It's a girl! For most young couples, news of their unborn child's gender brings joyful anticipation. Not so for Isha Tilak and her husband, Nikhil. They already have a beloved daughter, but Nikhil's parents, hard-wired to favor male children above all, coldly reject little Priya at every turn. Vain and selfish, they see female grandchildren as burdens, and would just as soon never meet the one growing in Isha's belly. Even the obstetrician agrees, going so far as to suggest the unthinkable, throwing Nikhil into a rage and changing Isha's life forever.
When Nikhil is discovered brutally murdered, Isha is convinced it had something to do with his reaction to the doctor's hideous "solution" to their problem. Alone, grief-stricken, and relentlessly oppressed by in-laws who believe her baby is a bad omen, Isha sets out on her own.
Born into a privileged class, Isha doesn't know the first thing about fending for herself, but to protect her precious daughters, she will learn. And she will cling to the hope given to her by a strange old mystic: that her baby will arrive on the auspicious night of Kojagari Purnima, the full harvest moon, and be a gift from Lakshmi, the goddess of well-being. Isha and her girls will need all the blessings they can get, for the greatest danger of all lies ahead.
- Paperback: 324 pages
- Publisher: Kensington (August 26, 2008
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0758220308
- ISBN-13: 978-07582203
My Thoughts: I picked this book because I had read "The Unexpected Son" and loved it. I really can't say that about this book. Right from the start it went very slow. From the title, I thought the story would have been more about either of the daughters and not about Isha (the widow). At times I felt connected, but there were times, I felt detached from the story. My favorite character was Harish Salvi. He was such a caring, loving , and in his words, "Nerdy" person.
The premise of the book, selective abortion, was interesting but disturbing at the same time, especially when I heard in the news this week, that this very same thing was happening here in Texas.
Even though I was disappointed in The Forbidden Daughter, I will still read other books by Shobham Bantwal.
Happy Reading Everyone!!!!
This is certainly different. I enjoyed your review.
ReplyDeleteMike
PS If you get a chance, check on my blog, I'm having a giveaway for "Going to the BAD" where there will be three winners.
http://mikedraperinguilford.blogspot.com
I wanted to let you know that I have posted the new 2013 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge sign up. I know you have signed up last year so thought you may want to again! SO much fun!
ReplyDeleteAs you've signed up for the *Tea & Books Reading Challenge* on my blog, here's just a little reminder that you've still got three more weeks to finish the challenge!
ReplyDeleteLatest Update Post (plus Giveaway, yay) can be found here:
http://the-book-garden.blogspot.com/2012/12/tea-books-reading-challenge-giveaway.html