A #1 international bestseller has been re-published in paperback form from HarperCollins: Secret Daughter: A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda.
Secret Daughter spins a deep tale using a single thread, tying two countries together, spanning over the past two decades. It’s the sad yet real story of how daughters were once less desired in India than sons, and the outlandish decisions placed upon childbearing families due to this cultural sway.
More specifically, it spins the tale of Kavita, a young Indian mother who bears her second child, another daughter. Fearing that the baby will face the same fate that her first newborn daughter did, she feel as if she has no choice but to give her newborn baby up for adoption….immediately.
Meanwhile, a childless woman in the United States and her Indian-born husband embark upon an international adoption, in which a long-awaited baby girl is placed into their aching arms….a gift directly from Kavita’s heartwrenching decision oceans away.
The child, Asha, grows up and begins to seek out information about life in her native country. Curious as many teenagers are, she plans and embarks upon a trip back to the city from where her father originated. Partly to conduct cultural research for her journalism interests and partly to get to know the extended family she was accepted into, she delves into Indian culture and finds much, much more than she anticipated.
This book shows so eloquently the complicated relationship between mother and maturing daughter (in Asha and her mother, Somer), as well as the maternal bonds that do not break despite distance and the unknown. It sheds light on the cultural expectations of women and children in impoverished Indian slums and villages, as uncomfortable as it is to learn about. Secret Daughter also spins a tale of new love and love regained. Despite the fact that I found the characters a little flat and underdeveloped at times (I wanted to know more!), I found it incredibly difficult to put down each night until I’d finished it.
You can order Secret Daughter from these fine online retailers, or look for it wherever books are sold near you.
Win it!
Courtesy of HarperCollins, one of you can win a copy of Secret Daughter: A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda!
Here’s how to enter:
1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, another HarperCollins title you’d love to read over the summer.
2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.
3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.
4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)
I’ll close the contest on Sunday, June 19th, 2011, at 11:59pm EST. US mailing addresses only. Good luck!
CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
Congratulations to the winner, #11, Maria Malaveci!
FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product from HarperCollins at no cost per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Staci A (11 months ago)
I’d love to read Folly Beach too!
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i would like to read burn down the sky by James Jaros
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I would like to read Folly Beach
Connie Rowe (11 months ago)
The book A Belated Bride By Karen Hawkins is one that intrigues me to read over the summer.
Chris N (11 months ago)
The Magdalene Cipher looks quite good. I love stories with a breath of history..
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I would like to read A Loss for Words
The Story of Deafness in a Family
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