55 pages 1 hour read

Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Secret Daughter

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2010

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda spans twenty years and follows two families connected through an adopted daughter, exploring themes of identity, reconciliation, and cultural clash. Kavita, an impoverished Indian mother, gives her daughter Usha to an orphanage to save her life, while Somer, an infertile American doctor, adopts Usha (renamed Asha). Asha later navigates her bicultural identity during a journalism fellowship in Mumbai.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda intricately weaves themes of motherhood, identity, and cultural contrast. Critics praise its emotional depth, engaging narrative, and vivid settings. However, some feel character development is uneven and certain plot points predictable. Overall, a compelling read that deftly explores complex familial ties and cross-cultural dynamics.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Secret Daughter?

Readers who enjoy heartfelt family stories with multicultural themes will love Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Fans of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner or Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake will appreciate the book's emotional depth and exploration of adoption, identity, and the bond between mothers and daughters.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Themes

Relationships: Daughters & Sons

Relationships: Family

Genre

Modern Classic Fiction

Historical Fiction

Indian Literature

Topics

Parenting

Arts / Culture