Book Review: Secret Daughter

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Kavita, an impoverished young Indian woman, gives birth to a hazel-eyed baby girl she knows that she will not be able to keep her. Her husband needs a son to help him in the fields and they can’t afford to pay a dowry for a daughter. Kavita makes a difficult journey of many miles with her daughter to an orphanage in Mumbai since the only other option is infanticide, an unfortunate practice in India for some girl babies.

Halfway around the world in California, Somer and her Indian born husband Krishnan have tried everything to have a baby of their own. Finally they decide to travel back to Kris’s homeland to adopt a baby from an Indian orphanage. They come home with a sweet, hazel-eyed baby girl.

The Secret Daughter interweaves the story of the hazel-eyed girl and her two mothers beautifully. The basic struggles of Kavita in India differ greatly from Somer’s problems in America. However, the author shows us that even though they are in vastly different countries some issues are universal, especially for mothers.

I loved the way the author vividly described India; I felt like I learned a lot about Indian culture. She also did a great job of authentically voicing the internal conflict that international adoptees feel as they grow up; at least according to what I’ve learned in my foster/adoptive parent training. I also really appreciated that she included a glossary of foreign terms at the back of the book – I referred to it fairly often.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you have an interest in Indian culture or international adoption.

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