Literary Fiction
Secret Daughter
2010·339 pages
An Indian mother gives up her newborn daughter due to cultural son preference; an American couple adopts the child, exploring motherhood, identity, and loss across two families.
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An Indian mother gives up her newborn daughter due to cultural son preference; an American couple adopts the child, exploring motherhood, identity, and loss across two families.
About
Details
On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter's life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she ...
What Readers Think
View 1 reviewWhat's Inside
will contain mild spoilers
Sexual content
AI
Marital relationships and infertility; no explicit sexual content
Violence & gore
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Implied threat of female infanticide; no graphic violence
Profanity
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No evidence found in available sources
Substance use
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No evidence found in available sources
LGBTQ+ Rep.
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No evidence found in available sources
Religious content
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Passing cultural and traditional references in Indian setting
Magic & witchcraft
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No magic or witchcraft present
Occult / demonology
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No occult or demonology content present
Political content
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Recurring themes of gender inequality, son preference, and class disparity
Self-harm / suicide
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No evidence found in available sources
Abuse & suffering
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Child given away to prevent female infanticide; systemic mistreatment of girls
Other
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No information found