow old all by yourself?" may ring in her ears, she must not change any parts of herself in order to fit into someone else's life. Gita knows that there is much to cherish and remember of her life in India, from her beloved Saroj Aunty, who watches over her life from afar, to the fancifully named silk saris in Saroj Aunty's cupboard...shimmering Moonlight on the Ganges, gray and lilac Waste Land, evil midnight Idi Amin

1. In a world of "happiness and heartbreak, heartbreak and happiness," what are we and Gita to make of this muddle? Love, Stars, and All That gives us no easy answers; it does take us on a journey rich in laughter, wisdom, and fresh delight from beginning to end.