Varuni Sinha grew up in India surrounded by comfort and privilege. She never imagined leaving the country of her birth for any place else.

India was home—the place where she had friends, family, and a job she loved. But, when she met Aman, she realized what was missing in her life.

Despite being staunchly feminist she decided to leave for the United States to marry a man she’d fallen for. Only to discover that twenty-first century America held a dark truth for women like her: a law that had stripped thousands of legal immigrants of their right to work.

While the fiercely independent Sinha grappled with the reality of becoming a housewife, most around her only saw a fairytale. Forced to examine the meaning of freedom, Varuni realized she could lose the man she loved, if she didn’t break free of her gilded cage.

Resigned to hopelessness, she started wandering the streets of New York, stumbling upon answers in the most unexpected places. Golden Handcuffs is the story of how Sinha found her identity, purpose, and home in a country that was not her own.

Her journey demonstrates the importance of hope, resilience, and love in the face of extreme social isolation, when a woman must learn to rely on her strength to find happiness. .