A Review of Shobhan Bantwal’s Forbidden Daughter
By LMReviews on Feb 8, 2009 in Uncategorized
Shobhan Bantwal takes the complex, rich Indian culture with customs about which the western public at large may not have deep knowledge of and weaves a story that often reads likes a riveting morality play. The author shows how greed can spiral into a mountain of increasingly more devastating actions and how the injustice of dangerously rigid interpretations of cultural customs are used to degrade one gender in honor of another can harm the social and personal psyche of an entire community.
Isha Tilak, a well-kept pregnant young wife and member of a revered family within the Brahmin caste of India’s social elite must carve out a new life on her own for the safety of her young daughter and the one on the way in a society that favors the births of sons over daughters when her husband is brutally murdered while working late in his family’s tire shop. A new life filled with promise beckons if only Isha, her girls and a young adoring pediatrician Harish Salvi can survive the dangers of the crusade her late husband started against an established doctor’s female feticide practices.
Never preachy or laden with lengthy explanations but filled with enjoyable glimpses into the language, the food and rich interrelations of Indian culture, Bantwal skillfully balances an intriguing story about love and second chances. I really enjoyed the depths this story that never felt heavy despite its serious subject matter and rich cultural references. Forbidden Daughter earns five out of five Sable Seals.
Publisher: Kensington
Format: Print , Ebook
[...] of course, I had to write about it. The timing is perfect after having read Shobhan Bantwal’s Forbidden Daughter and preparing for her interview appearing in the forthcoming Sable Lit Reviews Newsletter, I had to [...]
Oh-la-la, I love that you gave this book 5 stars…guess I need to place an order!
Thanks
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
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