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Simran Singh #2
Origins of Love
In Delhi a small baby lies alone and abandoned. The product of IVF and surrogacy, she had been so coveted - until she was born with a fatal illness. No one knows how the infection could have been transferred to the child, but one thing is certain: no one wants her now. Thousands of miles away in London, Kate and Ben are desperate for a baby. But, despite all their efforts, fate seems to be skewed against them. Then, as Kate suffers another miscarriage, she knows something has to change. She has heard of women who are prepared to carry a baby for others, and she knows this might be a way to finally find happiness. But will her desire for a baby stop at nothing…? And between the two, feisty social worker Simran Singh is determined to uncover the truth behind the shadowy façade of the multi-million dollar surrogacy industry. Women and children are being exploited, their lives thrown away like so much dust. Is she is the only person prepared to stand up for what is right...?
468 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2012
18 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Kishwar Desai
11 books43 followersKishwar Desai (née Rosha) (born 1 December 1956) is an Indian author and columnist. Her latest novel The Sea of Innocence has just been published in India and will shortly be published in UK and Australia. Her first novel, Witness the Night won the Costa Book Award in 2010 for Best First Novel and has been translated into over 25 languages. It was also shortlisted for the Author's Club First Novel Award and longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize. Her critically acclaimed novel, Origins of Love was published in June 2012. Desai also has a biography Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis and Sunil Dutt to her credit.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishwar...
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishwar...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 6, 2012
Simran is a social worker in Delhi, reluctantly helping a hospital supplying surrogate mothers to foreigners. When Amelia is born HIV positive and left without parents, Simran is determined to find someone to take care of the vulnerable baby and get to the bottom of her illness. Was it a tragic mistake or is there something more sinister going on? Meanwhile, deliveries of embryos are being held up in customs at Mumbai airport where staff are getting other ideas about the trade of human life.
Origins of Love is essentially, an accessible thriller, highlighting the murky world of medical tourism. From the start, Simran is a fantastic protagonist, the woman defying the social pressures of Indian culture to go it alone and forego children of her own. She relays a heartbreaking story of why she is scared of flying before launching into her investigation. She might lose her way a bit at times, but by then, I was completely immersed in the world of surrogacy and corruption.
There were times that the medical information seemed a bit far-fetched or slightly misleading, simply by the fact it wasn’t expanded upon. I know, that if we forget the ethical constraints of research, would could technically achieve some things, but this book isn’t really about that. It’s a case of hearing lots of potentially interesting stories and trying to fit them into one novel, as she freely admits in the acknowledgements that all the events have been based on real life occurrences.
Still, it whooshes along at a good pace and is an easy book to while away a rainy afternoon. The only thing really out of place is the story of Ben and Kate, trying to make connections to his grandfather and his colonial past. I’m guessing, Kishwar Desai wanted to make a point that the exploitation of India keeps happening, again and again, but it felt all a bit contrived. I think Ben and Kate could have easily been introduced as a desperate couple without any ties to India and contributed just as much, if not more, to the plot.
Origins of Love is essentially, an accessible thriller, highlighting the murky world of medical tourism. From the start, Simran is a fantastic protagonist, the woman defying the social pressures of Indian culture to go it alone and forego children of her own. She relays a heartbreaking story of why she is scared of flying before launching into her investigation. She might lose her way a bit at times, but by then, I was completely immersed in the world of surrogacy and corruption.
There were times that the medical information seemed a bit far-fetched or slightly misleading, simply by the fact it wasn’t expanded upon. I know, that if we forget the ethical constraints of research, would could technically achieve some things, but this book isn’t really about that. It’s a case of hearing lots of potentially interesting stories and trying to fit them into one novel, as she freely admits in the acknowledgements that all the events have been based on real life occurrences.
Still, it whooshes along at a good pace and is an easy book to while away a rainy afternoon. The only thing really out of place is the story of Ben and Kate, trying to make connections to his grandfather and his colonial past. I’m guessing, Kishwar Desai wanted to make a point that the exploitation of India keeps happening, again and again, but it felt all a bit contrived. I think Ben and Kate could have easily been introduced as a desperate couple without any ties to India and contributed just as much, if not more, to the plot.
May 15, 2015
Good premise, a good modern voice but oh my word this author suffers from expositionitis and a bad case of the info dump. The narrator is nothing but honest about being crusading to the point where it kneecaps the plot. I was very disappointed. This book was such a slog and it had such potential. So frustrating!
May 15, 2023
An interesting premise but...
The storytelling leaves much to be desired. Three stars for the extensive research that has gone into it and for delving into the many moral issues related to surrogacy.
The storytelling leaves much to be desired. Three stars for the extensive research that has gone into it and for delving into the many moral issues related to surrogacy.
April 11, 2020
⭐⭐⭐ kirjalle on hyvin eri asia, jos tähdet ovat kallellaan kohti nelosta kuin kohti kakkosta. Postimyyntilapset nojaa vahvasti nelosen suuntaan.
Postimyyntilapset käsittelee sijaissynnyttäjäbisnestä. Rohkea ja vaativa aihe!
Keinottelun ja hämäräbisneksen lomassa oli faktaakin, mutta sitä olisin kaivannut lisää. Nyt tuntui, että Desai on jättänyt karuun bisnekseen tutustumisen vähän puolitiehen, antanut paljon tilaa kuvittelulle, panostanut fantastisiin hahmoihin ja sitonut tarinan kasaan dekkarimaisella otteella.
Kirjan sankaritar on sosiaalityöntekijä Simran Singh. Ymmärsin, että Desai on kirjoittanut sisukkaasta Simranista ennenkin ja myös tämän kirjan jälkeen. Mainio nainen tämä Simran: hänessä on enemmän kuin vähän Bridget Jonesia.
Postimyyntilapset oli kiinnostavaa luettavaa, mutta makuuni liian rönsyävällä tavalla. Intia on ihmisiä ja tarinoita tulvillaan - niin myös Desain tarina.
Vaikka nyt taisin keskittyä puutteisiin, pahoittelut siitä, luen Kishwar Desain kirjoja ilomielin lisää.
Postimyyntilapset käsittelee sijaissynnyttäjäbisnestä. Rohkea ja vaativa aihe!
Keinottelun ja hämäräbisneksen lomassa oli faktaakin, mutta sitä olisin kaivannut lisää. Nyt tuntui, että Desai on jättänyt karuun bisnekseen tutustumisen vähän puolitiehen, antanut paljon tilaa kuvittelulle, panostanut fantastisiin hahmoihin ja sitonut tarinan kasaan dekkarimaisella otteella.
Kirjan sankaritar on sosiaalityöntekijä Simran Singh. Ymmärsin, että Desai on kirjoittanut sisukkaasta Simranista ennenkin ja myös tämän kirjan jälkeen. Mainio nainen tämä Simran: hänessä on enemmän kuin vähän Bridget Jonesia.
Postimyyntilapset oli kiinnostavaa luettavaa, mutta makuuni liian rönsyävällä tavalla. Intia on ihmisiä ja tarinoita tulvillaan - niin myös Desain tarina.
Vaikka nyt taisin keskittyä puutteisiin, pahoittelut siitä, luen Kishwar Desain kirjoja ilomielin lisää.
August 16, 2014
Kirjan aihe oli todella mielenkiintoinen ja tartuin kirjaan suurin odotuksin. Alun jälkeen lukeminen alkoi kuitenkin puuduttaa. Kerronta oli jotenkin hajanaista ja vaikeasti seurattavaa, menin henkilöistäkin useaan otteeseen sekaisin. Harmillista, sillä kirjassa olisi ollut aineksia hienompaankin lukukokemukseen.
October 25, 2023
This is what I wrote on Facebook in 2016 after reading this book
විවිධ හේතු නිසා ස්වභාවික පිළිසිඳ ගැනීමක් සිදු නොවන අවස්ථාවලදී බොහෝ දෙනෙක් IVF හෙවත් ටියුබ් බේබීස් ක්රමය වෙත යොමුවේ. බොහෝ විට සිදුවන්නේ නළයක් තුල නිර්මාණය වන යුක්තාණුව පසුව මවගේ ගර්භාශයේ තැන්පත් කිරීමයි.නියමිත කාලය මවගේ කුසේ ගත කරන බිළිඳා ස්වභාවික ලෙස හෝ සිසේරියන් ක්රමයට මෙලොව එළිය දකියි.
මෙය සාමාන්ය දෙයකි. ශ්රී ලාංකිකයින් වන අප එදිනෙදා අසන දෙයකි.
IVF ක්රමයෙන් නිර්මාණය වන කළලය දැරීමට මවට අපහසු නම් කළලය වෙනත් මවකගේ කුසේ තැන්පත් කර දරුවෙක් ලබා ගන්නා මවුපියන් ද සිටී. නමුත් මම මේ දක්වා ශ්රී ලංකාවෙන් එවන් දෙමව්පියන් ගැන අසා නොඇත්තෙමි.
ස්වභාවික අන්දමින් දරුවන් ලබා ගැනීමට අපහසු පුද්ගලයින්ගේ පහසුව තකා දියුණු වූ මෙවන් වෛද්ය විද්යාවන් බොහෝ දෙනෙකුට පිහිට වී ඇති බව අප කවුරුත් දන්නා කාරණයකි.
මෙවන් දරු උපත් ‘වෛද්ය විද්යාත්මක පුදුම’ වුවත් ස්වභාවධර්මයා අභිබවා නැගෙන මිනිසුන් විසින් ඉදිරියට මෙම තාක්ෂණය කෙසේ භාවිතා කරයි දෝ හෝ නැගෙන ගැටළුවට සිත කීරී ගැසෙන පිළිතුරක් ලෙස කිශ්වර් දේසායි ගේ ‘Origins of Love’ හඳුන්වා දිය හැකිය.
කෘතීම දරු උපත් ආශ්රිතව ගොඩ නැගී ඇති වෙළඳ ව්යාපාරය වටා එක්රොක් වී ඇති ඉන්දියානු සහ යුරෝපීය මිනිසුන් පිරිසක් අතර ගොඩනැගෙන කතාව කියවන්නා ගේ සිත විටක කුතුහලයෙන්ද, කෝපයෙන්ද තවත් විටක සිනහවෙන්ද පුරවාලයි. විවිධාකාර වූ හැගීම් ඔස්සේ කියවන්නාගේ සිත මෙහෙයවන කිශ්වර් අවසානයේ ඔහුගේ/ඇයගේ සිත සියුම් සතුටකින් ප්රබෝධමත් කරයි. නමුදු ඒ සියුම් සතුට පිටුපස සැඟවී ඇති ඛේදවාචකය පිළිබඳව අප සැම සිතිය යුතුය. නැතහොත් ශ්රී ලංකාවට ද නොබෝ දිනකින් සිම්රාන්ලා අවශ්ය වනු ඇත.
සිම්රාන් සමාජ සේවිකාවකි. කෘතිය රහස් පරීක්ෂක කතාවක් ලෙස හැඳින්වුවහොත් ෂර්ලොක් හෝම්ස් වන්නේ ඇයයි. සිම්රාන් සොයා යන්නේ අමීලියාගේ උපත පිළිබඳ අභිරහසයි. රෝගී දැරියක් ලෙස දිල්ලියේ IVF ප්රතිකාර කරනා රෝහලක උපත ලබන අමීලියා රෝගී දැරියක වුයේ කෙසේද යන්න කතාව ආරම්භයේදී අභිරහසක්ව පවතින නමුත් කතාව අවසානයේදී අමීලියාගේ රෝගී තත්වය පිළිබඳව ඇති අභිරහස නොසිතු සහ බලාපොරොත්තු නොවූ ආකාරයකට විසඳේ.
එසේ විසදෙන්නාවූ අමීලියාගේ උපතේ අභිරහස ඔස්සේ කතුවරිය IVF ආශ්රිත වෙළඳ ව්යාපාරය ගැන විස්මය දනවනසුළු පුවත් කියවන්නාට ඉදිරිපත් කරයි. උදාහරණයක් ලෙස දර්ද්රතාවය නිසාම රැකියාව වශයෙන් තම ගර්භාෂය කුළියට දෙන තරුණ ගැහැණු ළමුන් සහ මවුවරුන් ගැන මම දැනගත්තේ මෙම කෘතිය හරහායි. ගර්භාෂය කුළියට දීම රැකියාව වුවත් එම රැකියාව ඔවුන් වෙත එල්ල කරන මානසික පීඩනය, රැකියාවෙන් ලැබෙන විශාල ධනස්කන්ධය නිසාම තම බිරින්දෑ වරුන් ගේ ගර්භාෂය විකුණා මුදල් සොයාගන්නා ස්වාමි චරිත, තමන්ගේ සමාජ තත්වය, රැකියාව නිසා ගර්භණී වීම ප්රතික්ෂේප කරන නමුත් දරුවන් අවශ්ය වන ධනවත් කාන්තාවන් දිළිඳු ගැමි ලියන් ගේ කුස තුළ තමන්ගේ දරුවන් වර්ධනය කරන ආකාරය ආදී විවිධාකාර තේමාවන් කතුවරිය නිර්ව්යාජව විස්තර කරන අන්දම ප්රසංශනීය වේ.
ආදරයක ප්රථිපලයක් ලෙස ස්වභාවයෙන් නිමැවෙන කළලයක් කෘතිමව නිර්මාණය කිරීම නිසා ඇතිවෙන වෙනත් ගැටළු ද කතුවරියගේ විමසුම් ඇසට අසු නොවී නොතිබීම අපගේ වාසනාවකි.
යුරෝපයේ ද නළ දරුවන් නිර්මාණය කිරීමට හැකි වුවත් එය ඉතා වියදම් අධික බැවින් බොහෝ යුරෝපීයයන් ඉන්දියාවට තම යුක්තාණු ගුවන් හරහා එවා ඉන්දියාවේ කාන්තාවකගේ කුසේ දරුවා ලොකු මහත් කර, දරුවා ඉපැදුණු පසු ඔවුන් දරුවාද රැගෙන තම රටට යති. ගුවන් මගින් ප්රවාහනය කරන යුක්තාණු රේගුව හරහා ඉන්දියානු නළ දරු උපත් ආයතන වලට යැවේ.
මෙම ක්රියාවලිය හරහා රේගු නිලධාරීන් කොමිස් ගසනා ආකාරය මුවඟට සිනහවක් එක් කළද ඒ හරහා වියැකී යන මනු ගුණ දම් සිත හඬවයි. උදාහරණයක් ලෙස සිතන්න : ඔබේ මව ඔබ කුස තුළ සිටිනා කාලයේ සිටම ඔබට කෙතරම් ආදරය කරන්නට ඇතිද? මෙම දරුවන් ටියුබයක් තුළ ඉපදී, තවත් ටියුබයක් තුළ ගුවනින් දවස් ගණනක් ගමන් කර, වෙනත් කාන්තාවකගේ කුස තුළට එන්නතක් හරහා ගමන් කරයි. ඉන්පසු ඉපදී සතියක් පමණ මවගේ උණුසුමේ සිට නැවත තමනට ශුක්රානුව සහ ඩිම්භය සැපයු දෙදෙනා වෙත මාරු වෙයි. මවකගේ ආදර කරුණාව, උණුසුම මෙවන් දරුවනට කොයින්ද?
තවත් සමහර දරුවන් උපදින්නේ නොදන්නා කෙනෙකුගේ ශුක්රාණු හෝ ඩිම්භ වලින් විය හැකියි.
ශුක්රාණු සහ ඩිම්භ සංසේචනය කර කෘතිමව නිර්මාණය කරනා කළල සියල්ලම මෙලොව එළිය නොදකින බව ඔබ දැන සිටියාද? දරුවෙක් නොමැතිව දුකින් පසුවන යුවලකගෙන් ලබාගන්නා ශුක්රාණු සහ ඩිම්භ වලින් ඔවුන්ට නොදැනුවත්වම කළල නිර්මාණය කර ඒවා වෛද්ය විද්යාත්මක පරීක්ෂණ සඳහා යොදාගන්නා බව ඔබ දැන සිටියාද? මාපියන් නොමැතිව වීදිවල ජීවත් වන දරුවන් දස දහස් ගණනක් ජීවත් වන ලෝකයක, ඔවුන් හදා වඩා ගැනීම වෙනුවට නළ තුළ තවත් දරුවන් උපද්දවන්නට මිනිසුන් උත්සහ දරන්නේ ඇයි දැයි ඔබ මොහොතකට සිතුවාද?
කියවන්න. අතිශය සංවේදී කාරණාවක් මාතෘකා කරගෙන ලියැවී ඇති, නවමු ආකෘතියකින් ද හැඩ ගැන්වී ඇති අපූරු ලියැවිල්ලකි ‘Origins of Love’.
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On a recent visit to our family doctor, he opened my eyes to the difference between ‘Health Industry and providing Health Care & Services’. This book can be a very long piece of interesting writing comparing those two facades of Health Care Services.
Set in India, the book takes us through the lives of people who are engaged in IVF treatments and surrogacy. The characters emerge from various social and economic backgrounds and present the readers with a heart-touching story that glues them to the book. Some see IVF treatment as a million-dollar industry and some see it as a means to gain respect from the in-laws as a wife. Apart from those two major viewpoints, the reader also meets characters who think surrogacy is a ‘job’. As the industry thrives, Customs officers make the industry a lucrative income generator.
The book is a real page-turner and is a must-read for everyone in the Medical Sector, to-be-parents and anyone who loves solving real-life mysteries.
විවිධ හේතු නිසා ස්වභාවික පිළිසිඳ ගැනීමක් සිදු නොවන අවස්ථාවලදී බොහෝ දෙනෙක් IVF හෙවත් ටියුබ් බේබීස් ක්රමය වෙත යොමුවේ. බොහෝ විට සිදුවන්නේ නළයක් තුල නිර්මාණය වන යුක්තාණුව පසුව මවගේ ගර්භාශයේ තැන්පත් කිරීමයි.නියමිත කාලය මවගේ කුසේ ගත කරන බිළිඳා ස්වභාවික ලෙස හෝ සිසේරියන් ක්රමයට මෙලොව එළිය දකියි.
මෙය සාමාන්ය දෙයකි. ශ්රී ලාංකිකයින් වන අප එදිනෙදා අසන දෙයකි.
IVF ක්රමයෙන් නිර්මාණය වන කළලය දැරීමට මවට අපහසු නම් කළලය වෙනත් මවකගේ කුසේ තැන්පත් කර දරුවෙක් ලබා ගන්නා මවුපියන් ද සිටී. නමුත් මම මේ දක්වා ශ්රී ලංකාවෙන් එවන් දෙමව්පියන් ගැන අසා නොඇත්තෙමි.
ස්වභාවික අන්දමින් දරුවන් ලබා ගැනීමට අපහසු පුද්ගලයින්ගේ පහසුව තකා දියුණු වූ මෙවන් වෛද්ය විද්යාවන් බොහෝ දෙනෙකුට පිහිට වී ඇති බව අප කවුරුත් දන්නා කාරණයකි.
මෙවන් දරු උපත් ‘වෛද්ය විද්යාත්මක පුදුම’ වුවත් ස්වභාවධර්මයා අභිබවා නැගෙන මිනිසුන් විසින් ඉදිරියට මෙම තාක්ෂණය කෙසේ භාවිතා කරයි දෝ හෝ නැගෙන ගැටළුවට සිත කීරී ගැසෙන පිළිතුරක් ලෙස කිශ්වර් දේසායි ගේ ‘Origins of Love’ හඳුන්වා දිය හැකිය.
කෘතීම දරු උපත් ආශ්රිතව ගොඩ නැගී ඇති වෙළඳ ව්යාපාරය වටා එක්රොක් වී ඇති ඉන්දියානු සහ යුරෝපීය මිනිසුන් පිරිසක් අතර ගොඩනැගෙන කතාව කියවන්නා ගේ සිත විටක කුතුහලයෙන්ද, කෝපයෙන්ද තවත් විටක සිනහවෙන්ද පුරවාලයි. විවිධාකාර වූ හැගීම් ඔස්සේ කියවන්නාගේ සිත මෙහෙයවන කිශ්වර් අවසානයේ ඔහුගේ/ඇයගේ සිත සියුම් සතුටකින් ප්රබෝධමත් කරයි. නමුදු ඒ සියුම් සතුට පිටුපස සැඟවී ඇති ඛේදවාචකය පිළිබඳව අප සැම සිතිය යුතුය. නැතහොත් ශ්රී ලංකාවට ද නොබෝ දිනකින් සිම්රාන්ලා අවශ්ය වනු ඇත.
සිම්රාන් සමාජ සේවිකාවකි. කෘතිය රහස් පරීක්ෂක කතාවක් ලෙස හැඳින්වුවහොත් ෂර්ලොක් හෝම්ස් වන්නේ ඇයයි. සිම්රාන් සොයා යන්නේ අමීලියාගේ උපත පිළිබඳ අභිරහසයි. රෝගී දැරියක් ලෙස දිල්ලියේ IVF ප්රතිකාර කරනා රෝහලක උපත ලබන අමීලියා රෝගී දැරියක වුයේ කෙසේද යන්න කතාව ආරම්භයේදී අභිරහසක්ව පවතින නමුත් කතාව අවසානයේදී අමීලියාගේ රෝගී තත්වය පිළිබඳව ඇති අභිරහස නොසිතු සහ බලාපොරොත්තු නොවූ ආකාරයකට විසඳේ.
එසේ විසදෙන්නාවූ අමීලියාගේ උපතේ අභිරහස ඔස්සේ කතුවරිය IVF ආශ්රිත වෙළඳ ව්යාපාරය ගැන විස්මය දනවනසුළු පුවත් කියවන්නාට ඉදිරිපත් කරයි. උදාහරණයක් ලෙස දර්ද්රතාවය නිසාම රැකියාව වශයෙන් තම ගර්භාෂය කුළියට දෙන තරුණ ගැහැණු ළමුන් සහ මවුවරුන් ගැන මම දැනගත්තේ මෙම කෘතිය හරහායි. ගර්භාෂය කුළියට දීම රැකියාව වුවත් එම රැකියාව ඔවුන් වෙත එල්ල කරන මානසික පීඩනය, රැකියාවෙන් ලැබෙන විශාල ධනස්කන්ධය නිසාම තම බිරින්දෑ වරුන් ගේ ගර්භාෂය විකුණා මුදල් සොයාගන්නා ස්වාමි චරිත, තමන්ගේ සමාජ තත්වය, රැකියාව නිසා ගර්භණී වීම ප්රතික්ෂේප කරන නමුත් දරුවන් අවශ්ය වන ධනවත් කාන්තාවන් දිළිඳු ගැමි ලියන් ගේ කුස තුළ තමන්ගේ දරුවන් වර්ධනය කරන ආකාරය ආදී විවිධාකාර තේමාවන් කතුවරිය නිර්ව්යාජව විස්තර කරන අන්දම ප්රසංශනීය වේ.
ආදරයක ප්රථිපලයක් ලෙස ස්වභාවයෙන් නිමැවෙන කළලයක් කෘතිමව නිර්මාණය කිරීම නිසා ඇතිවෙන වෙනත් ගැටළු ද කතුවරියගේ විමසුම් ඇසට අසු නොවී නොතිබීම අපගේ වාසනාවකි.
යුරෝපයේ ද නළ දරුවන් නිර්මාණය කිරීමට හැකි වුවත් එය ඉතා වියදම් අධික බැවින් බොහෝ යුරෝපීයයන් ඉන්දියාවට තම යුක්තාණු ගුවන් හරහා එවා ඉන්දියාවේ කාන්තාවකගේ කුසේ දරුවා ලොකු මහත් කර, දරුවා ඉපැදුණු පසු ඔවුන් දරුවාද රැගෙන තම රටට යති. ගුවන් මගින් ප්රවාහනය කරන යුක්තාණු රේගුව හරහා ඉන්දියානු නළ දරු උපත් ආයතන වලට යැවේ.
මෙම ක්රියාවලිය හරහා රේගු නිලධාරීන් කොමිස් ගසනා ආකාරය මුවඟට සිනහවක් එක් කළද ඒ හරහා වියැකී යන මනු ගුණ දම් සිත හඬවයි. උදාහරණයක් ලෙස සිතන්න : ඔබේ මව ඔබ කුස තුළ සිටිනා කාලයේ සිටම ඔබට කෙතරම් ආදරය කරන්නට ඇතිද? මෙම දරුවන් ටියුබයක් තුළ ඉපදී, තවත් ටියුබයක් තුළ ගුවනින් දවස් ගණනක් ගමන් කර, වෙනත් කාන්තාවකගේ කුස තුළට එන්නතක් හරහා ගමන් කරයි. ඉන්පසු ඉපදී සතියක් පමණ මවගේ උණුසුමේ සිට නැවත තමනට ශුක්රානුව සහ ඩිම්භය සැපයු දෙදෙනා වෙත මාරු වෙයි. මවකගේ ආදර කරුණාව, උණුසුම මෙවන් දරුවනට කොයින්ද?
තවත් සමහර දරුවන් උපදින්නේ නොදන්නා කෙනෙකුගේ ශුක්රාණු හෝ ඩිම්භ වලින් විය හැකියි.
ශුක්රාණු සහ ඩිම්භ සංසේචනය කර කෘතිමව නිර්මාණය කරනා කළල සියල්ලම මෙලොව එළිය නොදකින බව ඔබ දැන සිටියාද? දරුවෙක් නොමැතිව දුකින් පසුවන යුවලකගෙන් ලබාගන්නා ශුක්රාණු සහ ඩිම්භ වලින් ඔවුන්ට නොදැනුවත්වම කළල නිර්මාණය කර ඒවා වෛද්ය විද්යාත්මක පරීක්ෂණ සඳහා යොදාගන්නා බව ඔබ දැන සිටියාද? මාපියන් නොමැතිව වීදිවල ජීවත් වන දරුවන් දස දහස් ගණනක් ජීවත් වන ලෝකයක, ඔවුන් හදා වඩා ගැනීම වෙනුවට නළ තුළ තවත් දරුවන් උපද්දවන්නට මිනිසුන් උත්සහ දරන්නේ ඇයි දැයි ඔබ මොහොතකට සිතුවාද?
කියවන්න. අතිශය සංවේදී කාරණාවක් මාතෘකා කරගෙන ලියැවී ඇති, නවමු ආකෘතියකින් ද හැඩ ගැන්වී ඇති අපූරු ලියැවිල්ලකි ‘Origins of Love’.
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On a recent visit to our family doctor, he opened my eyes to the difference between ‘Health Industry and providing Health Care & Services’. This book can be a very long piece of interesting writing comparing those two facades of Health Care Services.
Set in India, the book takes us through the lives of people who are engaged in IVF treatments and surrogacy. The characters emerge from various social and economic backgrounds and present the readers with a heart-touching story that glues them to the book. Some see IVF treatment as a million-dollar industry and some see it as a means to gain respect from the in-laws as a wife. Apart from those two major viewpoints, the reader also meets characters who think surrogacy is a ‘job’. As the industry thrives, Customs officers make the industry a lucrative income generator.
The book is a real page-turner and is a must-read for everyone in the Medical Sector, to-be-parents and anyone who loves solving real-life mysteries.
August 23, 2024
Origins of Love explores the surrogacy business in India, shedding light on the exploitation by the wealthy and powerful. The author brings to the fore the shady businesses that discreetly take place behind closed doors in swanky fertility clinics. Kishwar Desai brings to light the darker aspects of this multi-billion-dollar assisted reproductive technology (ART) industry, presenting a grounded portrayal of the ethical and social complexities involved. While Desai's writing style is engaging and vivid, the novel ultimately fell short for me due to its fragmented structure. Each chapter introduces multiple parallel storylines, and just as I began to invest in one, the narrative would abruptly shift to another. This constant interruption hindered my ability to become fully immersed in the story. Moreover, the characters, including the protagonist Simran Singh, are not given enough depth to allow for meaningful connection. The limited space dedicated to character development left me detached, and as a result, I found it difficult to care about their journeys or outcomes. The overall plot also lacked the strength to hold my interest, and by the novel's end, I felt no emotional impact—an unfortunate outcome for any literary work. In fact, the experience of reading Origins of Love felt more like a chore than a pleasure, and it has left me hesitant to explore any further works by this author.
August 20, 2017
A bit confusing at times (feels like the author pursued a few too many goals in just one book), but entertaining and an eye-opener on surrogacy business in poor countries. Style flows easily. That's another terrifying account of how things can become if not strictly controlled and framed in a country like India, where human beings are everyday treated like comodities, simply because they're poor, not to mention the damage done by overwhelming machism and religious conservatism. Insights into the minds of an unfertile couple are also enlightening, but a bit twisted by the husband own personal family history. I understand why the author did but it makes their story a bit unlikely and difficult to relate to.
July 16, 2019
This is quite a wonderful book which tell what exactly going on the world of surrogacy. The crime done by this medical industry. Life is precious, but should it be at any price? The plot open where character named Simran talking about her life and her thoughts. She also mentioned that she have adopted in 14 years old girl child.
In Delhi a small baby lies alone and abandoned. The small baby girl was the product of the IVF and surrogacy she had been so covered until she was born with fatal illness.
No one knows how the infection could have been transferred to child. But one thing is certain that nobody wants the child anymore.
As being the feisty social worker Simran Singh is determined to uncover the truth behind the shadowy figure of multi million dollars surrogacy industry.
In Delhi a small baby lies alone and abandoned. The small baby girl was the product of the IVF and surrogacy she had been so covered until she was born with fatal illness.
No one knows how the infection could have been transferred to child. But one thing is certain that nobody wants the child anymore.
As being the feisty social worker Simran Singh is determined to uncover the truth behind the shadowy figure of multi million dollars surrogacy industry.
October 31, 2021
Kiinnostava uusi tuttavuus. Sosiaalityöntekijä Simran Singh selvittää monimutkaista vyyhteä, johon liittyy köyhiä ja nuoria sijaissynnyttäjiä, vauraita sukusolujen luovuttajia sekä lapsettomia pareja Intiassa ja mm. Englannissa. Simran auttaa ystäväpariskuntaa, joka omistaa Madonna and Child -klinikan. Siellä syntyy monista testeistä ja varotoimista huolimatta yllättäen HIV-positiivinen Amelia-vauva. Juoni etenee vauhdikkaasti ja saa varsin synkkiä sävyjä naisten alistetusta asemasta ja seksuaalisesta hyväksikäytöstä korruptioon, ahneuteen ja piittaamattomuuteen. Kirja on silti kirjoitettu niin, että sen pystyy lukemaan, etenkin siksi, että samalla seurataan Simarin omia vaiheita. Melkoisen karun kuvan Intiasta Desai kyllä luo.
November 12, 2017
The idea of this book is a good one. It's just badly executed: there are 13 (!) different story lines that all somehow come together in the end. At times it's confusing to keep up with that especially since some of those story lines aren't necessary for the plot. It's also frustrating how Simran tries to solve the mystery. She literally choses the most complicated way possible and refuses to see what's directly in front of her.
I don't recommend this book for its 'crime' or for the suspense. There is no suspense.
I do recommend this however for all the information given about surrogacy in India. Because that was genuinely interesting.
I don't recommend this book for its 'crime' or for the suspense. There is no suspense.
I do recommend this however for all the information given about surrogacy in India. Because that was genuinely interesting.
July 16, 2025
I loved the premise of the novel and really enjoyed the first couple of hundred pages. But then it dragged, there were far too many sub plots that didn’t tie together at the end in any meaningful way - it just felt very messy and I found myself not really caring anymore. The ending was very abrupt and I only realised it was the end because it was the last page! Great novels should leave you hanging on at the last page in your own reflective thoughts or feelings. The writing and language also felt very unsophisticated and the characterisation was too stereotypical and one dimensional. A let down.
December 15, 2017
Aiheeltaan erittäin kiehtova ja mielenkiintoinen teos, jossa todella paljon kiehtovia detaljeja Intian "lapsiteollisuudesta". Sai ainakin minut lukijana pohtimaan monenlaisia moraalisia ja eettisiä kysymyksiä, vaikka joihinkin juttuihin olisin kyllä melkein kaivannut faktantarkastusta. Kieleltään ja juonenkuljetukseltaan ei kuitenkaan erityisen mukaansatempaava tai nautittava, vaikka hahmot olivat oikein mukavia ja samaistuttavia ja kerronta ihan sujuvaa. Olisi voinut antaa enemmän englanniksi luettuna.
February 18, 2018
Rating 3/5
When I bought this book I was expecting rich descriptive texts and long sentences and complex brooding characters. Instead I got a simpler faster book, with a decent MC, loads of Knowledge ( maybe true?) on the Surrogacy issues in India and a few chuckles here and there ( because whats a book without a laugh or two).
Good One time read.
When I bought this book I was expecting rich descriptive texts and long sentences and complex brooding characters. Instead I got a simpler faster book, with a decent MC, loads of Knowledge ( maybe true?) on the Surrogacy issues in India and a few chuckles here and there ( because whats a book without a laugh or two).
Good One time read.
December 6, 2022
An interesting take on the detective genre melding social issues, food for thought and a feisty heroine who lives life on her own terms.
This story sheds a light on the ethics and morals surrounding stem cell therapy, and the surrogacy industry in India involving women from poor families desperate to provide a better life for their own children.
This story sheds a light on the ethics and morals surrounding stem cell therapy, and the surrogacy industry in India involving women from poor families desperate to provide a better life for their own children.
March 2, 2018
I found the introduction of so many characters, at the start of the book, a bit confusing. Then felt swept up by the action and enjoyed the rest immensely.
Very real and up to date issues with embryonic stem cell issues.
Gripping with intrigue
Very real and up to date issues with embryonic stem cell issues.
Gripping with intrigue
June 23, 2019
I did not realise when buying this book was apart of a series however it can be read as a stand alone. The characters are engaging and the story was interesting and saddening. The end was a bit fairytale like.
December 30, 2017
It was one I could not put down until I'd finished. Got a bit confusing in parts, but not too bad.
November 5, 2018
The exploitation of women by the surrogacy industry is a subject I care about, having worked for an NGO that fought for surrogates' rights. But I still found this to be poorly written.
Read
February 28, 2020Investigative
Conspiracy
Conspiracy
June 1, 2023
I think this was a good idea for a book but I’m not sure it was told particularly well told.
August 18, 2017
Book is in complete because there's nothing mentioned about Kate and Sonia in the end and one thing more how could Simran refer Amelia to Kate and Ben, when the baby is having AIDS, why didn't she herself adopted her.
June 1, 2012
4.5 stars
Origins of Love is a beautifully constructed story that spans across India and London and follows various characters whose lives intertwine. It masterfully explores many controversial fertility issues such as IVF, surrogacy, sperm/ egg donation and adoption against a fictional (but could very easily be true!) backdrop.
Simran Singh is a social worker who provides support to the Madonna and Child clinic in Delhi, run by couple, Anita and Shrimshan who provide surrogates to couples with fertility issues. The women who are enlisted by the Hospital are often living in poverty and require money to support their families- there’s big money in carrying a foreigners child but it does come at a cost. They have to remain in the hospital for the length of the pregnancy, their fattened up with high protein foods and some have their skin whitened and a school certificate forged so they are more attractive to westerner’s seeking a surrogate.
It’s a successful clinic with a high demand, but when baby Amelia is born HIV positive and her parents are killed in a roadside accident, Simran intends to get to the bottom of how her illness was acquired and search for any living relatives to find Amelia a home. Her search takes her to London where she soon realises that there’s a lot more to this whole business than meets the eye and someone wants her out of the way, possibly even dead. She seeks out an English man who regularly donates sperm to see if he can help her uncover the truth to Amelia’s fatal illness.
Origins of Love also explores the emotional turmoil experienced by Kate who resides in London with Ben, following several miscarriages. She decides to take one last shot at having a baby that shares her DNA by attending the Delhi clinic to recruit a surrogate. Ben’s conflict is also explored in depth and his dilemma in wanting to support his wife but also wanting to set limits to their attempts at having a baby because of the stress that it places on them as a couple.
Sixteen year old Sonia who is determined to break free from the control of her cousin Rohit who exploits her body for his own gain, signs up as a surrogate at the clinic in Delhi. She hopes to earn enough money to leave Rohit and return to her home village where she has been separated from her children. Surprisingly, Rohit supports this scheme, only he has no intention of letting her go anywhere. In fact he has some ideas of his own and manages to convince Sonia and the clinic to impregnate her with a political dynasty, the heir to Renu Madam.
Doctor Gungaly is a seedy character who has no respect for his patients and not only works in the Delhi clinic but has also set up a side-business that utilises embryos that have been confiscated via customs. This is where dodgy customs officer Ali comes in, who will do anything for a quick buck. He ropes in his colleague Mehta to help him, but Mehta is a little more morally inclined than Ali and does some investigating of his own.
Origins of Love explores some really serious topics, but in a light-hearted way. The Delhi setting really adds to the controversies as the laws and morality surrounding fertility are swayed and young disadvantaged women do not have the rights there that they have in western countries. The author skilfully weaves various characters, sub-plots and mixes it up with mystery, suspense and ethical dilemmas. I highly recommend this read!
I’m really keen to pick up Kishwar’s first novel, Witness the Night which offers another adventure involving social worker, Simran Singh.
Origins of Love is a beautifully constructed story that spans across India and London and follows various characters whose lives intertwine. It masterfully explores many controversial fertility issues such as IVF, surrogacy, sperm/ egg donation and adoption against a fictional (but could very easily be true!) backdrop.
Simran Singh is a social worker who provides support to the Madonna and Child clinic in Delhi, run by couple, Anita and Shrimshan who provide surrogates to couples with fertility issues. The women who are enlisted by the Hospital are often living in poverty and require money to support their families- there’s big money in carrying a foreigners child but it does come at a cost. They have to remain in the hospital for the length of the pregnancy, their fattened up with high protein foods and some have their skin whitened and a school certificate forged so they are more attractive to westerner’s seeking a surrogate.
It’s a successful clinic with a high demand, but when baby Amelia is born HIV positive and her parents are killed in a roadside accident, Simran intends to get to the bottom of how her illness was acquired and search for any living relatives to find Amelia a home. Her search takes her to London where she soon realises that there’s a lot more to this whole business than meets the eye and someone wants her out of the way, possibly even dead. She seeks out an English man who regularly donates sperm to see if he can help her uncover the truth to Amelia’s fatal illness.
Origins of Love also explores the emotional turmoil experienced by Kate who resides in London with Ben, following several miscarriages. She decides to take one last shot at having a baby that shares her DNA by attending the Delhi clinic to recruit a surrogate. Ben’s conflict is also explored in depth and his dilemma in wanting to support his wife but also wanting to set limits to their attempts at having a baby because of the stress that it places on them as a couple.
Sixteen year old Sonia who is determined to break free from the control of her cousin Rohit who exploits her body for his own gain, signs up as a surrogate at the clinic in Delhi. She hopes to earn enough money to leave Rohit and return to her home village where she has been separated from her children. Surprisingly, Rohit supports this scheme, only he has no intention of letting her go anywhere. In fact he has some ideas of his own and manages to convince Sonia and the clinic to impregnate her with a political dynasty, the heir to Renu Madam.
Doctor Gungaly is a seedy character who has no respect for his patients and not only works in the Delhi clinic but has also set up a side-business that utilises embryos that have been confiscated via customs. This is where dodgy customs officer Ali comes in, who will do anything for a quick buck. He ropes in his colleague Mehta to help him, but Mehta is a little more morally inclined than Ali and does some investigating of his own.
Origins of Love explores some really serious topics, but in a light-hearted way. The Delhi setting really adds to the controversies as the laws and morality surrounding fertility are swayed and young disadvantaged women do not have the rights there that they have in western countries. The author skilfully weaves various characters, sub-plots and mixes it up with mystery, suspense and ethical dilemmas. I highly recommend this read!
I’m really keen to pick up Kishwar’s first novel, Witness the Night which offers another adventure involving social worker, Simran Singh.
June 8, 2016
Against her better judgement, Simran Singh is a social worker who is involved in a clinic in Delhi which specialises in surrogacy, and the risky business of providing babies for those who have enough money to rent-a-womb. There is no doubt that for some unscrupulous providers this is a very lucrative trade and for those who operate the clinic it would seem that money is the prime objective, and yet, for Simran, the very human cost of this enterprise is seen in the small baby who lies abandoned and alone after being born with IVF and in the pregnant women who are used, abused and used as commodities to be bought and sold.
This is an interesting story, the moral implications are there and are crafted very carefully and it’s good to see that Simran offers a still small voice of calm in an increasingly complicated situation. I enjoyed watching this story unfold, and thought that Ben and Kate, a young infertile couple from London, added an altogether different perspective to, what is a very complex and emotional subject.
This is an interesting story, the moral implications are there and are crafted very carefully and it’s good to see that Simran offers a still small voice of calm in an increasingly complicated situation. I enjoyed watching this story unfold, and thought that Ben and Kate, a young infertile couple from London, added an altogether different perspective to, what is a very complex and emotional subject.
September 10, 2015
So in terms of story, issues tackled and the level of complexity. This is a 5 star book. The ending is a bit too neat-- but not horribly so. I do like the ending. At no point does the author shy away from gritty, challenging situations. Her complex and thorough examination of a complex and multifaceted problem/problems is amazing.
I have a few stylistic complaints. The timeline of the book is fragmented and the authors cues are confusing at best. Chapter headings of three weeks ago, followed by 5 months earlier, and then now... made it very hard to follow her sometimes. This needed to be fixed during the editorial process, in my opinion. Did it take away from my overall enjoyment of the book, no. Did it lead to confusion-- absolutely.
As a second novel, this is an amazing effort. Very worth the time. Very thought provoking and very challenging.
I have a few stylistic complaints. The timeline of the book is fragmented and the authors cues are confusing at best. Chapter headings of three weeks ago, followed by 5 months earlier, and then now... made it very hard to follow her sometimes. This needed to be fixed during the editorial process, in my opinion. Did it take away from my overall enjoyment of the book, no. Did it lead to confusion-- absolutely.
As a second novel, this is an amazing effort. Very worth the time. Very thought provoking and very challenging.
April 23, 2016
For anyone interested in the rapidly expanding womb surrogacy industry in India and Europe, or contemporary life in India's Delhi, Origins of Love is a must-read. This is Kishwar Desai's second of three novels set in India and Britain with the cheerful, somewhat eccentric sleuth/social worker Ms Simran Singh as the protagonist. It's both a page turner but also quite a complexly structured novel with a sizable suite of characters including the English couple trying for a child, to a broad array of Indian characters including ambitious politicians sworn to celibacy to lowly customs agents handling British donor eggs. Desai has thoroughly researched this industry and offers insights into how the impoverished surrogates experience their lives, and the ambivalence that wealthier couples feel (or don't) on using their services. Not a literary novel, but completely fascinating.
May 13, 2014
This started as a real page-turner, but I found the pace slackened 2/3 of the way through, and the resolution was unsatisfactorily rosy and upbeat. The book takes place in the depressing context of the fertility clinics in India, and paints a grim picture of the new avenues opened to oppress and enslave women by the techniques of assisted reproduction. Like most Indian novelists I've read, Kishwar Desai is enraged by the widespread corruption practices in her country, and the fact that somehow it's always women who pay a higher price. I think she got a bit out of her depth when she also addressed the issue of stem-cell research. Her heroine is a nice feisty character, but rather too much is made of her quest for love.
July 2, 2012
The title tasted like a romance to me for some reason, then when I stumbled upon the book in a book shop the cover begged to differ. The introduction and the description at the back of the cover was enticing enough and so I bought my copy of Origin's Of Love as an end of exams present to myself. Though I do not regret buying it, I would not call it a book that will keep you turning pages at all times. The triple narrative used is wonderful.
It did turn out to be a love story of sorts in the end though. But I'm so glad it did not have the mush and cheese ( I think we've had enough of that).
Very happy to have it on my shelf. :)
It did turn out to be a love story of sorts in the end though. But I'm so glad it did not have the mush and cheese ( I think we've had enough of that).
Very happy to have it on my shelf. :)
October 30, 2016
Oh dear, this was such a disappointment.
I was so impressed with this author after reading her debut novel 'Witness The Night', I chose to read 'Origins of Love', leaving behind the list of books I have been waiting to read.
The beginning and end of the book is very good however the main body was very disappointing. Social Worker Simran Singh is asked by a friend to investigate the surrogacy industry in India. The characters in the story are weak, uninteresting and did not capture my interest or attention.
Although I will probably read the author's next novel, The Sea of Innocence, I shan't be rushing out to acquire a copy.
I was so impressed with this author after reading her debut novel 'Witness The Night', I chose to read 'Origins of Love', leaving behind the list of books I have been waiting to read.
The beginning and end of the book is very good however the main body was very disappointing. Social Worker Simran Singh is asked by a friend to investigate the surrogacy industry in India. The characters in the story are weak, uninteresting and did not capture my interest or attention.
Although I will probably read the author's next novel, The Sea of Innocence, I shan't be rushing out to acquire a copy.
November 26, 2014
This the second in a three-part (thus far) series narrated by Simran Singh, a social worker in Delhi. This novel is the fictionalised account of the grief, corruption and greed which surround the surrogacy and medical tourism in India. It is well-paced and the very interesting subject matter made it quite difficult for me to put it down. Even though I don't usually look for 'thrillers', I'm quite looking forward to reading her third offering with Singh. Recommended.
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