Book review: 'Secret Daughter' is spellbinding

"SECRET DAUGHTER," by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, William Morrow, 346 pages, $23.99 (f)

What is the worth of a child? How about a son? What of a daughter?

Worth is a subjective measure, varying from continent to continent, culture to culture.

In "Secret Daughter," author Shilip Somaya Gowda explores the value of children within the family and society.

In a small village in rural India, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl, Usha. This is her second child — her second girl. Raising a girl is considered a "luxury," and her first daughter has already been "disposed of."

Knowing that there is little hope of keeping Usha, Kavita makes a brave decision — traveling to the city a few hours after Usha's birth and leaving her at an orphanage without telling her husband.

On the other side of the world, Somer, an American doctor, is desperate to have a child, but her own body cannot carry one. After a lot of soul-searching, she decides to adopt.

Along with her husband, Krishnan, the two make their way to Mumbai, his home, to adopt Asha, who is really Usha. Somer instantly falls in love with her new daughter but almost immediately realizes that things will not be as easy as she thought, either.

As she grows into a young woman, Asha struggles to find where she fits in the world. Even though her father is Indian, she knows little of her heritage or the place of her birth.

Culture, identity and the expectations of family all come to the fore in "Secret Daughter." Though not told in a first-person account, each chapter focuses on specific characters as the tendrils of their stories are interwoven throughout.

Gowda sets the stage early, using lyrical prose easily draws the reader in. Her story and characters are engaging and the setting exotic. Readers will have a hard time putting this novel down.

e-mail: jharrison@desnews.com