Im coming back to the themes of family and identity and culture, she said. Read secret daughter, by shilpi somaya gowda on bookmate. Her previous novels, secret daughter and the golden son, became international bestsellers, selling over one million copies worldwide. Interweaving the stories of kavita, somer, and the daughter they both love, secret daughter is a deeply moving family drama that poignantly explores the emotional terrain of love, loss and identity, witnessed through the lives of two families, worlds apart, and the child who binds their destinies. Secret daughter by shilpi somaya gowda is an engaging and captivating novel about adoption, family, and the search for self. Lives unfold after an adoption in secret daughter the boston globe. Secret daughter shilpi somaya gowda, 2010 harpercollins 368 pp. What a wonderful story mary jane clark this book is a must for anyone touched by adoption, or india, or the delicate dynamic between adolescent girls and their mothers. In a culture that favors sons, the only way for kavita to save her daughter s life is to give her away.
Shilpi somaya gowda was born and raised in toronto, canada. A masterful work set partially in the mumbai slums so vividly portrayed in the hit film slumdog millionaire, secret daughter. Secret daughter 2010 is the debut novel of canadianindian author shilpi somaya gowda. Secret daughter, a first novel by shilpi somaya gowda, explores powerfully and poignantly the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love through the experiences of two families one indian, one american and the child that binds them together. Very impressed with the descriptions, sights, sounds and smells of all the places she takes her readers with thoughtful characters. First novel by canadian expat shilpi somaya gowda is a sleeper. Moving and thoughtprovoking and informative and imaginative and beautifully executed. An overarching theme of the novel is motherhood, and how that experience can change a woman. Secret daughter by shilpi somaya gowda book club discussion.
She gives her daughter the name usha at birth, but she is later. Her previous novels, secret daughter and the golden son became international bestsellers, selling over one million copies worldwide. She holds an mba from stanford university, and a bachelors degree from the university of north carolina at chapel hill. Shop amongst our popular books, including 5, secret daughter, the shape of family and more from shilpi somaya gowda. The secret daughter is a deeply moving and timeless story of an adopted daughters long distance search for cultural identity and acceptance. Though called secret daughter, this spellbinding novel is one about mothers who form the ballasts of. She was born in 1970 and raised in toronto, canada. Shilpi somaya gowdas golden opportunity quill and quire. Secret daughter by shilpi somaya gowda librarything. In college, she spent a summer as a volunteer in an indian orphanage, which seeded the idea for her first novel, secret daughter, published in 2010.
Published by harpercollins in new york, the debut novel by san francisco author shilpi somaya gowda is barely findable in u. I felt so connected to the characters that it broke my heart when the book was done. Finalist for south african boeke literary prize, impac dublin international literary award. Set in 1985, the first scene is of a baby being born in an impoverished indian village. When you hit it out of the park with your first book, the big question is whether you can do it again. Rife with themes that lend themselves to discussion, such as cultural identity, adoption, and womens roles, this will appeal to the book club crowd. The golden son a novel the golden son by shilpi somaya gowda is a heartwarming story filled with nostalgia. Sujata massey, author of shimura trouble secret daughter, a first novel by shilpi somaya gowda, explores powerfully and poignantly.
Secret daughter is named the 2nd bestselling canadian book of the decade. Gowda s debut novel opens in a small indian village with a young woman. A thoughtprovoking examination of the challenges of being a woman in america and in india and in the psychological spaces in between. Its themes include reconciliation, selfdiscovery and identity formation, motherhood, and social inequality. Secret daughter by shilpi somaya gowda, 9780061928352, available at book depository with free.
If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Discover book depositorys huge selection of shilpi somaya gowda books online. The secret daughter by shilpi somaya gowda book club. Firsttime author shilpi somaya gowda brings to life two opposing but heartrending concerns to jumpstart her novel infertility for north american women and the disregard for girls in india through the stories of two families, the american thakkars, both doctors, and the povertystricken merchants in rural indiathe novel is often emotionally poignant, especially when gowda taps into. March 1, 2010 as soon as i read the first chapter, i was taken by the character, kavita.
The reader sees through these richly developed characters the importance of family and the. Mary jane clark this book is a must for anyone touched by adoption, or india, or the delicate dynamic between adolescent girls and their mothers. Mary jane clark, author of dying for mercy the secret daughter is a deeply moving and timeless. The book follows the twists and turns in these characters lives as kavita and her meh. A heartwarming story that is thought provoking and engrossing. A perfect blend of the culture of india, and the trials of adoptions and inter cultural marriage. Somers life is everything she imagined it would be shes newly married and has started her career as a physician in san francisco until she makes the. But for the past nine weeks gowdas secret daughter, the story of a mixedrace california couple who adopt a baby girl in india, has been no. Bestselling, awardwinning author of novels secret daughter and the golden son. Shilpi somaya gowdas secret daughter is an epic voyage across time and cultural lines, trying to define what it means to be a family linked either by familiarity, background, blood. Firsttime author shilpi somaya gowda brings to life two opposing but heartrending concerns to jumpstart her novel infertility for north american women and the. In 1984, an indian woman named kavita gives birth to a baby girl. Secret daughter, a first novel by shilpi somaya gowda, explores powerfully and poignantly the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love through the experiences of two familiesone indian, one americanand the child that binds them together.
Shilpi somaya gowda explores cults of personality in latest novel. Against her husbands wishes, kavita takes asha originally named usha, which means moon to an orphanage. Author shilpi somaya gowda did her research in learning the indian cultures and. Indigo names the shape of family to its best books of 2019 list. Interweaving the stories of kavita, somer, and the child that binds both of their destinies, secret daughter poignantly explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families one indian, one american and the child that indelibly connects them. Secret daughter is a tightly written, realistic novel exploring family dynamics in relation to infertility, adoption, economics, povertywealth, and mixed culture relationships. Secret daughter by shilpi somaya gowda united for libraries. Due to its many rich themes, secret daughter remains highly popular with book clubs. Sujata massey, author of shimura trouble secret daughter, a first novel by shilpi somaya gowda, explores powerfully and. The beautiful writing style is inviting and beautifully weaves together the multiple layers of. She holds an mba from stanford university and a bachelors degree in economics from the university of north carolina at chapel hill, where she was a moreheadcain scholar.
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