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The Forgotten Daughter
‘You were adopted’. Three simple words, in a letter accompanying her parents' will, tear Nisha’s carefully ordered world apart. Raised in England, by her caring but emotionally reserved parents, Nisha has never been one to take risks. Now, with the scrawled address of an Indian convent begins a search for the mother and family she never knew and the awakening of childhood memories long forgotten. The secrets, culture and people that Nisha discover will change her life forever. And, as her eyes are opened to a side of herself she didn’t know existed, Nisha realizes that she must also seek answers to the hardest question of all – why? Weaving together the stories of Nisha, Shilpa and Devi, The Forgotten Daughter explores powerfully and poignantly the emotional themes of motherhood, loss and identity – ultimately asking the question of what you would do out of love for your children? Praise for Renita D’Silva ‘Renita D'Silva is a genius at evoking the sounds, sights and aromas of India. A major new talent- I can't wait for her next novel.' Linda Kavanagh ‘Renita DSilva is a wonderful author who has a natural gift at storytelling that truly impressed and awed me.’ Novel Escapes ‘Renita paints the most beautiful images with a few, perfectly chosen words’. KimTalksBooks.com
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2014
270 people are currently reading
1125 people want to read
About the author
Renita D'Silva
20 books410 followersRenita D’Silva loves stories both reading and creating them. Wartime Comes To West India Dock Road, the second book in her historical saga series set on West India Dock Road, is out on July 23, 2025. Her books have been translated into several languages. Her short stories have been published in The View from Here, Bartleby Snopes, this zine, Platinum Page, Paragraph Planet, Verve among others, have been nominated for the Pushcart prize, the Best of the Net anthology, shortlisted for the LoveReading Very Short Story award and The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize and longlisted for the BBC National Short Story award. Her short story, Eavesdropping Shamelessly, is published in the Arts Council England funded Bridges Not Borders anthology of prizewinning stories. Her first psychological thriller, The Neighbours, won the Joffe Books Prize 2023. Her second psychological thriller, The Dream Wedding, is out now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
August 28, 2017
Evocative, beautifully written, emotional The Forgotten Daughter is an absolute pleasure to read. Renita D'Silva's writing is absolutely exquisite; smells, colours, they are so vivid, almost intoxicating.
Interweaving stories of three different women, D'Silva created a wonderful book covering themes of love, familial bonds and cultural identity. Her characters are strong and filled with emotions and fully relatable.
It was my first book by that author but it won't be the last. Highly recommended!
Interweaving stories of three different women, D'Silva created a wonderful book covering themes of love, familial bonds and cultural identity. Her characters are strong and filled with emotions and fully relatable.
It was my first book by that author but it won't be the last. Highly recommended!
December 26, 2016
I came to know about this book while I was surfing through my Facebook timeline (I follow Fingerprint publishers’ page—one of the best Indian publishers who never publish any poorly written book. All their books are well edited and have a perfect combination of good language and entertainment. To have my book published by them someday is one of my aspirations). I had just finished reading ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini, my favorite book, and I was beginning to understand what kind of writing (simple yet poetic) constitutes good fiction. When I cast my eyes over the blurb of ‘The Forgotten Daughter’, I felt this was just the kind of book I needed at that time.
As I went through the first few pages, I knew that I had made a good decision. The prose brimmed with beauty, the language was lyrical (just like ‘The Kite Runner’ and another exceptional e-book I was reading simultaneously – ‘Sister of my Heart’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakurani), and the plot seemed intriguing.
To say that Renita D’Silva has managed to maintain that throughout the book would be an understatement. Everything just went from strength to strength. I began to feel for the characters. The characters are painted beautifully by the author, colored by various shades. And, the best part is, she seldom tells us about their traits. She shows them. This makes you feel for the characters much more. The author has religiously followed the show-don’t-tell philosophy all through the book. This method is always supposed to be ideal and yet difficult to achieve, but this shows the talent of the author—she has managed to do it effortlessly. I fell in love with a particular character, who despite not being a central character, was the one throwing daggers of pity in my heart and reducing me to tears—Matt. But I loved Nisha and her confusion, Shilpa and her pain, Devi and her regret—all threads of feelings weaved with exquisite mastery by the author.
Also, the language oozes brilliance. Her similes are dipped in beauty, her metaphors are flavored with uniqueness, and the prose flows like wine. Every aspect of a particular scene is described so well that the reader can feel as if he/she is right there, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting the scene along with the character. Along with that, the emotions are portrayed brilliantly. At several places in the book, I ended up succumbing to tears. I have read literary works in the past by Jhumpa Lahiri, Murakami, and Arundhati Roy. I appreciated the wizardry of words, but the emotional factor was missing. But this is where two books stand out for me—The Kite Runner and The Forgotten Daughter. Along with exceptional prose, they tug at your heart too—a rare combination. The Kite Runner was devastating, but The Forgotten Daughter is a close second. Although the emotions are different, they still push you down a pool of tears.
The story is strong too. I could have completed it in a go, but the reason why it took time to complete was this: every page used to throw up several wonderful sentences, bathing me with showers of literary bliss, making me go back to savor it again. Letters make the major part of the narration, adding to the uniqueness factor. The ending is brilliant too, not like an Indian movie where everything falls into place, but it is sufficiently satisfying so as to leave a smile on your face, albeit a teary one. The book will stay with you long after you read it, and I think that’s the factor that differentiates an ordinary book from a great one.
One more thing I think is worth mentioning is this—Renita D’Silva is one of the most kind and down-to-earth people I’ve met in my life. Right from the time I first interacted with her in Twitter (the way she responds to every tweet, every message, and even retweets and shares them) to the way she, without even a trace of hesitation and pride (despite being a traditionally published author of four books), agreed to read the draft of my second book and even finished it within a couple of days. I want to be like her after writing four books myself, keep my humility intact even after success. I think every writer needs to imbibe this elusive trait in them.
5 out of 5 stars to this wonderful book. Looking forward to reading her other books in the future. A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE REMOTELY INTERESTED IN BOOKS.
As I went through the first few pages, I knew that I had made a good decision. The prose brimmed with beauty, the language was lyrical (just like ‘The Kite Runner’ and another exceptional e-book I was reading simultaneously – ‘Sister of my Heart’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakurani), and the plot seemed intriguing.
To say that Renita D’Silva has managed to maintain that throughout the book would be an understatement. Everything just went from strength to strength. I began to feel for the characters. The characters are painted beautifully by the author, colored by various shades. And, the best part is, she seldom tells us about their traits. She shows them. This makes you feel for the characters much more. The author has religiously followed the show-don’t-tell philosophy all through the book. This method is always supposed to be ideal and yet difficult to achieve, but this shows the talent of the author—she has managed to do it effortlessly. I fell in love with a particular character, who despite not being a central character, was the one throwing daggers of pity in my heart and reducing me to tears—Matt. But I loved Nisha and her confusion, Shilpa and her pain, Devi and her regret—all threads of feelings weaved with exquisite mastery by the author.
Also, the language oozes brilliance. Her similes are dipped in beauty, her metaphors are flavored with uniqueness, and the prose flows like wine. Every aspect of a particular scene is described so well that the reader can feel as if he/she is right there, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting the scene along with the character. Along with that, the emotions are portrayed brilliantly. At several places in the book, I ended up succumbing to tears. I have read literary works in the past by Jhumpa Lahiri, Murakami, and Arundhati Roy. I appreciated the wizardry of words, but the emotional factor was missing. But this is where two books stand out for me—The Kite Runner and The Forgotten Daughter. Along with exceptional prose, they tug at your heart too—a rare combination. The Kite Runner was devastating, but The Forgotten Daughter is a close second. Although the emotions are different, they still push you down a pool of tears.
The story is strong too. I could have completed it in a go, but the reason why it took time to complete was this: every page used to throw up several wonderful sentences, bathing me with showers of literary bliss, making me go back to savor it again. Letters make the major part of the narration, adding to the uniqueness factor. The ending is brilliant too, not like an Indian movie where everything falls into place, but it is sufficiently satisfying so as to leave a smile on your face, albeit a teary one. The book will stay with you long after you read it, and I think that’s the factor that differentiates an ordinary book from a great one.
One more thing I think is worth mentioning is this—Renita D’Silva is one of the most kind and down-to-earth people I’ve met in my life. Right from the time I first interacted with her in Twitter (the way she responds to every tweet, every message, and even retweets and shares them) to the way she, without even a trace of hesitation and pride (despite being a traditionally published author of four books), agreed to read the draft of my second book and even finished it within a couple of days. I want to be like her after writing four books myself, keep my humility intact even after success. I think every writer needs to imbibe this elusive trait in them.
5 out of 5 stars to this wonderful book. Looking forward to reading her other books in the future. A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE REMOTELY INTERESTED IN BOOKS.
February 17, 2017
Fingerprint Publishing House is slowly becoming my favourite source of review copies. They have been consistently publishing really good books. The Forgotten Daughter by Renita D’Silva only adds to their collection.
The Forgotten Daughter is the story of three women – Shilpa, Devi and Nisha. It is the story of their lives, their choices and their ups and downs in life. On one hand we have Nisha whose life falls apart after her parents’ death with a simple note. The words ‘You were adopted’ breaks down everything that Nisha thought she knew about her parents and challenges everything that she thought she knew about herself. On the other hand we have Shilpa and Devi who are trying their best to hold on to each other. With Shilpa’s life close to flickering out, Devi finds her mother’s journal filled with snippets of her life. Devi too tries to convey her side of the story. Three different women and three very different voices brought together in a plot woven by Renits D’Silva.
The book is just perfect in every way. The author has done a lovely job of bringing these women to life through her words. The characters are well developed with many hues to them. The connection I felt to them is not because of familiarity but something else on the whole. It was as if I felt their joys, their pains and lived their lives with them. The story itself invoked so many emotions in me that a person like me, who reads captivating books in one sitting, was forced to put down the book at intervals. It was so that I could reflect on the experiences or memories of the characters and actually separate my emotions from theirs. The author lyrical language and engaging narration style only adds to the beauty of the book. I have to admit that it did take me 15-20 pages to get comfortable, but once I was settled, there was no turning back with this book.
A beautiful story, narrated stunningly and is a must read.
http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2016/03/the...
The Forgotten Daughter is the story of three women – Shilpa, Devi and Nisha. It is the story of their lives, their choices and their ups and downs in life. On one hand we have Nisha whose life falls apart after her parents’ death with a simple note. The words ‘You were adopted’ breaks down everything that Nisha thought she knew about her parents and challenges everything that she thought she knew about herself. On the other hand we have Shilpa and Devi who are trying their best to hold on to each other. With Shilpa’s life close to flickering out, Devi finds her mother’s journal filled with snippets of her life. Devi too tries to convey her side of the story. Three different women and three very different voices brought together in a plot woven by Renits D’Silva.
The book is just perfect in every way. The author has done a lovely job of bringing these women to life through her words. The characters are well developed with many hues to them. The connection I felt to them is not because of familiarity but something else on the whole. It was as if I felt their joys, their pains and lived their lives with them. The story itself invoked so many emotions in me that a person like me, who reads captivating books in one sitting, was forced to put down the book at intervals. It was so that I could reflect on the experiences or memories of the characters and actually separate my emotions from theirs. The author lyrical language and engaging narration style only adds to the beauty of the book. I have to admit that it did take me 15-20 pages to get comfortable, but once I was settled, there was no turning back with this book.
A beautiful story, narrated stunningly and is a must read.
http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2016/03/the...
October 18, 2023
Wordy. Really wordy. I read "The Forgotten Daughter" by Renita D'Silva as part of my book club's six months journey through the six different regions of India (East, Central, West, South, North, Northeast). This was the chosen book for South India. I can't help but feel that we could've chosen a better book.
"The Forgotten Daughter" is wordy. I wish an editor could've shortened some of the passages and descriptions. It felt like the author had to describe every single smell and everybody's innermost thoughts. After a while, I thought, "enough, this is redundant!". From the title and the book cover, one can already guess that this is the story of a young woman Nisha, who only found out that she was adopted after her adoptive parents passed away. She is in search of her roots in India. This novel is also written from the perspective of Devi and Shilpa. A few chapters into this novel and I could already guess what kind of relationships they had to each other.
I enjoyed reading the three different voices and the recipes in Shilpa's chapters were a creative idea. But I felt so much was repeated and some parts didn't make sense. How come Shilpa's best friend Jalaja who knew about the twins, never mentioned it to Devi later on in life? I didn't understand Shilpa's reasoning for not telling Devi that she had a twin. Their relationship was so strained, telling Devi the truth was the only way to improve their communication and understanding for each other. How come all of the females in this book had a good husband/boyfriend? The parts of Nisha's repressive memory and how she suddenly remembers something were so cringey and stereotypical. When Nisha reaches India, I felt like I was reading a travel guide, everything was so meticulously described as if the author was practicing her writing during a trip.
"The Forgotten Daughter" is wordy. I wish an editor could've shortened some of the passages and descriptions. It felt like the author had to describe every single smell and everybody's innermost thoughts. After a while, I thought, "enough, this is redundant!". From the title and the book cover, one can already guess that this is the story of a young woman Nisha, who only found out that she was adopted after her adoptive parents passed away. She is in search of her roots in India. This novel is also written from the perspective of Devi and Shilpa. A few chapters into this novel and I could already guess what kind of relationships they had to each other.
I enjoyed reading the three different voices and the recipes in Shilpa's chapters were a creative idea. But I felt so much was repeated and some parts didn't make sense. How come Shilpa's best friend Jalaja who knew about the twins, never mentioned it to Devi later on in life? I didn't understand Shilpa's reasoning for not telling Devi that she had a twin. Their relationship was so strained, telling Devi the truth was the only way to improve their communication and understanding for each other. How come all of the females in this book had a good husband/boyfriend? The parts of Nisha's repressive memory and how she suddenly remembers something were so cringey and stereotypical. When Nisha reaches India, I felt like I was reading a travel guide, everything was so meticulously described as if the author was practicing her writing during a trip.
December 4, 2019
I read several positive reviews, saw the eye-catchy cover, and amazon repeatedly showed me the ads for this one; I gave in to it and bought the book only to realize within a few pages that I have simply wasted my parents' money in buying this. Except for the flowery language, high-class vocabulary (Beyond my understanding) and unnecessary streched descriptions - the book doesn't provide anything! I simply lost my interest within 20 something pages. I'm not sorry! But I am neither any hater. I simply won't consider wasting my money on such books with rave reviews which practically are so dull.
February 27, 2014
What is it like to find out you are adopted? How much worse would it be to find out on the death of your parents by way of a letter?
The Forgotten Daughter examines the life of three women, Nisha who lives in England and the recipient of the news that she was adopted. The only piece of information she has is the address of a convent in India to start the trail of why her mother gave her away. Nisha longs to know why her parents chose to bring her to England to start a new life with no knowledge of her roots. Nisha narrates her journey of discovery from a dispassionate young women who finds solace in analysing numbers to one who begins to remember some long buried memories.
In India Shilpa is a traditional Indian mother, determined that her daughter Devi abides by the familiar traditions while Devi wants to break free from her claustrophobic love. When Shilpa is admitted to hospital Devi gets to know her mother through her diary. This isn’t any old diary though, this has the notes of the dishes she has cooks interspersed with the story of her life. These recipes included are complete instructions, not just a list of ingredients so you too can have a go at recreating the food Shilpa cooked for her family.
Devi’s story of a young woman desperate to break free from the constraints of her upbringing where her culture dictates that she behave, dress and abide by traditions that she longs to leave behind.
If you want a book to savour then this is the book for you. Renita D’Silva writing means the smells, sights and sounds of life in India come to life through her brilliant descriptions. The beautiful saris the weight of the gold, the gaudy sandals that the women use to adorn themselves with shimmer on the page. The more or less constant companion of the food that Shilpa prepares will make your mouth water as the story of the three women unfolds. I have rarely read a book where the picture painted by the author is quite so vivid.
Like Renita’s debut novel Monsoon Memories, the contrast in culture of life in England compared to that in India is apparent and as the reader we get to see these first hand through the stories of Shilpa and Devi and through the eyes of Nisha who sees it as a newcomer. As the women examine their lives you get the feeling nothing will be ever be quite the same.
A quietly emotional book of discovery this is an accomplished second book to follow Monsoon Memories.
I received a copy of this book which will be published on 28 February 2014 from the publishers Bookouture, in return for this honest review.
The Forgotten Daughter examines the life of three women, Nisha who lives in England and the recipient of the news that she was adopted. The only piece of information she has is the address of a convent in India to start the trail of why her mother gave her away. Nisha longs to know why her parents chose to bring her to England to start a new life with no knowledge of her roots. Nisha narrates her journey of discovery from a dispassionate young women who finds solace in analysing numbers to one who begins to remember some long buried memories.
In India Shilpa is a traditional Indian mother, determined that her daughter Devi abides by the familiar traditions while Devi wants to break free from her claustrophobic love. When Shilpa is admitted to hospital Devi gets to know her mother through her diary. This isn’t any old diary though, this has the notes of the dishes she has cooks interspersed with the story of her life. These recipes included are complete instructions, not just a list of ingredients so you too can have a go at recreating the food Shilpa cooked for her family.
Devi’s story of a young woman desperate to break free from the constraints of her upbringing where her culture dictates that she behave, dress and abide by traditions that she longs to leave behind.
If you want a book to savour then this is the book for you. Renita D’Silva writing means the smells, sights and sounds of life in India come to life through her brilliant descriptions. The beautiful saris the weight of the gold, the gaudy sandals that the women use to adorn themselves with shimmer on the page. The more or less constant companion of the food that Shilpa prepares will make your mouth water as the story of the three women unfolds. I have rarely read a book where the picture painted by the author is quite so vivid.
Like Renita’s debut novel Monsoon Memories, the contrast in culture of life in England compared to that in India is apparent and as the reader we get to see these first hand through the stories of Shilpa and Devi and through the eyes of Nisha who sees it as a newcomer. As the women examine their lives you get the feeling nothing will be ever be quite the same.
A quietly emotional book of discovery this is an accomplished second book to follow Monsoon Memories.
I received a copy of this book which will be published on 28 February 2014 from the publishers Bookouture, in return for this honest review.
September 4, 2017
I read a lot of crime and thrillers, so it was a lovely change to read this on holiday. It's one of those books you sink into and just want to keep reading. The author has a great writing style that carries you along and makes you feel as though you're right there with the characters. You can almost smell the jasmine and taste the food - the food! (There are recipes). The story itself was intriguing and heartbreaking and yet, in the end, you could understand why it all happened. I'm so looking forward to reading more of Renita's books. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll be reading them all.
April 9, 2015
A wonderful and beautifully-written story that makes the reader question what it is that truly makes us who we are. Renita D'Silva's clever plot whisks us between the heat and spices of India and the cool contrast of England as Nisha struggles to discover and then understand her roots. Terrific writing. I loved it!
September 11, 2016
This was a fabulous book about a mother's love, and one of the few books that I anticipate reading again. I don't very often take the time to write a review but just had to for this one. Highly recommend this book, great story and interesting setting in a small village in India.
April 2, 2015
Great vacation read. The story moved along and kept me entertained. Enough said.
July 31, 2021
Loved it! Not as much as "Beneath an indian sky" from the same author, but very very good. I was even moved toward the end, which rarely happens to me, and made me totally forgot the slow start.. I'll be reading something else from the author really soon!
March 14, 2016
This is one book that has surprised me with its content, writing style and just the evocative images that Renita D’Silva’s writing evokes. I picked the book due to its blurb about the changes the truth about being adopted would evoke.
I was fully prepared for it to be a tear jerker with the story from the point of view of a child but I was in for a pleasant surprise. This book is not about tears, loss or sadness. The Forgotten Daughter is a story about life, love and longing and a lot more. The author spins a sweetly worded tale of the quest of a daughter in search of her parents and a daughter looking for her mother.
All of this is through the eyes of three ladies, Nisha, Devi and Shilpa. The book moves through the thoughts and diaries of these three women and each presents their own side of the story, how they are involved yet separate. I found this extremely moving as page by page the story unfolded with each woman’s tone, language and thoughts being so different from the other. Initially I had thought that the father must be the reason of adoption, then I blamed the mother, eventually I blamed the sister.
Yet, Renita surprised me with the ending and the way the story progressed. I savored the soft, graceful language; descriptive yet emotive. She created images and evoked nostalgia with her words. Nisha, practical and technical one with her lists, numbers and reasons. Devi, the fiery one who spoke and lived with the anger she knew not how to snuff out. Shilpa, the demure one, love overflowing yet still inadequate.
Three ladies as different as can be and their men who we somehow exactly what they needed. This book renders a whole new meaning to fate and its mysterious ways. I enjoyed reading about the tenacity of life and how it manifests in the unlikely of times. The book has a steady flow, neither too fast nor slow with each chapter unraveling the mystery and bringing a family to where it must be.
I could go on and on but suffice to say I loved the book. If you are looking for a book with depth, a good solid story, a yearning to read how our world and life plays out in the mysterious ways, why we all surrender to a greater power this is a book for you. And a bitter sweet happy ending to boot!
This book is full of prose that evokes surreal visual imagery, words that connect to the heart and language that makes it a pleasure to read. The Forgotten Daughter will find a place in your heart as a mother or daughter or sister as you will definitely find a reflection of yourself within its pages.
(I received a copy of the book from Fingerprint Publishing, the review is my own honest opinion.)
I was fully prepared for it to be a tear jerker with the story from the point of view of a child but I was in for a pleasant surprise. This book is not about tears, loss or sadness. The Forgotten Daughter is a story about life, love and longing and a lot more. The author spins a sweetly worded tale of the quest of a daughter in search of her parents and a daughter looking for her mother.
All of this is through the eyes of three ladies, Nisha, Devi and Shilpa. The book moves through the thoughts and diaries of these three women and each presents their own side of the story, how they are involved yet separate. I found this extremely moving as page by page the story unfolded with each woman’s tone, language and thoughts being so different from the other. Initially I had thought that the father must be the reason of adoption, then I blamed the mother, eventually I blamed the sister.
Yet, Renita surprised me with the ending and the way the story progressed. I savored the soft, graceful language; descriptive yet emotive. She created images and evoked nostalgia with her words. Nisha, practical and technical one with her lists, numbers and reasons. Devi, the fiery one who spoke and lived with the anger she knew not how to snuff out. Shilpa, the demure one, love overflowing yet still inadequate.
Three ladies as different as can be and their men who we somehow exactly what they needed. This book renders a whole new meaning to fate and its mysterious ways. I enjoyed reading about the tenacity of life and how it manifests in the unlikely of times. The book has a steady flow, neither too fast nor slow with each chapter unraveling the mystery and bringing a family to where it must be.
I could go on and on but suffice to say I loved the book. If you are looking for a book with depth, a good solid story, a yearning to read how our world and life plays out in the mysterious ways, why we all surrender to a greater power this is a book for you. And a bitter sweet happy ending to boot!
This book is full of prose that evokes surreal visual imagery, words that connect to the heart and language that makes it a pleasure to read. The Forgotten Daughter will find a place in your heart as a mother or daughter or sister as you will definitely find a reflection of yourself within its pages.
(I received a copy of the book from Fingerprint Publishing, the review is my own honest opinion.)
January 23, 2016
For Parents the most prized possession are their children but sometimes, circumstances plays a pretty cruel role and same happened in the life of Nisha. ‘You were adopted’, was written on the letter which she received from her parents after their death. Her life is now having a big question mark on her existence and all the answers lies in India, a land pretty unknown to her.
Devi and Shilpa are fighting their own battle against the cruel games of life. Devi is giving her last shot to save the life of her mother who is about to slip in the cobwebs of death.
Three women, three different stories, one connection. A brilliantly written book, ‘The Forgotten Daughter’, takes you to the journey of three faces of womanhood and leaves you dumbstruck with overwhelming emotional ride.
Coming to the storyline. At first the book was little confusing because the author has introduced a totally different kind of writing style. It takes a while to adapt that writing style. The author wants you to be exactly at a position from where you can experience the things that the characters want to convey. Slowly the story gets a grip and from then it never leaves you. The chain of situations, the journey of Nisha to find the truth about her real parents, everything grips you till the very end.
This book is actually an emotional ride of motherhood and is highly recommended for those who love to read ‘good and rich’ contemporary fiction. Author’s writing style is pretty unique and lovable. She knows the art of playing with the words.
The only drawback about the book is its beginning which is a bit confusing. So have patience and I can guarantee that it will surely pay off.
Devi and Shilpa are fighting their own battle against the cruel games of life. Devi is giving her last shot to save the life of her mother who is about to slip in the cobwebs of death.
Three women, three different stories, one connection. A brilliantly written book, ‘The Forgotten Daughter’, takes you to the journey of three faces of womanhood and leaves you dumbstruck with overwhelming emotional ride.
Coming to the storyline. At first the book was little confusing because the author has introduced a totally different kind of writing style. It takes a while to adapt that writing style. The author wants you to be exactly at a position from where you can experience the things that the characters want to convey. Slowly the story gets a grip and from then it never leaves you. The chain of situations, the journey of Nisha to find the truth about her real parents, everything grips you till the very end.
This book is actually an emotional ride of motherhood and is highly recommended for those who love to read ‘good and rich’ contemporary fiction. Author’s writing style is pretty unique and lovable. She knows the art of playing with the words.
The only drawback about the book is its beginning which is a bit confusing. So have patience and I can guarantee that it will surely pay off.
May 29, 2014
This is a beautifully written story of three woman, a mother and her twin daughters. Through a series of circumstances, one of the daughters must be given up for adoption. She did not learn she was adopted until after her adoptive parents suddenly died. All her life she believed they were her birth parents, not understanding why they never talked about her birth, her early years and other questions she had. After her discovery she embarks on a journey to fund her birth mother.
Through the eyes of each of these woman, individually, we learn the story of what happened to each one of them and how the various circumstances impacted each.
The author's writing is very lyrical, and she has a wonderful way of bringing to life the sights and sounds and smells of everything surrounding each occurrence. I was able to immerse myself in every scene and feel like I was there.
The book was slightly confusing in the beginning, but soon I was able to begin to connect the various characters and determine how they fit into the lives of each other.
I would read this book again, I enjoyed the writing style and I feel I may discover even more surprises if I were to retread it.
For a wonderful book about the relationship between mothers and daughters, I highly recommend The Forgotten Daughter.
Through the eyes of each of these woman, individually, we learn the story of what happened to each one of them and how the various circumstances impacted each.
The author's writing is very lyrical, and she has a wonderful way of bringing to life the sights and sounds and smells of everything surrounding each occurrence. I was able to immerse myself in every scene and feel like I was there.
The book was slightly confusing in the beginning, but soon I was able to begin to connect the various characters and determine how they fit into the lives of each other.
I would read this book again, I enjoyed the writing style and I feel I may discover even more surprises if I were to retread it.
For a wonderful book about the relationship between mothers and daughters, I highly recommend The Forgotten Daughter.
August 27, 2014
I read and enjoyed the author’s first novel, Monsoon Memories, but I absolutely LOVED The Forgotten Daughter. Set partly in England but mainly in India. It is the story of three women.
Nisha is mourning the death of her parents when she comes across a letter from them announcing to her that she was adopted. We follow her coming to terms with the news and making the decision to travel to India to discover her roots.
Devi is holding a vigil by her sick mother’s bedside. She has always felt angry at her mother who tended to smother her with love and possessiveness. Her part of the story is told in the letters she writes to her sick mother, Shilpa, whose part of the story is told by her diary entries.
To say much more about the plot would be to spoil the read for anyone else, but it is a story of motherhood with the underlying theme running through it of Nature versus Nurture as we come to understand the very different lives Nisha and Devi lead. It is a fascinating read with some truly wonderful characters who grow and mature throughout the book. I absolutely adored the book and can’t recommend it highly enough.
Nisha is mourning the death of her parents when she comes across a letter from them announcing to her that she was adopted. We follow her coming to terms with the news and making the decision to travel to India to discover her roots.
Devi is holding a vigil by her sick mother’s bedside. She has always felt angry at her mother who tended to smother her with love and possessiveness. Her part of the story is told in the letters she writes to her sick mother, Shilpa, whose part of the story is told by her diary entries.
To say much more about the plot would be to spoil the read for anyone else, but it is a story of motherhood with the underlying theme running through it of Nature versus Nurture as we come to understand the very different lives Nisha and Devi lead. It is a fascinating read with some truly wonderful characters who grow and mature throughout the book. I absolutely adored the book and can’t recommend it highly enough.
September 8, 2014
This book was brilliant. The narrative is driven by the interweaving stories of three women, Nisha, Shilpa and Devi - all different, with different lives and different stories - but at the same time connected. The book covers huge themes such as cultural identity, motherhood, family, secrets, love and the bonds that tie us together and at the same time, the author is a fantastic storyteller - you can't put the book down. The lyrical descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of India just transport you there. And as a foodie - I LOVED the recipes and definitely want to try them, they sound delicious and gave yet more perspective to the way food is such a big part of life, representing love and comfort and a sense of shared identity. Loved it. I can't wait for her next one!
June 19, 2016
Another touching story by Renita D'Silva. Upon receiving my copy, I instantly dove into it and found that I just didn't want to put it down. A wonderful story of a mother and two daughters...the struggles, pain, joys and redemption...a beautiful second novel. Descriptive and colourful writing made me feel that I was in the story myself - smelling the smells and seeing the vivid colours of India through Devi and Nisha as well as experiencing their joys and sorrows. Her characters are so real with raw emotions and strong spirits, I often had tears in my eyes. Congratulations and I am looking forward to more stories.
January 13, 2016
The story was fantastic. I loved the characters and got to know them all. Enjoyed the way it was written with each character taking their turn at the story. The ending was satisfying - that always puts a book at the top of my list. At times, I felt the writing was almost too descriptive, although very well done. I think this would be a good book club discussion. So many questions and I'm sure many opinions. One of the better books I've read in the past few years. I recommend it.
June 18, 2014
A lovely book, I loved the way the story was told from different perspectives. I felt immersed in the culture and the lives of the characters and I was engrossed throughout. I think I preferred the Devi/Shilpa storyline as it was told in the first person. The book surprises you and there are a few twists and turns which I liked. I'd definitely recommend.
June 30, 2015
I loved this story line and found I was gripped from beginning to the end. It was a bit confusing at first but once I got used to the different chapters for each character I found that it made a lot of sense.
July 14, 2015
Wonderful
What a beautiful story. Heart rendering at times. Very well written. Loss love and hope. You will love this book. I've started Monsoon Memories.
What a beautiful story. Heart rendering at times. Very well written. Loss love and hope. You will love this book. I've started Monsoon Memories.
August 17, 2016
What a beautifully written book! My only regret is that I did not read it more slowly to savor it.
June 23, 2016
Amazing. This author is such a great story teller!!!
January 19, 2018
D'Silva writes in a beautiful style. She brings the sights, colors, and smells to the reader, making the scene complete. This story is told by 3 women. The story revolves around twin baby girls born in India. One has a cleft palate, and she ends up in a convent, and eventually adopted by an American couple of Indian descent. The other daughter is raised by her mother. Neither one knows about the other until they are adults. The story is well-told and complete. The characters are developed, and each one's feelings, motives, and memories are shared. I would recommend this book.
December 23, 2019
A simple tale that brings along with it all human emotions.
April 2, 2014
Nisha’s parents are scientists who have never shown much love to their daughter but instead taught her to find solace in numbers. She is a successful statistician in a Canadian university, but her world is about to fall apart. After her parents’ death in a tragic car accident, Nisha receives a letter from them that was left with the family lawyer. “You are adopted!” Words that are like a tsunami breaking down her secure world and awakening her emotional side that she never knew existed, since that part of her being was repressed for years. Now, the pivotal question in her life is “Why?” She’s even reticent about her lover, Matt, who could not be more perfect if he tried. Yes, she’s in love with him but can’t get the words, “I love you” out without feeling like she is choking. So she says nothing and instead enters this new world of turmoil and gnawing ache as she wonders if she’s ever been loved!
Shilpa and Devi are in another part of the world, India, where they are preparing for Shilpa’s death. Devi finds her mother’s journal full of delicious recipes and the diary-style journal of her mother, Shilpa. Devi reads to her mother as she is lying in a hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, the chances of her slipping into a coma and dying very, very real! No more spoilers – suffice to say this is a story that is both tough as nails and soft as feather down. The essence of it is yearning to be a woman, a wife, a mother, a connector of generations, with all the mental, physical and spiritual anguish that entails, especially as mother and daughter age and experience transitions in their relationship. They understand each other so well and yet in many ways don’t have a clue about each other’s hopes and dreams, their respect for the aspects of Indian culture that is shared in this journal in the form of luscious recipes the reader will want to try for sure.
Nisha decides to travel to India to find her “roots” and hope it will give her some grounding to fill her life that feels so barren and empty, that yearns for love that only real family can provide. Readers will not be disappointed at all and will be shell-shocked with surprise as the story progresses to a gracious, beautiful end!
The Forgotten Daughter is SUPERB contemporary fiction. The descriptions of the food, drink, and fruit are presented with the art of one who truly loves food and knows how to sensually present it it to enliven the guest’s hunger, thirst, and more. Adopted children often feel abandoned and forgotten by their real parents, but what a very different discovery lies ahead for each of these fascinating characters.
Shilpa and Devi are in another part of the world, India, where they are preparing for Shilpa’s death. Devi finds her mother’s journal full of delicious recipes and the diary-style journal of her mother, Shilpa. Devi reads to her mother as she is lying in a hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, the chances of her slipping into a coma and dying very, very real! No more spoilers – suffice to say this is a story that is both tough as nails and soft as feather down. The essence of it is yearning to be a woman, a wife, a mother, a connector of generations, with all the mental, physical and spiritual anguish that entails, especially as mother and daughter age and experience transitions in their relationship. They understand each other so well and yet in many ways don’t have a clue about each other’s hopes and dreams, their respect for the aspects of Indian culture that is shared in this journal in the form of luscious recipes the reader will want to try for sure.
Nisha decides to travel to India to find her “roots” and hope it will give her some grounding to fill her life that feels so barren and empty, that yearns for love that only real family can provide. Readers will not be disappointed at all and will be shell-shocked with surprise as the story progresses to a gracious, beautiful end!
The Forgotten Daughter is SUPERB contemporary fiction. The descriptions of the food, drink, and fruit are presented with the art of one who truly loves food and knows how to sensually present it it to enliven the guest’s hunger, thirst, and more. Adopted children often feel abandoned and forgotten by their real parents, but what a very different discovery lies ahead for each of these fascinating characters.
May 4, 2021
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Introduction:
The novels of Renita D’Silva, a British Indian author, with their exquisite settings, vivid portrayal of human lives fraught with conflict and crisis, aligned at a perfect natural background of both rural and metropolitan is always a worth reading. The mystery tied in a sharp knot unravels slowly allowing us to relish the smell of jasmine and the aroma of new recipes at the same time.
In a Nutshell:
The meandering flow of the story glides with the three voices and by means of three styles. Nisha, the first voice wrote notes on whatever issues she faced, emotional or physical and solve them in practical and technical terms. Her smooth, mathematical life along with her scientist parents in England came to a halt with their sudden death. She was left behind with the memories, far from being emotional though, and a letter along with the will that the solicitor handed her. The letter carried the disastrous message that Nisha was not their biological child but adopted in the course of their project at the time of their research in India. There they found her in a convent. The child was always taught to loath emotions as ' a waste of time’ and only trained to be competent shying away the ‘luxury of mawkishness’. Crushing her deep desire for affection and love she grew up in their way until the very discovery of her life messed her world in a topsy-turvy. She no longer could solve it by means of any theorems. She who did not cry at her parents' funeral and arranged everything systematically, even join office in three days, ' …gives in to the sobs which rend her slender body reverberating through her like waves building into a tsunami.' She felt ' she is not a machine anymore; she is a human torn apart by feeling...' And from there start the new story of her life - her search for her real identify. She left England in search of her real parents, her twin sister and her provenance.
Devi divulged her story in an epistolary style, through her letter to her 'ma'. Leaving her life at Sompur she flies to England with her husband Rohan. She wanted to be free from the burdensome love of her mother. Her love, the clingy affection always ' felt so heavy, like a burden almost too weighty to carry'(chapter 20, page 203) and she rebelled to run away from her clutches. One day when she did not get any response from her ma after calling for several times at first she took it as ' just another of ruses' of her ma until the fisherwoman Shali informed her mother’s illness and asked her to come. She came back Sompur, carrying her kid ' within the safe harbor of womb'. There she got the diary of Shilpa, her mother. The tempest she always bore within herself being unable to snuff out calmed down at a sudden ‘anagnorisis’ - her mother's struggle for baby, her father’s pathetic death and the twin sister, her nini. Her lifelong rage burst out finally in helpless agony, ' I am a twin? Me? Why didn't you tell me? .... I hate you, Ma- your betrayal, your keeping my sister from me. All these years I ached for a sibling to share the burden I tottered under, the burden I shook off. (Chapter- 23, page 231, https://www.amazon.in/Forgotten-Daugh...).
Shilpa's mother gave her a diary when she got her first period, to celebrate the occasion. Her mother saved money bit by bit for a long time to afford the diary as they hardly had enough money to buy rice or dhal from ration shop. The diary stayed with her even when she got married, as a precious gem amid pungent poverty. She used to write lip-smacking recepies in the diary, simple yet extraordinary and also her feelings. She desperately craved for babies after several miscarriages and when doctor gave up all hope, her total devotion turned to the mad woman under the peepal tree whose forbidding always proved true for her even in life's most crucial stages. She lost her husband in violent storm. She had to choose between her husband and her baby. She chose her baby- babies, twin, one with a cleft palate. But dirge poverty and cruelty of others at that deformed face forced her to leave Nisha, the second baby in the convent in hope of a better life. Her stubborn blind faith on the mad woman proved valid again when a novice nun came with the news of Nisha's adaptation. She realized ' I made the right choice ... The wise woman was right... My baby will have a good life... Her face will be fixed, she will get married, have children.' (Chapter 24 page 247).
And it was right decision. Nisha got her surgery and everything- a polished educated life. But somewhere in her heart she always craved for the familial affection, the bonding of love. Finally she came back at Sompur and reunited with her sister and her mother at her death bed. She felt whole at the embrace of her sister and at the affectionate eyes of her mother- ' Nisha realizes she feels whole, like she belongs, the rootless feeling gone... She bends down, pushes her mother's grey hair gently from her eyes and places a soft kiss on her papery cheek and it feels right. She has come home.'(Chapter- 28, page 271). And Debi also felt the completeness ‘ and in her embrace, Ma, that part of me that was always searching, always wanting, always restless, always torn, relaxed( chapter 26 page 262).
When tear floods my eyes:
I must particularly mention the ending, the final fall of curtain. The lines get blurred and I can feel nothing, except the whimper within me. The threads of tension so long fuelling the brain, suddenly meet the catharsis and the heart deduces to purgation of so many feelings that are woven till now. The tear stained smile is so brilliant that I cannot remember when it transmits into my lips. Even Shilpa's death was peaceful with her two daughters beside her, after the lifelong turmoil of her life.
Characterization and Narrative:
As it is a woman-centric novel the male characters stand at the background as supportive wall and encourage the female protagonists to go ahead in their own journeys. The three women character dominate the plot and weave the story appears interchanging their places time to time like a striped tapestry of tricolor.
The narrative is so powerful and poignant that the characters appear with reliable potentiality, never given a chance to think them as a character of book. Nisha, Devi, and their mother Shilpa are as resplendent in their declaration of womanhood and reveling incarnation out of the mere pages of fiction.
Nature Speaks with Human:
Not only the characters but also the nature shares the same throbbing tension in this novel - the pictorial setting of rural village, ‘outside the trees sigh as they revel in the wind’s caress… (Chapter – 24, page 252)’, ‘the earth gorged on rain, smelling luscious… voluptuous drops clung insidiously to peepal tree leaves…’ (Chapter 18, page 178) are all too fabulous as well as palpable. We can hear the grumbling cats, howling dogs, dreamy mooing of stray cows.
Alvina’s Verdict:
Renita D'Silva proves her excellency in every aspect - characterization, literary flexibility, use of figure of speech, unique style of presentation. As a reader I fell totally engrossed when I read it and must recommend it to those who want to read a beautifully crafted story within the frame of a graceful setting. I wish to read all her novels as this book brings such a joy in my heart.
Book Link: https://www.amazon.in/Forgotten-Daugh...
Introduction:
The novels of Renita D’Silva, a British Indian author, with their exquisite settings, vivid portrayal of human lives fraught with conflict and crisis, aligned at a perfect natural background of both rural and metropolitan is always a worth reading. The mystery tied in a sharp knot unravels slowly allowing us to relish the smell of jasmine and the aroma of new recipes at the same time.
In a Nutshell:
The meandering flow of the story glides with the three voices and by means of three styles. Nisha, the first voice wrote notes on whatever issues she faced, emotional or physical and solve them in practical and technical terms. Her smooth, mathematical life along with her scientist parents in England came to a halt with their sudden death. She was left behind with the memories, far from being emotional though, and a letter along with the will that the solicitor handed her. The letter carried the disastrous message that Nisha was not their biological child but adopted in the course of their project at the time of their research in India. There they found her in a convent. The child was always taught to loath emotions as ' a waste of time’ and only trained to be competent shying away the ‘luxury of mawkishness’. Crushing her deep desire for affection and love she grew up in their way until the very discovery of her life messed her world in a topsy-turvy. She no longer could solve it by means of any theorems. She who did not cry at her parents' funeral and arranged everything systematically, even join office in three days, ' …gives in to the sobs which rend her slender body reverberating through her like waves building into a tsunami.' She felt ' she is not a machine anymore; she is a human torn apart by feeling...' And from there start the new story of her life - her search for her real identify. She left England in search of her real parents, her twin sister and her provenance.
Devi divulged her story in an epistolary style, through her letter to her 'ma'. Leaving her life at Sompur she flies to England with her husband Rohan. She wanted to be free from the burdensome love of her mother. Her love, the clingy affection always ' felt so heavy, like a burden almost too weighty to carry'(chapter 20, page 203) and she rebelled to run away from her clutches. One day when she did not get any response from her ma after calling for several times at first she took it as ' just another of ruses' of her ma until the fisherwoman Shali informed her mother’s illness and asked her to come. She came back Sompur, carrying her kid ' within the safe harbor of womb'. There she got the diary of Shilpa, her mother. The tempest she always bore within herself being unable to snuff out calmed down at a sudden ‘anagnorisis’ - her mother's struggle for baby, her father’s pathetic death and the twin sister, her nini. Her lifelong rage burst out finally in helpless agony, ' I am a twin? Me? Why didn't you tell me? .... I hate you, Ma- your betrayal, your keeping my sister from me. All these years I ached for a sibling to share the burden I tottered under, the burden I shook off. (Chapter- 23, page 231, https://www.amazon.in/Forgotten-Daugh...).
Shilpa's mother gave her a diary when she got her first period, to celebrate the occasion. Her mother saved money bit by bit for a long time to afford the diary as they hardly had enough money to buy rice or dhal from ration shop. The diary stayed with her even when she got married, as a precious gem amid pungent poverty. She used to write lip-smacking recepies in the diary, simple yet extraordinary and also her feelings. She desperately craved for babies after several miscarriages and when doctor gave up all hope, her total devotion turned to the mad woman under the peepal tree whose forbidding always proved true for her even in life's most crucial stages. She lost her husband in violent storm. She had to choose between her husband and her baby. She chose her baby- babies, twin, one with a cleft palate. But dirge poverty and cruelty of others at that deformed face forced her to leave Nisha, the second baby in the convent in hope of a better life. Her stubborn blind faith on the mad woman proved valid again when a novice nun came with the news of Nisha's adaptation. She realized ' I made the right choice ... The wise woman was right... My baby will have a good life... Her face will be fixed, she will get married, have children.' (Chapter 24 page 247).
And it was right decision. Nisha got her surgery and everything- a polished educated life. But somewhere in her heart she always craved for the familial affection, the bonding of love. Finally she came back at Sompur and reunited with her sister and her mother at her death bed. She felt whole at the embrace of her sister and at the affectionate eyes of her mother- ' Nisha realizes she feels whole, like she belongs, the rootless feeling gone... She bends down, pushes her mother's grey hair gently from her eyes and places a soft kiss on her papery cheek and it feels right. She has come home.'(Chapter- 28, page 271). And Debi also felt the completeness ‘ and in her embrace, Ma, that part of me that was always searching, always wanting, always restless, always torn, relaxed( chapter 26 page 262).
When tear floods my eyes:
I must particularly mention the ending, the final fall of curtain. The lines get blurred and I can feel nothing, except the whimper within me. The threads of tension so long fuelling the brain, suddenly meet the catharsis and the heart deduces to purgation of so many feelings that are woven till now. The tear stained smile is so brilliant that I cannot remember when it transmits into my lips. Even Shilpa's death was peaceful with her two daughters beside her, after the lifelong turmoil of her life.
Characterization and Narrative:
As it is a woman-centric novel the male characters stand at the background as supportive wall and encourage the female protagonists to go ahead in their own journeys. The three women character dominate the plot and weave the story appears interchanging their places time to time like a striped tapestry of tricolor.
The narrative is so powerful and poignant that the characters appear with reliable potentiality, never given a chance to think them as a character of book. Nisha, Devi, and their mother Shilpa are as resplendent in their declaration of womanhood and reveling incarnation out of the mere pages of fiction.
Nature Speaks with Human:
Not only the characters but also the nature shares the same throbbing tension in this novel - the pictorial setting of rural village, ‘outside the trees sigh as they revel in the wind’s caress… (Chapter – 24, page 252)’, ‘the earth gorged on rain, smelling luscious… voluptuous drops clung insidiously to peepal tree leaves…’ (Chapter 18, page 178) are all too fabulous as well as palpable. We can hear the grumbling cats, howling dogs, dreamy mooing of stray cows.
Alvina’s Verdict:
Renita D'Silva proves her excellency in every aspect - characterization, literary flexibility, use of figure of speech, unique style of presentation. As a reader I fell totally engrossed when I read it and must recommend it to those who want to read a beautifully crafted story within the frame of a graceful setting. I wish to read all her novels as this book brings such a joy in my heart.
Book Link: https://www.amazon.in/Forgotten-Daugh...
September 29, 2017
The story starts when Nisha´s parents died in a car crash. They live in England. The attorneys give Nisha a letter where she learns for the first time that she is adopted. She is an adult now and has just learned she is adopted. She wants to know who she is. Who was her mother and why did she give her up. Nisha travels to India to locate the convent where she lived and her adoptive parents found her.
Shilpa lives in India and is poor. She has two daughters. One has a cleft lip and there is no way that Shilpa can afford the corrective surgery. She has another daughter, Devi, who is trying to build a life for herself and boyfriend in India.
The author wrote beautifully the stories of all three women and each telling their own story in diary or letters or narrative. Mysteries are resolved as the three women tell their stories. The mother, Shilpa, started her diaries when she was only 13 years old and includes typical Indian recipes. Some of the recipes are intriguing but I am not familiar with all the ingredients such as urad dal whatever that is.
beautiful story.
Shilpa lives in India and is poor. She has two daughters. One has a cleft lip and there is no way that Shilpa can afford the corrective surgery. She has another daughter, Devi, who is trying to build a life for herself and boyfriend in India.
The author wrote beautifully the stories of all three women and each telling their own story in diary or letters or narrative. Mysteries are resolved as the three women tell their stories. The mother, Shilpa, started her diaries when she was only 13 years old and includes typical Indian recipes. Some of the recipes are intriguing but I am not familiar with all the ingredients such as urad dal whatever that is.
beautiful story.
March 3, 2014
Did I enjoy this book: Yes, I did.
If there was an Olympic event in Sochi this winter for writing, I imagine we’d see Renita D’Silva sanding atop a podium, gold medal glistening around her neck, a rivulet spilling onto her cheeks from moistened eyes, and her national anthem playing in the background.
Ok, I confess: I stole the word “rivulet” from the book. I had to look it up, along with “bedeckled” and “sobriquet.” And I’m still not sure how to pronounce them.
This isn’t a quick, easy story to blow through in an afternoon. It’s more a work of art meant to be read, re-read, and savored. She tells the story primarily through a series of diary entries. The characters begin their journey separated by continents and decades. Through flowery descriptions and emotional discoveries, they are brought together in the end.
Would I recommend it: I would.
Will I read it again: I’ll re-read parts of it again.
As reviewed by Belinda at Every Free Chance Book Reviews.
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/02/re...
If there was an Olympic event in Sochi this winter for writing, I imagine we’d see Renita D’Silva sanding atop a podium, gold medal glistening around her neck, a rivulet spilling onto her cheeks from moistened eyes, and her national anthem playing in the background.
Ok, I confess: I stole the word “rivulet” from the book. I had to look it up, along with “bedeckled” and “sobriquet.” And I’m still not sure how to pronounce them.
This isn’t a quick, easy story to blow through in an afternoon. It’s more a work of art meant to be read, re-read, and savored. She tells the story primarily through a series of diary entries. The characters begin their journey separated by continents and decades. Through flowery descriptions and emotional discoveries, they are brought together in the end.
Would I recommend it: I would.
Will I read it again: I’ll re-read parts of it again.
As reviewed by Belinda at Every Free Chance Book Reviews.
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/02/re...
February 10, 2016
'You were adopted'. Three simple words, in a letter accompanying her parent's will, tear Nisha's carefully ordered world apart. Raised in England, by her caring but emotionally reserved parents, Nisha has never been one to take risks. Now, with the scrawled address of an Indian convent begins a search for the mother and family she never knew and the awakening of childhood memories long forgotten. The secrets, culture and people that Nisha discover will change her life forever. And, as her eyes are opened to a side of herself she didn't know existed, Nisha realizes that she must also seek answers to the hardest question of all - why? Weaving together the stories of Nisha, Shilpa and Devi, The Forgotten Daughter explores powerfully and poignantly the emotional themes of motherhood, loss and identity - ultimately asking the question of what you would do out of love for yo
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