Everyone has a dating horror story— an annoying fix-up, a disastrous dinner, or an awkward lack of conversational points. In I Want to Get Married!, Ghada Abdel Aal, an Egyptian woman quickly approaching "old maid" status, shares her quest to find a husband, showing that while marriage customs may differ across the world, dating is a universally horrible experience.

Frustrated with Egypt's seeming lack of eligible men, Abdel Aal began venting her opinions in the form of blog posts, which were then collected and edited into a book. She shares her experiences with various potential grooms, referring to herself as Bride and giving her suitors disparaging epithets like Mr. Precious. Along with her dating dilemmas, Abdel Aal gives the reader a satirical look at Egyptian society and a woman's place within it. A successful pharmacist and nearing thirty, Abdel Aal must live with her parents until marriage, dates only while in the presence of her entire family, and takes on the characteristics most desired by her various suitors. Her true personality must remain hidden, and only once she is married can she be herself—and hopefully, her husband will approve.

Abdel Aal's stories are unbelievably comedic, and often depressing. One groom, a stranger who takes a liking to her while walking down the street, sweet-talks Bride into believing he is sincere. Together they board the bus, and Mr. Right pays both fares. Disembarking, this groom condescendingly comments that Abdel Aal looked like she did not have any money. Hurt, Bride pulls out her wallet and the money she carries. Mr. Right examines the money, pockets it, and walks away, never to be seen again!

Other potential grooms are just as bad—one has multiple wives, one cares more about football than meeting Bride's parents, and one carries out an insultingly thorough police investigation on Abdel Aal's family. In between these incidents are chapters on the role of women in Egypt, including one on Bride's most hated words: old maid.

I Want to Get Married! puts the marriage process in a rather poor light, and Abdel Aal's experiences are cringe-worthy. However, parts of her life are also very familiar. She is set up by every member of her family, and the most frequent question she hears is, "still single?" Bride's struggle to find a husband resonates with readers around the world. We may have different dating customs—I certainly would not consider marrying a stranger I met while on the bus—but the desire to find a partner is universal. The tendency to take dating failures too seriously is also a familiar idea, and I Want to Get Married! is a light-hearted reminder that one day, these potholes will be remembered as tiny bumps on the road to happiness.