The 35¢ Dowry

When eighteen-year old Minouche, the Parisian daughter of a working-class single mother, meets Stefan, a charismatic Polish student longing for the spiritual enlightenment of Indian teachings, she realizes that the narrow life she shares with her mother is no longer enough. She daydreams of world travels with Stefan as they roam the City of Light, but as they fall deeper in love, Minouche embraces not only Stefan but his ardent desire to experience India. After he gets a grant and leaves to pursue his studies in Madras, she is determined to follow him. Somehow.

When eighteen-year old Minouche, the Parisian daughter of a working-class single mother, meets Stefan, a charismatic Polish student longing for the spiritual enlightenment of Indian teachings, she realizes that the narrow life she shares with her mother is no longer enough. She daydreams of world travels with Stefan as they roam the City of Light, but as they fall deeper in love, Minouche embraces not only Stefan but his ardent desire to experience India. After he gets a grant and leaves to pursue his studies in Madras, she is determined to follow him. Somehow. But it's 1959 and in Paris, money is still hard to come by. What can she do to raise the money to follow her heart? And if she does, will Stefan welcome her? To fulfill her dreams, Minouche must embark on a journey that will challenge her in ways she never expected. This coming-of-age tale is vividly colored with romance, international flavor, and the drama and heartbreak that comes with being a young woman in love for the first time.

Maryvonne Fent grew up in Paris. After studying classical Indian dancing and music in India for five years, she taught in the ethnomusicology departments at Wesleyan University and U.C.L.A. While teaching Indian music, she discovered a taste for rock-and-roll, taught herself to play the electric bass, and exchanged her saris for platform boots. She has a grown daughter, who was born in New York. Her husband is American and a talented recording artist who brought two sons and a delightful hybrid-wolf puppy into her life. They live in Hollywood, where she shares her time between writing, playing the bass and enjoying her growing American family. After twelve very special years, Barewolf passed on, and they now have two cats. She has published short stories and translated several novels and screenplays to be optioned for movies. She is currently at work on a second novel.