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A Mother's Secret
What if you discovered that everything you knew about yourself was a lie?
When pregnant Jaya loses her mother, then her baby son Arun in a tragic cot death, her world crashes down. Overcome by grief and guilt, she begins to search for answers – to the enigma of her lonely, distant mother, and her mysterious past in India.
Looking through her mother’s belongings, she finds two diaries and old photographs, carrying the smoky aroma of fire. A young boy smiles out at Jaya from every photograph – and in one, a family stand proudly in front of a sprawling mansion. Who is this child? And why did her mother treasure this memento of a regal family lost to the past?
As Jaya starts to read the diaries, their secrets lead her back to India, to the ruin of a once grand house on a hill. There, Kali, a mad old lady, will unlock the story of a devastating lie and a fire that tore a family apart.
Nothing though will prepare Jaya for the house’s final revelation, which will change everything Jaya knew about herself.
If you enjoy Dinah Jefferies, Lucinda Riley and Santa Montefiore, you will love this unforgettable journey through the lush landscape of India to the heart of what it means to be a mother and daughter.
When pregnant Jaya loses her mother, then her baby son Arun in a tragic cot death, her world crashes down. Overcome by grief and guilt, she begins to search for answers – to the enigma of her lonely, distant mother, and her mysterious past in India.
Looking through her mother’s belongings, she finds two diaries and old photographs, carrying the smoky aroma of fire. A young boy smiles out at Jaya from every photograph – and in one, a family stand proudly in front of a sprawling mansion. Who is this child? And why did her mother treasure this memento of a regal family lost to the past?
As Jaya starts to read the diaries, their secrets lead her back to India, to the ruin of a once grand house on a hill. There, Kali, a mad old lady, will unlock the story of a devastating lie and a fire that tore a family apart.
Nothing though will prepare Jaya for the house’s final revelation, which will change everything Jaya knew about herself.
If you enjoy Dinah Jefferies, Lucinda Riley and Santa Montefiore, you will love this unforgettable journey through the lush landscape of India to the heart of what it means to be a mother and daughter.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2016
540 people are currently reading
948 people want to read
About the author
Renita D'Silva
21 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 96 reviews
April 7, 2016
It is no secret that I devour any book written by this author and this one is no exception. In A Mother's Secret the author weaves us through a seamless journey between past and present while posing one question after another until you just HAVE to continue to find the answers. And when you do be ready for an explosion of emotion as you suddenly realise just how closely you have become interwoven with the expertly drawn characters and their stories. I have been allowing myself just a few chapters each day to prolong the journey through this book but I picked it up earlier today and was unable to put it down until the end. There are few books that make me cry but this one elicited big, fat messy tears as the secrets unfolded. For me, a true 5 star read is one that even when I'm not reading the book it is still present in my mind and A Mother's Secret refused to let me go from the moment I read the first chapter.
April 7, 2016
A Mother’s Secret is a rich tapestry of life’s stories, telling the heart-breaking tale of love, loss and loneliness. Despite all the pain, regret and anger, the author still manages to fill the reader with the feeling of hope, and dreams of second chances and new beginnings. Read every beautiful word, watch as each intricate stitch brings this remarkable tapestry together, enabling you to cherish it for years to come.
My heart still aches for this book. For the sensational world I have been a part of for the last few days. For the wonderful strong women who became my companions. I shed a tear for those women, not only for the hardships they went through, but for what I went through with them. They are all a part of me now, having shared their grief, pain, anger, love, secrets and ambitions.
I’m a sensitive soul, at one with nature. I don’t just see things. I need to touch and smell them. Sometimes these senses can be lost in a book, but Renita D’Silva has a magical way of bringing everything to life. I don’t just see the words she has written. I feel them, smell them, and taste them. At one point in the book, I even sneezed, due to sniffing too many spices. I love using as many senses to experience things. That's why I find this descriptive writing style so wonderfully beautiful.
If anyone asks me whether I have been to India, I can answer “Yes, I have. In the beautifully descriptive books written by talented author, Renita D’Silva.” Should I ever have the fortune of visiting India one day, I truly believe I will have the sensation of having been there before, thanks to this author’s books. Perhaps I will stumble across my very own ruin of a mansion, full of heartbreak and hope.
Reading a book by Renita D’Silva is a whole physical experience. I hope that anyone who chooses to read this will take their time and make the most of the colourful world that is truly brought to life within these pages. Take in your surroundings and allow yourself to be wholeheartedly absorbed by this beautiful book.
I haven’t said a lot about the plot of this story, as I want you to experience it in the way I did, not knowing how the story was going to progress, wishing for some things, surprised by others. I felt love for many of the characters. I also felt frustration and sadness at the blame, bitterness and self-destruction of the characters. This story really did take me through all possible emotions. I hope your journey through this book is as intense and memorable as mine.
Below are a few of my favourite quotes that give you an idea of Renita D’Silva’s beautiful and imaginative writing style:
“Durga blinks, seeing a cluster of cottages mushrooming from pebble-peppered earth, flanked by velvet fields, and, glowering from the top of the only hill, an old ruin.”
“We taste the darkness, inky and flavoured with shadows, spiced with intrigue.”
“The crows scatter in a demonic cackle, a constellation of black-winged foreboding, upsetting the grazing cows, setting the dogs howling.”
“I open my mouth to the heavens, sampling the fruit-scented, hope flavoured drops and laugh, for the first time since that day when my world shattered.”
Finally, before reading this book, I never thought I’d have a visual image for “bible-wielding shadows”, but I now do. It made me smile.
I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy emotionally heart-breaking, yet also heart-warming tales of the struggles life puts the human soul through, and full of characters that are so well developed and believable they come to life before you.
I would like to thank the publisher, Bookouture for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My heart still aches for this book. For the sensational world I have been a part of for the last few days. For the wonderful strong women who became my companions. I shed a tear for those women, not only for the hardships they went through, but for what I went through with them. They are all a part of me now, having shared their grief, pain, anger, love, secrets and ambitions.
I’m a sensitive soul, at one with nature. I don’t just see things. I need to touch and smell them. Sometimes these senses can be lost in a book, but Renita D’Silva has a magical way of bringing everything to life. I don’t just see the words she has written. I feel them, smell them, and taste them. At one point in the book, I even sneezed, due to sniffing too many spices. I love using as many senses to experience things. That's why I find this descriptive writing style so wonderfully beautiful.
If anyone asks me whether I have been to India, I can answer “Yes, I have. In the beautifully descriptive books written by talented author, Renita D’Silva.” Should I ever have the fortune of visiting India one day, I truly believe I will have the sensation of having been there before, thanks to this author’s books. Perhaps I will stumble across my very own ruin of a mansion, full of heartbreak and hope.
Reading a book by Renita D’Silva is a whole physical experience. I hope that anyone who chooses to read this will take their time and make the most of the colourful world that is truly brought to life within these pages. Take in your surroundings and allow yourself to be wholeheartedly absorbed by this beautiful book.
I haven’t said a lot about the plot of this story, as I want you to experience it in the way I did, not knowing how the story was going to progress, wishing for some things, surprised by others. I felt love for many of the characters. I also felt frustration and sadness at the blame, bitterness and self-destruction of the characters. This story really did take me through all possible emotions. I hope your journey through this book is as intense and memorable as mine.
Below are a few of my favourite quotes that give you an idea of Renita D’Silva’s beautiful and imaginative writing style:
“Durga blinks, seeing a cluster of cottages mushrooming from pebble-peppered earth, flanked by velvet fields, and, glowering from the top of the only hill, an old ruin.”
“We taste the darkness, inky and flavoured with shadows, spiced with intrigue.”
“The crows scatter in a demonic cackle, a constellation of black-winged foreboding, upsetting the grazing cows, setting the dogs howling.”
“I open my mouth to the heavens, sampling the fruit-scented, hope flavoured drops and laugh, for the first time since that day when my world shattered.”
Finally, before reading this book, I never thought I’d have a visual image for “bible-wielding shadows”, but I now do. It made me smile.
I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy emotionally heart-breaking, yet also heart-warming tales of the struggles life puts the human soul through, and full of characters that are so well developed and believable they come to life before you.
I would like to thank the publisher, Bookouture for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2016
Some authors, I pick up without a second thought, or rather I grab their books greedily, sometimes to read right away, sometimes to be kept away to savour when I’m in the right mood to enjoy them them most. Renita D’Silva’s books have fallen into those books that I grab greedily. This one was no exception and I read it in one shot because I couldn’t bear to stop.
Jaya has had double tragedies. Her mother dropped dead of a massive heart attack when she was pregnant with her son Arun. A few months later her son dies of cot death. Jaya is completely broken by both these tragedies. She has not only lost her mum and son, she had also pushed away her husband, Ben. The closeness they shared seemed to be a thing of the past. Overcome by sadness and guilt, guilt that she should have somehow kept her son alive, guilt that she never got to know her mother, had her turn to therapy. As she progresses through therapy she starts looking at her mother’s belongings which she hadn’t had the courage or strength to look at.
Her mother had been extremely reticent about herself. Jaya knew almost nothing about Sudha. All her efforts to find out while Sudha was alive didn’t go far. As she gathers the will to go through her mum’s belongings, she finds diaries and pictures of a place in India. As she starts to read through Sudha’s diaries, the person who her mother was begins to emerge. She starts to understand her mother’s little behaviours which had made no sense until then.
Before she got a chance to finish reading Sudha’s diaries, a missive from India brings things to a head.
Along with Jaya’s journey of discovery, runs a parallel story of Durga, a little girl thrown into confusion when her parents meet with a horrific accident and end up in coma. Durga is a strong willed girl who isn’t exactly a favourite of her neighbours. They start looking after her initially after the accident, but soon has her carted off to her grandmother who had never shown any interest in her granddaughter. Durga finds herself in a ruin of a grand mansion with her grandmother and a woman who is considered mad by the village folks.
What is the link between Jaya and Durga? You’ll have to read to find out. But what I can promise you is that it is a great read. Intriguing as you try to understand where the story is going and the final revelation. I kind of guessed what was coming but that didn’t detract my enjoyment of the book at all.
I’ve always found Renita’s writing very vivid, invoking strong imagery of the setting and the trials that her characters go through. Be it social discrimination or conditioning, or the wonderful descriptions of food. Especially the descriptions of food. I could feel Sudha’s pain as she grows up with the disapproval of her parents, of Kali’s motivation to better her status. Her characters aren’t black and white. You feel for Kali even when she is at her darkest. You understand why she (and Sudha, for that matter) does what she does. A book that was an absolute pleasure to read.
My rating – 4.5/5
Jaya has had double tragedies. Her mother dropped dead of a massive heart attack when she was pregnant with her son Arun. A few months later her son dies of cot death. Jaya is completely broken by both these tragedies. She has not only lost her mum and son, she had also pushed away her husband, Ben. The closeness they shared seemed to be a thing of the past. Overcome by sadness and guilt, guilt that she should have somehow kept her son alive, guilt that she never got to know her mother, had her turn to therapy. As she progresses through therapy she starts looking at her mother’s belongings which she hadn’t had the courage or strength to look at.
Her mother had been extremely reticent about herself. Jaya knew almost nothing about Sudha. All her efforts to find out while Sudha was alive didn’t go far. As she gathers the will to go through her mum’s belongings, she finds diaries and pictures of a place in India. As she starts to read through Sudha’s diaries, the person who her mother was begins to emerge. She starts to understand her mother’s little behaviours which had made no sense until then.
Before she got a chance to finish reading Sudha’s diaries, a missive from India brings things to a head.
Along with Jaya’s journey of discovery, runs a parallel story of Durga, a little girl thrown into confusion when her parents meet with a horrific accident and end up in coma. Durga is a strong willed girl who isn’t exactly a favourite of her neighbours. They start looking after her initially after the accident, but soon has her carted off to her grandmother who had never shown any interest in her granddaughter. Durga finds herself in a ruin of a grand mansion with her grandmother and a woman who is considered mad by the village folks.
What is the link between Jaya and Durga? You’ll have to read to find out. But what I can promise you is that it is a great read. Intriguing as you try to understand where the story is going and the final revelation. I kind of guessed what was coming but that didn’t detract my enjoyment of the book at all.
I’ve always found Renita’s writing very vivid, invoking strong imagery of the setting and the trials that her characters go through. Be it social discrimination or conditioning, or the wonderful descriptions of food. Especially the descriptions of food. I could feel Sudha’s pain as she grows up with the disapproval of her parents, of Kali’s motivation to better her status. Her characters aren’t black and white. You feel for Kali even when she is at her darkest. You understand why she (and Sudha, for that matter) does what she does. A book that was an absolute pleasure to read.
My rating – 4.5/5
April 4, 2016
I received this as an arc from net galley in exchange for an honest review.
What if you discovered that everything you knew about yourself was a lie?
When pregnant Jaya loses her mother, then her baby son Arun in a tragic cot death, her world crashes down.
Very good read.
CNPID.
I loved the story and the characters.
Jaya was my favourite character.
The way India was described it felt like I was there in the story.
Such a lovely moving read.
It had me gripped.
I loved the ending too.
This is a must read and I would highly recommend this book.
Definitely worth more than 5 *.
What if you discovered that everything you knew about yourself was a lie?
When pregnant Jaya loses her mother, then her baby son Arun in a tragic cot death, her world crashes down.
Very good read.
CNPID.
I loved the story and the characters.
Jaya was my favourite character.
The way India was described it felt like I was there in the story.
Such a lovely moving read.
It had me gripped.
I loved the ending too.
This is a must read and I would highly recommend this book.
Definitely worth more than 5 *.
July 18, 2016
Renita has done it again! I knew she wouldn't disappoint, and I was right. This delightful story that will take you to the heart of India and take you right under the skin of the protagonists. The twists and turns will surprise you, but most of all you will smell, taste, breathe the atmosphere. You will live in a wonderful house and long to give it the TLC it needs. You will long for things to turn out well, and at the end you will breathe a big ling sign of relief. Well done Renita, and thank you!
September 23, 2018
Werkelijk waar een heel mooi verhaal !
Het boek heeft een past - present structuur en daar hou ik wel van, heden en verleden wisselen elkaar af en zo vallen alle puzzelstukjes mooi in elkaar.
Aangename schrijfstijl en personages die bij blijven.
Het boek heeft een past - present structuur en daar hou ik wel van, heden en verleden wisselen elkaar af en zo vallen alle puzzelstukjes mooi in elkaar.
Aangename schrijfstijl en personages die bij blijven.
April 8, 2016
A fountain of emotions...
A Mother's Secret is a beautiful tale of love and passion, deceit and lies, secrets and memories. It is about the decisions we take in life and their consequences on ourselves and on those around us.
Every time I read a book by Renita D'Silva, I feel as though I'm transported through time, to faraway locations, dreaming with my eyes open. I also always learn new things about Indian culture and traditions.
In this book, we encounter some very strong, determined female characters - much stronger than their male counterparts actually. At times, these women made me love and admire them, at others I felt I almost hated them, but then I would imagine myself in their shoes, and end up wanting to hug them tightly to me again.
A madwoman... A cursed mansion...
Following a tragic accident, young Durga is sent to live with her 'ajji' or grandmother in a huge, ruined mansion. There lives Kali too, the old madwoman everyone fears. This woman was once a happy girl, a ruthless mistress of the house, so what made her lose her mind?
"... her mother a sealed chest of secrets, Jaya had never managed unlock."
Riddled by guilt and grief, Jaya is trying to come to terms with the loss of her mother Sudha. Jaya had never known her father and has always resented her mother's silence on his identity and on her past. Why did Sudha never divulge his identity? Who is/was he? Why aren't there any photos in their house of Jaya's father or of Jaya's first years? Who was really Sudha? Why did she shut the door on her past and never opened it again?
But now Jaya has found her mother's diaries and hopes that through her mother's writing, she could solve the riddle that was her enigmatic mother. What will she discover? What surprises will there be waiting for her? Will her questions be finally answered?
Renita D'Silva's rich and poetic prose makes reading an incredibly joyful experience. She has the ability to vividly paint scenes and describe feelings through an explosion of colours, smells and tastes that make you long to be there in the story. In Ms D'Silva's books, feelings have smells and voices have colours.
"The air that brushes Jaya's cheeks is the crushed mauve of regret, flavoured with the deep gold of yearning."
"A gentle voice, like the raindrop-jewelled breeze caressing the tops of mango trees."
"The darkness is syrupy brown, molasses thick."
I highly recommend this wonderful, emotive tale. It kept me engrossed till the end and I even missed my daily walk in order to finish it as I was desperate to find out what was this Mother's Secret.
With thanks to Bookouture for approving my request to read and review this book through Netgalley.
A Mother's Secret is a beautiful tale of love and passion, deceit and lies, secrets and memories. It is about the decisions we take in life and their consequences on ourselves and on those around us.
Every time I read a book by Renita D'Silva, I feel as though I'm transported through time, to faraway locations, dreaming with my eyes open. I also always learn new things about Indian culture and traditions.
In this book, we encounter some very strong, determined female characters - much stronger than their male counterparts actually. At times, these women made me love and admire them, at others I felt I almost hated them, but then I would imagine myself in their shoes, and end up wanting to hug them tightly to me again.
A madwoman... A cursed mansion...
Following a tragic accident, young Durga is sent to live with her 'ajji' or grandmother in a huge, ruined mansion. There lives Kali too, the old madwoman everyone fears. This woman was once a happy girl, a ruthless mistress of the house, so what made her lose her mind?
"... her mother a sealed chest of secrets, Jaya had never managed unlock."
Riddled by guilt and grief, Jaya is trying to come to terms with the loss of her mother Sudha. Jaya had never known her father and has always resented her mother's silence on his identity and on her past. Why did Sudha never divulge his identity? Who is/was he? Why aren't there any photos in their house of Jaya's father or of Jaya's first years? Who was really Sudha? Why did she shut the door on her past and never opened it again?
But now Jaya has found her mother's diaries and hopes that through her mother's writing, she could solve the riddle that was her enigmatic mother. What will she discover? What surprises will there be waiting for her? Will her questions be finally answered?
Renita D'Silva's rich and poetic prose makes reading an incredibly joyful experience. She has the ability to vividly paint scenes and describe feelings through an explosion of colours, smells and tastes that make you long to be there in the story. In Ms D'Silva's books, feelings have smells and voices have colours.
"The air that brushes Jaya's cheeks is the crushed mauve of regret, flavoured with the deep gold of yearning."
"A gentle voice, like the raindrop-jewelled breeze caressing the tops of mango trees."
"The darkness is syrupy brown, molasses thick."
I highly recommend this wonderful, emotive tale. It kept me engrossed till the end and I even missed my daily walk in order to finish it as I was desperate to find out what was this Mother's Secret.
With thanks to Bookouture for approving my request to read and review this book through Netgalley.
March 20, 2016
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advance copy of this book in return for an honest review. It is due for publication on 7 April 2016.
This is a beautifully written book that takes you on a journey into India both past and present, and into the intricacies and complexities of traditions and long-held customs. Alternating between the voices of Durga, sent to live with her ajji (grandmother) while her parents recuperate after an accident; Jaya, mourning the loss of her baby boy Arun to cot death, and struggling to maintain her relationship with her husband, Ben; Kali, who fluctuates between the past and the present; and Sudha, Jaya’s mother who has passed away, leaving Jaya with a sense of loss and of too much left unsaid and misunderstood.
Durga arrives in the village of Gaddehalli, scared and apprehensive after learning that she is actually going to stay in an old ruined mansion, rumoured to be haunted, and frequented by a mad-woman! She’s already lived most of her young life labelled as being difficult, rude and disruptive – she doesn’t need this added complication to add to her misery. But she’s surprised to find that her ajji is not what she expected, and neither is Kali, the misunderstood landlord’s wife who discovered that life as the overseer was not what she expected it to be, and that true love could not easily be replaced.
Meanwhile, in London, Jaya is trying to deal with the loss of her baby son to an inexplicable cot death. The loss has created a distance between her and Ben, her husband, and has led to many questions surrounding her relationship with her own mother who she feels died at too young an age. Why did she feel that her mother never quite connected with her? She knew that she was loved, but why then did she always feel kept at arm’s length, and why did her mother never share the details she so desperately needed to know about her father or her family?
How is Jaya connected to the old ruin in Gaddehalli? Renita D’Silva skilfully weaves an enthralling tale, neatly bringing her characters together. In so doing, she manages to seamlessly incorporate love, betrayal, disappointment, heartbreak, deceit and victory. This is a wonderful, evocative story that readers will easily embrace and enjoy.
This is a beautifully written book that takes you on a journey into India both past and present, and into the intricacies and complexities of traditions and long-held customs. Alternating between the voices of Durga, sent to live with her ajji (grandmother) while her parents recuperate after an accident; Jaya, mourning the loss of her baby boy Arun to cot death, and struggling to maintain her relationship with her husband, Ben; Kali, who fluctuates between the past and the present; and Sudha, Jaya’s mother who has passed away, leaving Jaya with a sense of loss and of too much left unsaid and misunderstood.
Durga arrives in the village of Gaddehalli, scared and apprehensive after learning that she is actually going to stay in an old ruined mansion, rumoured to be haunted, and frequented by a mad-woman! She’s already lived most of her young life labelled as being difficult, rude and disruptive – she doesn’t need this added complication to add to her misery. But she’s surprised to find that her ajji is not what she expected, and neither is Kali, the misunderstood landlord’s wife who discovered that life as the overseer was not what she expected it to be, and that true love could not easily be replaced.
Meanwhile, in London, Jaya is trying to deal with the loss of her baby son to an inexplicable cot death. The loss has created a distance between her and Ben, her husband, and has led to many questions surrounding her relationship with her own mother who she feels died at too young an age. Why did she feel that her mother never quite connected with her? She knew that she was loved, but why then did she always feel kept at arm’s length, and why did her mother never share the details she so desperately needed to know about her father or her family?
How is Jaya connected to the old ruin in Gaddehalli? Renita D’Silva skilfully weaves an enthralling tale, neatly bringing her characters together. In so doing, she manages to seamlessly incorporate love, betrayal, disappointment, heartbreak, deceit and victory. This is a wonderful, evocative story that readers will easily embrace and enjoy.
October 13, 2016
I always finish Renita’s books with a sigh, because I have to return to the real world and it’s not easy when you’ve been totally immersed in this writer’s world. The writing is so evocative, so beautiful, you not only feel everything the characters are feeling, you are there with them, tasting, touching and understanding. I had never been to India until I read Renita D’Silva – I still haven’t, yet I feel like I have because she describes the place, the people, the culture so vividly. This is a story about love, loss, heartbreak, misunderstanding told from the perspectives of different women, whose lives are cleverly interwoven by an incredibly talented writer who can create a story that holds you - and doesn’t let you go – even after the last page.
April 28, 2016
Beautiful imagery brought India to life for me.
I read this book because it was offered on Kindle. I have never read this author, but will definitely read more of her in the future. I will recommend her to my other book reading friends. India is depicted as very beautiful, with the different colors and smells described so I felt as though I was really experiencing it first hand. But, yet, it seems a sad place to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, however, it is hard to imagine all the heartache. It is uplifting in the end to imagine the younger generation rebuilding what could have been lost forever.
I read this book because it was offered on Kindle. I have never read this author, but will definitely read more of her in the future. I will recommend her to my other book reading friends. India is depicted as very beautiful, with the different colors and smells described so I felt as though I was really experiencing it first hand. But, yet, it seems a sad place to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, however, it is hard to imagine all the heartache. It is uplifting in the end to imagine the younger generation rebuilding what could have been lost forever.
September 2, 2021
Wow! I got really engrossed wondering what would happen next. This was the first book by Renita D'Silva I read. I've read many more but this is my favorite up to now...
Spoilerish:
A lovely intriguing and unique story with a little bit of "Lal Pathar" (1970 Indian movie) and a little bit of Jane Eyre or so I thought.
Spoilerish:
A lovely intriguing and unique story with a little bit of "Lal Pathar" (1970 Indian movie) and a little bit of Jane Eyre or so I thought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2016
Wonderful book, highly recommend X
April 6, 2016
A Mother's Secret may have been the first book I have read by Renita D'Silva but it certainly won't be the last, I really can't believe that I have only just discovered Renita's wonderful writing. The author writes with such passion for her chosen subject and the deep love she has for India just radiates from the pages. This novel is a story of love, loss, heartbreak, tragedy and secrets but also one of expectation and the pressure to conform which can lead to the most catastrophic and agonising of circumstances. The cover for this book is beautiful and haunting and in the vein of Dinah Jefferies whose books I adore and yet again it was the cover that first drew me to this book without even bothering to read the blurb. I just knew I wanted to be transported to where that lady on the front cover was sitting, to experience the sights, sounds and smells of India whilst reading an absorbing story.
Initially it did take me a while to get into this book as there were numerous characters introduced and I felt the book jumped around a bit. Just as you were getting into one characters mindset the chapter ended and we were with someone else. Also there were connections I was trying to make but really it was too early in the book for that and the reward for my patience was a story that unfolded layer by layer into what proved to be a beautifully crafted piece of writing where the author laid bare her heart and soul on every page.
A Mother's Secret is told through the eyes of three women Kali, Jaya and Durga. We also read bits from Jaya's mother Sudha but this is through her diary entries as she has passed away from a heart attack. All the women are at different stages in their lives and have different opinions and viewpoints to bring to the story. They all appear to be connected in some way but the reader is left grasping at threads right until the very end until the connections are confirmed. Durga is a young girl sent to live with the grandmother she has never met and probably would not have only for the accident her parents were in. Durga is a wild child, lively, energetic and uncontrollable. She seems to be the bane of the villagers who care for her as her parents lie in a coma in hospital. Durga is fearful as to what will happen to her if her parents do not recover. She is nervous about being sent to a place to a woman she has no connection with except through blood. If Sumathiamma can cast out her own child how will she feel about having to look after her grandchild Durga?
Right from the moment Durga arrives in the isolated village there is a sense of mystery in the air, of a place where time has stood still forever caught in the memories of an event long passed but which still echoes around the crumbling mansion in which it took place. The villagers fear the mansion on the hill believing ghosts roam the property and anyone that steps inside will be cursed for ever more. Of course Durga is wary but what choice does she have? There is no other alternative only to stay with her grandmother.
Behind the walls of the mansion Sumathiamma and some nuns care for an old woman Kali - a woman who has witnessed such terror and devastation that it has driven her mad. The confines of the mansion are all she now knows as she wanders between brief periods of sanity and times of uncontrollable panic that bring her back to the past. To a time she wishes she had dealt with differently, where her obsession to avenge a wrong and achieve a position in society was ultimately her downfall. I did think Durga was going to feature heavily in the book but this really is not her story, yes she has a crucial role to play and without her the book would have turned out quite differently but I was more interested in the story of Kali and how it could possible interweave with Jaya.
As each chapter alternates between Jaya and Kali's story the author steadily builds a picture of a family history torn apart by greed, intention and the power of love. There was great depth and emotion to this story that unfolded at a slow pace which kept the reader wanting more and eagerly turning the pages. Jaya is a woman slowly climbing her way back to her normal self after experiencing great sorrow following the loss of her son Arun to cot death. Not only that her mother had died of a heart attack leaving more questions than answers. Jaya's husband Ben is often away travelling for work so she is left to deal with her emotions and recovery single handedly. Counselling does help and it is through this she has the courage to explore her mother's things which leads to the discovery of photos and diaries. This surprises Jaya as she had long been told her father had died when she was young and her mother and no connections left with India instead living her adopted home of England.
Jaya is at a turning point in her life and she longs to be able to reach her mother to discover just why was she so closed off. Why did a cruel twist of fate leave Jaya lonely just when she needed her mother most? Jaya's feelings and emotions can never be contained or explained unless she reads the diary in the hope of uncovering just what her mother had kept secret for so many years. Will Sudha's story be a revelation? Will it help Jaya find some peace and the solace and comfort she so desperately needs? Jaya seemed ever so lonely, confused and afraid like a soul who has lost their path in life and needs a strong firm, helping hand to once again steer them in the right direction. I felt her agony and pain as she realises she has a tangible connection to her mother and India one that she never expected to see come to fruition.
Although Jaya and Durga' stories were interesting to read it was really the tale of Kali that had me hooked throughout. I loved how we got inside her head both as a young woman and now as a elderly woman driven mad by events of the past. Each of her chapters began with her in the present wondering why she is not young anymore? Where have the people she has known disappeared to? Why is the mansion becoming ever more abandoned and worn down? These scenes were powerful as we experience Kali's upset, confusion and distress before she sinks back into the past where we uncover a story perhaps one of greed but more so one of ambition and a ruthless determination to fulfil an ambition at whatever cost. No matter who suffers in the path of this goal or what sacrifices are made to achieve the most desirable outcome? Kali really was the most messed up character and I don't mean the fact she has descended into madness but rather from when we first meet her. An incident of rejection sets her on a path which will fuel her for the rest of her life. She doesn't want to feel that way again to be looked upon as worthless as the dredges of society who can never rise up against all the obstacles placed in their way.
Kali sets in motion a plan that will see her go against the norms for a woman of her caste, she will cause upset, horror and untold hardship for those she encounters. Even at the end of this book I couldn't quite fathom Kali and her ultimate motives. I didn't like her at all for what she did and the lies she told which in turn made other people suffer. I'm not even sure her family members liked her either. They almost seemed in fear of her and her close relatives one in particular felt the weight of her expectation so much and of a burden that they were forced to make the ultimate sacrifice which in turn only damaged future generations. Only towards the end did I feel some sense of remorse for her as the secrets are finally exposed but ultimately Kali proved her self to be ruthless and strong willed but when push came to shove even though in some eyes her action may have been wrong she did what she did for love.
A Mother's Secret is a remarkable book filled with amazing writing and important life lessons to be learned. It is a feast for the senses and your imagination. I really was transported to the hot, dusty, barren countryside of India surrounding the mansion. I could visualise Durga climbing the hill to a house that wanted to shed its burden and let go of the past to embrace the present and become filled with new life once again. A house where it could no longer hold back the story it so desperately wanted to tell. The book is honest and intense and filled with such elegant writing that transports you to the heart of the story and to the themes the author is trying to convey. I don't often say this but this book is worthy of a re-read as there is so much to soak up on every page that in your eagerness to uncover the truth behind the tragedy that you may well miss out on the finer details and descriptions. So it may have begun at slow pace and I may have taken time to get into the story but once it caught me in its hold it didn't let go until that jaw dropping moment near the very end that had me gasping out loud. I was beginning to wonder how al the dots a such could by joined together but the author did it with a mixture of sensitivity and flair that leaves the reader satsified and very impressed.
Renita D'Silva writes with compassion and love for her subject matter and I'm just left questioning myself as to why I never thought to read any of her books before. I have five other books to choose from now as I eagerly await her next release.
Initially it did take me a while to get into this book as there were numerous characters introduced and I felt the book jumped around a bit. Just as you were getting into one characters mindset the chapter ended and we were with someone else. Also there were connections I was trying to make but really it was too early in the book for that and the reward for my patience was a story that unfolded layer by layer into what proved to be a beautifully crafted piece of writing where the author laid bare her heart and soul on every page.
A Mother's Secret is told through the eyes of three women Kali, Jaya and Durga. We also read bits from Jaya's mother Sudha but this is through her diary entries as she has passed away from a heart attack. All the women are at different stages in their lives and have different opinions and viewpoints to bring to the story. They all appear to be connected in some way but the reader is left grasping at threads right until the very end until the connections are confirmed. Durga is a young girl sent to live with the grandmother she has never met and probably would not have only for the accident her parents were in. Durga is a wild child, lively, energetic and uncontrollable. She seems to be the bane of the villagers who care for her as her parents lie in a coma in hospital. Durga is fearful as to what will happen to her if her parents do not recover. She is nervous about being sent to a place to a woman she has no connection with except through blood. If Sumathiamma can cast out her own child how will she feel about having to look after her grandchild Durga?
Right from the moment Durga arrives in the isolated village there is a sense of mystery in the air, of a place where time has stood still forever caught in the memories of an event long passed but which still echoes around the crumbling mansion in which it took place. The villagers fear the mansion on the hill believing ghosts roam the property and anyone that steps inside will be cursed for ever more. Of course Durga is wary but what choice does she have? There is no other alternative only to stay with her grandmother.
Behind the walls of the mansion Sumathiamma and some nuns care for an old woman Kali - a woman who has witnessed such terror and devastation that it has driven her mad. The confines of the mansion are all she now knows as she wanders between brief periods of sanity and times of uncontrollable panic that bring her back to the past. To a time she wishes she had dealt with differently, where her obsession to avenge a wrong and achieve a position in society was ultimately her downfall. I did think Durga was going to feature heavily in the book but this really is not her story, yes she has a crucial role to play and without her the book would have turned out quite differently but I was more interested in the story of Kali and how it could possible interweave with Jaya.
As each chapter alternates between Jaya and Kali's story the author steadily builds a picture of a family history torn apart by greed, intention and the power of love. There was great depth and emotion to this story that unfolded at a slow pace which kept the reader wanting more and eagerly turning the pages. Jaya is a woman slowly climbing her way back to her normal self after experiencing great sorrow following the loss of her son Arun to cot death. Not only that her mother had died of a heart attack leaving more questions than answers. Jaya's husband Ben is often away travelling for work so she is left to deal with her emotions and recovery single handedly. Counselling does help and it is through this she has the courage to explore her mother's things which leads to the discovery of photos and diaries. This surprises Jaya as she had long been told her father had died when she was young and her mother and no connections left with India instead living her adopted home of England.
Jaya is at a turning point in her life and she longs to be able to reach her mother to discover just why was she so closed off. Why did a cruel twist of fate leave Jaya lonely just when she needed her mother most? Jaya's feelings and emotions can never be contained or explained unless she reads the diary in the hope of uncovering just what her mother had kept secret for so many years. Will Sudha's story be a revelation? Will it help Jaya find some peace and the solace and comfort she so desperately needs? Jaya seemed ever so lonely, confused and afraid like a soul who has lost their path in life and needs a strong firm, helping hand to once again steer them in the right direction. I felt her agony and pain as she realises she has a tangible connection to her mother and India one that she never expected to see come to fruition.
Although Jaya and Durga' stories were interesting to read it was really the tale of Kali that had me hooked throughout. I loved how we got inside her head both as a young woman and now as a elderly woman driven mad by events of the past. Each of her chapters began with her in the present wondering why she is not young anymore? Where have the people she has known disappeared to? Why is the mansion becoming ever more abandoned and worn down? These scenes were powerful as we experience Kali's upset, confusion and distress before she sinks back into the past where we uncover a story perhaps one of greed but more so one of ambition and a ruthless determination to fulfil an ambition at whatever cost. No matter who suffers in the path of this goal or what sacrifices are made to achieve the most desirable outcome? Kali really was the most messed up character and I don't mean the fact she has descended into madness but rather from when we first meet her. An incident of rejection sets her on a path which will fuel her for the rest of her life. She doesn't want to feel that way again to be looked upon as worthless as the dredges of society who can never rise up against all the obstacles placed in their way.
Kali sets in motion a plan that will see her go against the norms for a woman of her caste, she will cause upset, horror and untold hardship for those she encounters. Even at the end of this book I couldn't quite fathom Kali and her ultimate motives. I didn't like her at all for what she did and the lies she told which in turn made other people suffer. I'm not even sure her family members liked her either. They almost seemed in fear of her and her close relatives one in particular felt the weight of her expectation so much and of a burden that they were forced to make the ultimate sacrifice which in turn only damaged future generations. Only towards the end did I feel some sense of remorse for her as the secrets are finally exposed but ultimately Kali proved her self to be ruthless and strong willed but when push came to shove even though in some eyes her action may have been wrong she did what she did for love.
A Mother's Secret is a remarkable book filled with amazing writing and important life lessons to be learned. It is a feast for the senses and your imagination. I really was transported to the hot, dusty, barren countryside of India surrounding the mansion. I could visualise Durga climbing the hill to a house that wanted to shed its burden and let go of the past to embrace the present and become filled with new life once again. A house where it could no longer hold back the story it so desperately wanted to tell. The book is honest and intense and filled with such elegant writing that transports you to the heart of the story and to the themes the author is trying to convey. I don't often say this but this book is worthy of a re-read as there is so much to soak up on every page that in your eagerness to uncover the truth behind the tragedy that you may well miss out on the finer details and descriptions. So it may have begun at slow pace and I may have taken time to get into the story but once it caught me in its hold it didn't let go until that jaw dropping moment near the very end that had me gasping out loud. I was beginning to wonder how al the dots a such could by joined together but the author did it with a mixture of sensitivity and flair that leaves the reader satsified and very impressed.
Renita D'Silva writes with compassion and love for her subject matter and I'm just left questioning myself as to why I never thought to read any of her books before. I have five other books to choose from now as I eagerly await her next release.
September 12, 2025
"Tajna začina" je na prvi pogled jedna dirljiva priča o ljubavi i žrtvovanju. Roman u kome se prepliću dva vremena i u kome je sadašnjost produkt neke nezaboravne žrtve iz prošlosti.
Međutim, "Tajna začina" je i više od toga. Ona je bunar suza svake majke, snaga je svake žene, deteta... On je skup svih ljudskih iskonskih borbi protiv nepravde i znak da u svakom porobljavanju ima i ljudskosti, a u svakoj ljubavi izdaje!
Bindu je devojčica iz Indije koju u izrazito teškim uslovima odgaja njena baka Ađi koja je glavna kuvarica u selu.
Bindu odrasta okružena ljubavlju iako oskudeva u elementarnim uslovima za život.
Biva odličan đak, sa svim mogućnostima za stipendiju i dalje plaćeno školovanje.
Slobodnog duha i neukrotiva u jednom momentu odbacuje svoje mogućnosti i udaje se za zemljoposednikovog sina, najbogatijeg čoveka u državi.
Bindu, ta koja prezire poniznost i pravila koja pišu moćnici u svoju korist!
Zašto se odlučuje na taj korak i koliko će uspeti da obuzda svoju narav u tradicionalnom braku saznajemo halapljivo grabeći stranice ovog izuzetnog romana!
Da li je ljubav pokretač i ukoliko jeste da li je dovoljna za opstanak!
Rekla bih da je ovo sasvim drugačiji roman od ostalih sa istom tematikom.
"Ljubav i mržnja su sa iste strane novčića." Pa tako mi ovde imamo ljubav koja rađa izdaju i mržnju koja rađa ljubav.
Ogromni su razdori između staleža u Indiji, te su više nego surovi načini življenja onih koji su potlačeni.
Bindu će se boriti za svaku kap vode i obrazovanja, ali i za ljubav tih meštana, jer ljudi su prevrtljivi, sujeverni i povodljivi.
Drugi vremenski tok je podrazumevajući se smešten u Englesku, tamo uvek sve iz Indije i završava.
Iv je usvojeno dete, njen otac je zaljubljujući se u zemlju Indiju u kojoj boravi po službenoj dužnosti, imao sreću da iz nje nešto ponese.
Poneo je baš Iv!
Iv znači život i ona je živa uprkos bolu sa kojim se budi u praznom krevetu i suočena sa najvećim mogućim gubitkom koji jedna majka može da doživi.
U romanu u kome svaka reč damara slobodom naučićemo koliko je bitno šta ostavljamo iza sebe.
I Bindu i likovi oko nje su nesebični i nama odlična lekcija o praštanju.
Ovde je svaki život istkan prijateljstvom.
,,Sa svakim iskustvom naučiš nešto o sebi a ona najteža te oblikuju. Ona te obeleže, žigošu, ali iz njih izlaziš promenjena nabolje"
Naše aktere iz različitih epoha i podneblja povezuje jedna knjiga recepata, a ja vam ovim putem ne mogu preneti ni mirise, ni ukuse, ali mogu utisak da sam ih doživela i uživala u njima čitajući roman Renite D'Silve u prevodu naše Aleksandra Čabraja.
Ogromna preporuka!
Međutim, "Tajna začina" je i više od toga. Ona je bunar suza svake majke, snaga je svake žene, deteta... On je skup svih ljudskih iskonskih borbi protiv nepravde i znak da u svakom porobljavanju ima i ljudskosti, a u svakoj ljubavi izdaje!
Bindu je devojčica iz Indije koju u izrazito teškim uslovima odgaja njena baka Ađi koja je glavna kuvarica u selu.
Bindu odrasta okružena ljubavlju iako oskudeva u elementarnim uslovima za život.
Biva odličan đak, sa svim mogućnostima za stipendiju i dalje plaćeno školovanje.
Slobodnog duha i neukrotiva u jednom momentu odbacuje svoje mogućnosti i udaje se za zemljoposednikovog sina, najbogatijeg čoveka u državi.
Bindu, ta koja prezire poniznost i pravila koja pišu moćnici u svoju korist!
Zašto se odlučuje na taj korak i koliko će uspeti da obuzda svoju narav u tradicionalnom braku saznajemo halapljivo grabeći stranice ovog izuzetnog romana!
Da li je ljubav pokretač i ukoliko jeste da li je dovoljna za opstanak!
Rekla bih da je ovo sasvim drugačiji roman od ostalih sa istom tematikom.
"Ljubav i mržnja su sa iste strane novčića." Pa tako mi ovde imamo ljubav koja rađa izdaju i mržnju koja rađa ljubav.
Ogromni su razdori između staleža u Indiji, te su više nego surovi načini življenja onih koji su potlačeni.
Bindu će se boriti za svaku kap vode i obrazovanja, ali i za ljubav tih meštana, jer ljudi su prevrtljivi, sujeverni i povodljivi.
Drugi vremenski tok je podrazumevajući se smešten u Englesku, tamo uvek sve iz Indije i završava.
Iv je usvojeno dete, njen otac je zaljubljujući se u zemlju Indiju u kojoj boravi po službenoj dužnosti, imao sreću da iz nje nešto ponese.
Poneo je baš Iv!
Iv znači život i ona je živa uprkos bolu sa kojim se budi u praznom krevetu i suočena sa najvećim mogućim gubitkom koji jedna majka može da doživi.
U romanu u kome svaka reč damara slobodom naučićemo koliko je bitno šta ostavljamo iza sebe.
I Bindu i likovi oko nje su nesebični i nama odlična lekcija o praštanju.
Ovde je svaki život istkan prijateljstvom.
,,Sa svakim iskustvom naučiš nešto o sebi a ona najteža te oblikuju. Ona te obeleže, žigošu, ali iz njih izlaziš promenjena nabolje"
Naše aktere iz različitih epoha i podneblja povezuje jedna knjiga recepata, a ja vam ovim putem ne mogu preneti ni mirise, ni ukuse, ali mogu utisak da sam ih doživela i uživala u njima čitajući roman Renite D'Silve u prevodu naše Aleksandra Čabraja.
Ogromna preporuka!
July 10, 2021
I loved this novel! Renita D'Silva has become one of my favorite authors. This novel is primarily set in India and involves 3 generations of a family. It starts out with a young woman Jaya finding her mother's diary after her mother Sudha's death. What she reads in the diary transforms her world and her life. She had been struggling with grief after losing both her mother and her infant son in a short time. At the time Jaya reads this, she is living in London where she thought she had lived all of her life. Her mother had refused to reveal any part of her past to Jaya, including the identity of her father, as she had raised Jaya on her own.
The novel alternates in chapters between Jaya in the present, a child named Durga in the present, Kali Gowda in the past, and Sudha in the past. Kali is the link between all the characters. In the present day, she lives in the mansion that she came to initially as a servant before marrying the son of the landlord. After many tragedies, she 'lost' her mind and is under constant supervised care. Sudha is Jaya's mother, who married Kali's son. When Durga comes to the mansion to stay with her grandmother, the caretaker for Kali, she bonds with Kali and brings back memories which result in a new search to find Sudha with an important letter finally getting to Jaya. Jaya then goes to India to the town where her mother had grown up and lived before coming to England to find out more of her mother's history.
The writer's style is beautifully descriptive but never tedious. Once I started reading this novel, I did not want to put it down. I have read one other book by D'Silva but will definitely seek out more of her books.
The novel alternates in chapters between Jaya in the present, a child named Durga in the present, Kali Gowda in the past, and Sudha in the past. Kali is the link between all the characters. In the present day, she lives in the mansion that she came to initially as a servant before marrying the son of the landlord. After many tragedies, she 'lost' her mind and is under constant supervised care. Sudha is Jaya's mother, who married Kali's son. When Durga comes to the mansion to stay with her grandmother, the caretaker for Kali, she bonds with Kali and brings back memories which result in a new search to find Sudha with an important letter finally getting to Jaya. Jaya then goes to India to the town where her mother had grown up and lived before coming to England to find out more of her mother's history.
The writer's style is beautifully descriptive but never tedious. Once I started reading this novel, I did not want to put it down. I have read one other book by D'Silva but will definitely seek out more of her books.
November 2, 2023
My first read by this author, and a very enjoyable one it was.
September 1, 2017
This was a book that tells the story of love , lies, loss in a family and the secrets that were carried over the years . It is told from the point of view of four main characters . I really enjoyed this book and the way it described life during those times in India . I loved the way it was written at times in diary form and how the characters were described. The book was very vivid in the description of India and the life there. At times I actually felt like I was there . My only small gripe was I would have loved to have known what years all this took place in .
July 14, 2025
Prachtig !
December 26, 2017
Renita D'Silva is a masterful storyteller. I have read a few of her books but I think this is my favourite to date. It actually reminded me of an Indian version of Great Expectations - the crumbling 'haunted' mansion, the embittered old woman, the secrets from the past echoing through the house...
We are taken on a journey in which the author seamlessly interweaves between past and present and, little by little, feeding the reader just enough information, we understand how all the characters are linked up. Like all her books, A Mother's Secret is filled with the sounds, smells and riotous sights of India whilst also offering a non-judgmental but insightful social commentary on this fascinating, complicated country. Bravo, Renita D'Silva.
We are taken on a journey in which the author seamlessly interweaves between past and present and, little by little, feeding the reader just enough information, we understand how all the characters are linked up. Like all her books, A Mother's Secret is filled with the sounds, smells and riotous sights of India whilst also offering a non-judgmental but insightful social commentary on this fascinating, complicated country. Bravo, Renita D'Silva.
March 28, 2016
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for the ARC of ‘A Mother’s Secret’ by Renita D’Silva in exchange for my review.
Jaya is a young woman who has suffered great loss in a short space of time. Struggling to come to terms with the death of both her mother, Sudha, and son, and with her marriage under great strain, she seeks help from a bereavement counsellor, who encourages her to start to go through her mother’s belongings for the answers she seeks about why her mother was so distant and why she would tell her nothing of her past or her father. When Jaya finds two diaries along with pictures of a happy smiling boy and a family that Jaya doesn’t recognise she begins to realise that there was a reason her mother was so withdrawn and that there was far more to the woman who raised her than she knew. Much of her history is told in her mother’s voice as Jaya reads through the diaries which hold the key to her past.
In India, a young girl named Durga is sent to live with her grandmother following a tragic accident which leaves both of her parents in a coma. Durga has never met her Grandmother, a large rift existing between her and Durga’s mother following her grandmother’s disapproval of Durga’s father. All she knows of the woman is that she lives in a grand ruin of a house in Gaddehalli. The house is reported to be cursed and haunted, with rumours abound that tragedy befalls all male members of the household, the reasons for the belief becoming clearer as the story gradually unfolds.
Within the house live Durga’s Grandmother, Sumathi, long ago a servant who lived and worked in the old mansion, and Kali, former servant and then Mistress of the mansion, a woman who’s past is told through a series of flashbacks as her tortured mind draws her away from the tragedy of her present to a happier time, from her first love to the birth of her first child and her quest to become the wife of the heir to the mansion. Kali is a flawed character, but one who pays the ultimate price with the loss of her love, her family and her sanity. Durga’s arrival at the house triggers something in Kali and they form a tight little friendship, and it is through a conversation between the pair that Durga learns about Kali’s daughter in law, a woman believed to have perished in the fire which ruined the house. Durga convinces her grandmother to contact the family solicitor and to hunt down the missing woman in the hope that is can bring Kali some kind of peace after all the years of hurt she has endured.
This is a beautifully written book, the descriptions so vivid and poetic that they create a clear picture of the village and the painful life that the women of this novel have lived and endured. The characters in this story are truly well developed, their lives laid out in so much detail, that you live their love and losses with them. All of their pasts are tragic in their own way, coloured by loss and pain, and it is the way their lives intersect which forms the basis of the story. There are so many elements to it; greed, envy, love, betrayal, pride and hatred, and they all serve to shape the futures of three very different women. They are woven together so well, alternating between the present in the stories of Jaya and Durga and on occasion Kali, and the past in the diaries of Sudha and the moments where Kali retreats into herself, recalling her past. Four very distinct voices, but the transition from one to the next is seamless. It is impossible not to feel for the women, even Kali who, although motivated by envy, was driven to do what she did by her father’s betrayal and the loss of her first love.
This is a tragically beautiful story, very moving and heart wrenching at times, told so well that it captures the reader and forces you to read on, to will Sudha and Kali to a happier future, even though their fates are inevitable. I highly recommend it.
Jaya is a young woman who has suffered great loss in a short space of time. Struggling to come to terms with the death of both her mother, Sudha, and son, and with her marriage under great strain, she seeks help from a bereavement counsellor, who encourages her to start to go through her mother’s belongings for the answers she seeks about why her mother was so distant and why she would tell her nothing of her past or her father. When Jaya finds two diaries along with pictures of a happy smiling boy and a family that Jaya doesn’t recognise she begins to realise that there was a reason her mother was so withdrawn and that there was far more to the woman who raised her than she knew. Much of her history is told in her mother’s voice as Jaya reads through the diaries which hold the key to her past.
In India, a young girl named Durga is sent to live with her grandmother following a tragic accident which leaves both of her parents in a coma. Durga has never met her Grandmother, a large rift existing between her and Durga’s mother following her grandmother’s disapproval of Durga’s father. All she knows of the woman is that she lives in a grand ruin of a house in Gaddehalli. The house is reported to be cursed and haunted, with rumours abound that tragedy befalls all male members of the household, the reasons for the belief becoming clearer as the story gradually unfolds.
Within the house live Durga’s Grandmother, Sumathi, long ago a servant who lived and worked in the old mansion, and Kali, former servant and then Mistress of the mansion, a woman who’s past is told through a series of flashbacks as her tortured mind draws her away from the tragedy of her present to a happier time, from her first love to the birth of her first child and her quest to become the wife of the heir to the mansion. Kali is a flawed character, but one who pays the ultimate price with the loss of her love, her family and her sanity. Durga’s arrival at the house triggers something in Kali and they form a tight little friendship, and it is through a conversation between the pair that Durga learns about Kali’s daughter in law, a woman believed to have perished in the fire which ruined the house. Durga convinces her grandmother to contact the family solicitor and to hunt down the missing woman in the hope that is can bring Kali some kind of peace after all the years of hurt she has endured.
This is a beautifully written book, the descriptions so vivid and poetic that they create a clear picture of the village and the painful life that the women of this novel have lived and endured. The characters in this story are truly well developed, their lives laid out in so much detail, that you live their love and losses with them. All of their pasts are tragic in their own way, coloured by loss and pain, and it is the way their lives intersect which forms the basis of the story. There are so many elements to it; greed, envy, love, betrayal, pride and hatred, and they all serve to shape the futures of three very different women. They are woven together so well, alternating between the present in the stories of Jaya and Durga and on occasion Kali, and the past in the diaries of Sudha and the moments where Kali retreats into herself, recalling her past. Four very distinct voices, but the transition from one to the next is seamless. It is impossible not to feel for the women, even Kali who, although motivated by envy, was driven to do what she did by her father’s betrayal and the loss of her first love.
This is a tragically beautiful story, very moving and heart wrenching at times, told so well that it captures the reader and forces you to read on, to will Sudha and Kali to a happier future, even though their fates are inevitable. I highly recommend it.
May 4, 2016
Renita's last book blew me away and if I'm honest I figured it may just have been that particular story. However, having devoured this latest book I now know for sure it's the author and not just the story that makes you fall in love with a book. Durga, Kali and Jaya are all the focus of this intricately weaved story and one that I just fell in love with.
Durga is a young girl who has been sent to stay with her Grandmother who lives in a once grand house on a hill. Durga is a delightful character, a young girl who is labelled as naughty and is struggling to come to terms with her new home. However, upon arrival at her new home she sees that an older lady Kali is living there and being looked after by her grandmother. Kali is the other main character that is slowly introduced to the story. In addition we see Jaya living in London and dealing with the aftermath and emotional effects of losing her mother and newborn son.
Jaya's story was in interesting one and as each story is unfolded at times I wondered what I was missing. I knew there were connections but just couldn't see them. Once I was a quarter of the way in I knew I was hooked and there was no way I was putting this book down. Renita D'Silva has a way with words and as a reader you feel like she can physically transport you to that small village in India. You can see the sights, smell the spices and imagine you are right there alongside the characters.
As the story progresses I became more and more lost in this story and the connections became more and more revealed and the story just sweeps you along. The story is packed full of hope, despair, tragedy, loss and a whole host of other emotions. This is the second of Renita's books that have literally knocked my socks off. They have such a different feel to them and I always feel that ridiculous sense of loss when the story is finished. I will hold my hands up and admit that seeing the cover and even reading the synopsis of her last book, I still thought "this isn't for me". Maybe that ridiculous pre-judgement makes me even more happy as the story took me by surprise. Truly a delight to read and a loss when finished. This is definitely a book I would highly recommend and I would urge you to give it a try even if it's not your normal type of book, as it may just surprise you.
Durga is a young girl who has been sent to stay with her Grandmother who lives in a once grand house on a hill. Durga is a delightful character, a young girl who is labelled as naughty and is struggling to come to terms with her new home. However, upon arrival at her new home she sees that an older lady Kali is living there and being looked after by her grandmother. Kali is the other main character that is slowly introduced to the story. In addition we see Jaya living in London and dealing with the aftermath and emotional effects of losing her mother and newborn son.
Jaya's story was in interesting one and as each story is unfolded at times I wondered what I was missing. I knew there were connections but just couldn't see them. Once I was a quarter of the way in I knew I was hooked and there was no way I was putting this book down. Renita D'Silva has a way with words and as a reader you feel like she can physically transport you to that small village in India. You can see the sights, smell the spices and imagine you are right there alongside the characters.
As the story progresses I became more and more lost in this story and the connections became more and more revealed and the story just sweeps you along. The story is packed full of hope, despair, tragedy, loss and a whole host of other emotions. This is the second of Renita's books that have literally knocked my socks off. They have such a different feel to them and I always feel that ridiculous sense of loss when the story is finished. I will hold my hands up and admit that seeing the cover and even reading the synopsis of her last book, I still thought "this isn't for me". Maybe that ridiculous pre-judgement makes me even more happy as the story took me by surprise. Truly a delight to read and a loss when finished. This is definitely a book I would highly recommend and I would urge you to give it a try even if it's not your normal type of book, as it may just surprise you.
March 30, 2016
A Mother's Secret, by Renita D'Silva, is a truly heartfelt and beautifully written novel. This is the first book I've read by this author, and it exceeded my expectations and then some. Renita D'Silva is an amazing storyteller, and has a writing style that immediately pulls you into the story. The story is written in vivid detail, which helps you to imagine the story as you read it. I found this to also be a very emotional read, heartbreaking at times, and one that will stay with me for a very long time. Overall, I just fell in love with this beautiful story! It is a story about the bond between family, love, loss, and so much more. The characters are complex with great development through the story. The story is told by the main female characters.
Jaya has known loss in her life...first her mother, Sudha, dies from a heart attack, and then her infant son dies in a horrible accident. She is drowning in her own grief and guilt. Her relationship with her husband is suffering since their son died, and Jaya has pushed him away. She decides to learn more about her mother and her life in India. She finds old photos and a couple of her mother's diaries, and begins reading the diaries. As with any diary, secrets are revealed that soon have Jaya questioning everything she thought she knew.
Durga's life is also changing. Her parents were in an accident, and she is sent to live with her grandmother, Sumathi, while they are recovering from their injuries. Durga is weary about leaving her parents, especially since she doesn't really know her grandmother. Once she arrives at her grandmother's, we are introduced to another character named Kali. Kali, like the other characters, has also had tragedy in her life.
This is an amazing story of the journey these characters have taken, both in the past and the present. The author transitions between the characters with ease, and the story told by each will capture and hold your attention. I can't begin to stress enough how amazing this book truly is. I hope everyone has a chance to read this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author!
I was given an advance digital copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jaya has known loss in her life...first her mother, Sudha, dies from a heart attack, and then her infant son dies in a horrible accident. She is drowning in her own grief and guilt. Her relationship with her husband is suffering since their son died, and Jaya has pushed him away. She decides to learn more about her mother and her life in India. She finds old photos and a couple of her mother's diaries, and begins reading the diaries. As with any diary, secrets are revealed that soon have Jaya questioning everything she thought she knew.
Durga's life is also changing. Her parents were in an accident, and she is sent to live with her grandmother, Sumathi, while they are recovering from their injuries. Durga is weary about leaving her parents, especially since she doesn't really know her grandmother. Once she arrives at her grandmother's, we are introduced to another character named Kali. Kali, like the other characters, has also had tragedy in her life.
This is an amazing story of the journey these characters have taken, both in the past and the present. The author transitions between the characters with ease, and the story told by each will capture and hold your attention. I can't begin to stress enough how amazing this book truly is. I hope everyone has a chance to read this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author!
I was given an advance digital copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2016
I very much enjoyed this book set in London and India. The story is told in the voices of the main female characters:
Firstly there is Durga in India, a young girl whose parents are in hospital following a serious accident. Durga has been labelled as difficult, rude and badly behaved although her parents simply thought her 'spirited'. She travels to Gaddehalli with an aunt who will leaving her with her Grandmother who apparently lives with a madwoman in an old ruined house on the hill above the village. The villagers are shocked that anyone is going there. They believe the old mansion is cursed and there are ghosts. Durga is apprehensive about this especially as she doesn't know her grandmother.
Then there is Jaya in London who has suffered recent loss. Firstly her mother Sudha died suddenly before Jaya could tell her she was pregnant, then Jaya's son died, a victim of cot death. Jaya had never known her father and her mother never spoke about the past despite Jaya asking questions. She had worked hard to provide for Jaya but never spoke of her husband or of her life in India.
It is only when Jaya's therapist encourages Jaya to go through her mother's possessions that Jaya finds her mother's diaries and some photographs of a little boy that she begins to learn of her mother's life. One of the photographs has the word “Gaddehalli” written on the back. Jaya's mother's past is slowly revealed in her diaries. I found Sudha's story heartbreaking, especially the way she was treated by her parents.
The other voice in the story is Kali whose mind goes from the present to the past. She also has a tale to tell involving love, loss, deceit, envy, pride, heartache. She is an interesting and complex character.
The ending was good, if slightly unexpected (I knew the women would be connected somehow but hadn't worked out just how).
Renita D'Silva has given us a well written, entertaining and satisfying story full of interesting characters.
[I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley]
Firstly there is Durga in India, a young girl whose parents are in hospital following a serious accident. Durga has been labelled as difficult, rude and badly behaved although her parents simply thought her 'spirited'. She travels to Gaddehalli with an aunt who will leaving her with her Grandmother who apparently lives with a madwoman in an old ruined house on the hill above the village. The villagers are shocked that anyone is going there. They believe the old mansion is cursed and there are ghosts. Durga is apprehensive about this especially as she doesn't know her grandmother.
Then there is Jaya in London who has suffered recent loss. Firstly her mother Sudha died suddenly before Jaya could tell her she was pregnant, then Jaya's son died, a victim of cot death. Jaya had never known her father and her mother never spoke about the past despite Jaya asking questions. She had worked hard to provide for Jaya but never spoke of her husband or of her life in India.
It is only when Jaya's therapist encourages Jaya to go through her mother's possessions that Jaya finds her mother's diaries and some photographs of a little boy that she begins to learn of her mother's life. One of the photographs has the word “Gaddehalli” written on the back. Jaya's mother's past is slowly revealed in her diaries. I found Sudha's story heartbreaking, especially the way she was treated by her parents.
The other voice in the story is Kali whose mind goes from the present to the past. She also has a tale to tell involving love, loss, deceit, envy, pride, heartache. She is an interesting and complex character.
The ending was good, if slightly unexpected (I knew the women would be connected somehow but hadn't worked out just how).
Renita D'Silva has given us a well written, entertaining and satisfying story full of interesting characters.
[I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley]
October 17, 2016
What a tangled web some families weave. ‘A Mother’s Secret’ by Renita D’Silva is a fragrant tale of mothers and daughters stretching from England to India. Gaddehalli is a tiny village in Goa but I could smell the spices, hear the wind in the trees, and see the buffalos in the fields as if I was there.
This novel about identity starts with a young girl, Durga, who must stay with her grandmother in Gaddehalli after an accident to her parents. The ruined mansion where she lives, which is avoided by the locals as haunted and full of bad luck, is the centre of this story. The modern-day strand follows Jaya, a young mother in England mourning the loss of her baby son and whose mother Sudha has recently died. Sudha was an emotionally-withdrawn mother, but when Jaya discovers some of her mother’s hidden possessions, including diaries, she pieces together the story of Sudha’s early life. Jaya is looking for the identity of her own father; she finds so much more.
From the beginning, it is a guessing game: how is the story of Durga connected to Kali, Jaya and Sudha? Halfway through, all my ideas of the twist had been proven wrong and I was wondering if the storylines would come together. At times I got the girls confused, but I read the second half of the novel quicker than the first and the twist, when it came, was a big surprise. A clever novel about families and how the important, simple things in life can sometimes be forgotten because of pride, selfishness or shame.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
This novel about identity starts with a young girl, Durga, who must stay with her grandmother in Gaddehalli after an accident to her parents. The ruined mansion where she lives, which is avoided by the locals as haunted and full of bad luck, is the centre of this story. The modern-day strand follows Jaya, a young mother in England mourning the loss of her baby son and whose mother Sudha has recently died. Sudha was an emotionally-withdrawn mother, but when Jaya discovers some of her mother’s hidden possessions, including diaries, she pieces together the story of Sudha’s early life. Jaya is looking for the identity of her own father; she finds so much more.
From the beginning, it is a guessing game: how is the story of Durga connected to Kali, Jaya and Sudha? Halfway through, all my ideas of the twist had been proven wrong and I was wondering if the storylines would come together. At times I got the girls confused, but I read the second half of the novel quicker than the first and the twist, when it came, was a big surprise. A clever novel about families and how the important, simple things in life can sometimes be forgotten because of pride, selfishness or shame.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
March 18, 2016
This is a beautifully written novel by Renita D'Silva. (the first of hers that I have read) and I think it wont be the last. This story is about love, loss and power and status. Set in Gaddehalli, India. It tells of Durga who goes to stay and visit her 'ajji' while her parents are recuperating in hospital. The woman Kali that she helps look after in the run down mansion, It tells of her life and how she became like she is and wonders why the villagers around them wont visit because of a madwoman a ghosts living there. It also tells of Jaya who finds the diaries of her mother Sudha, after she has died and find out her real life that she has lived, hidden from her daughter after all these years.
I loved this book. It tells of greed, and the heartache that people will go to get a better life. But in life nothing ever runs smoothly and how you want it to go. I highly recommend it.
I loved this book. It tells of greed, and the heartache that people will go to get a better life. But in life nothing ever runs smoothly and how you want it to go. I highly recommend it.
February 6, 2017
The various narratives in D'Silva's novel engage and intrigue. She has created feisty female characters who tell their stories in authentic voices. She has been particularly brave in creating Kali who is difficult to like and sometimes difficult to understand. In the end the narratives begin to dove-tail to a pleasing resolution. What I particularly enjoyed were the sensual descriptions of India, evoking all the senses, which fired my imagination and took me to the heart of the landscape. A rich and layered story.
May 9, 2016
This book is the first i have read written by Renita D'silva and I can happily say won't be the last. I truly loved the writing style, the characters, the plot and the amazing descriptive settings.
The story is atmospheric in every way, capturing life in India, the feel, the aromas and the tastes, such a vivid experience. You are just transported sitting in your seat.
I was gripped with this book from start to finish, finding it emotional, heart breaking and intriguing. It was a pleasurable read, i would open it, start reading it and would simply lose myself in it.
A beautifully written novel by an amazing storyteller. Highly recommended and a must read.
The story is atmospheric in every way, capturing life in India, the feel, the aromas and the tastes, such a vivid experience. You are just transported sitting in your seat.
I was gripped with this book from start to finish, finding it emotional, heart breaking and intriguing. It was a pleasurable read, i would open it, start reading it and would simply lose myself in it.
A beautifully written novel by an amazing storyteller. Highly recommended and a must read.
March 30, 2016
I love Renita D'Silva's books. I was excited that a new one was imminent and delighted to receive an advance copy thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture. The author has an incredible talent that places you in the scenes visually and sensually with descriptions of the sights, aromas and sounds. A great story set in London and India from the point of view of several women, some strong and feisty and others damaged with grief. As you read further you start to realise the connection. A great novel with a fantastic, moving story. Once again, I dream of a trip to India after finishing a Renita D'Silva book. Highly recommended.
April 24, 2016
I loved this book for so many reasons - the raw emotions, the intrigue of the family relationships, the insights into a different culture - all brought alive by Renita d'Silva's unique way of viewing and describing the world. Her writing is absolutely lovely, fresh and lyrical, appealing to all the senses until you feel you are walking through the village in India with all its scents, noises and colours.
And there's absolutely nothing I like more than family secrets making their way out into the world, twisting you one way, turning you another until you just have to know what the truth is. Fabulous.
And there's absolutely nothing I like more than family secrets making their way out into the world, twisting you one way, turning you another until you just have to know what the truth is. Fabulous.
May 23, 2016
This book appealed to me for a reasons; an exotic setting = tick, big old mansion = tick, a story that crosses generations = tick and a recommendation that this book was for the lovers of Lucinda Riley's books = tick. Did this book have a few flaws? Absolutely. Some of the structuring could be altered in my opinion just to give it a more realistic edge. The descriptive writing of the setting however was just beautiful. The scenery, the smells, the food, spices, fruits and coconut oil. It all really helped to place me in the moment.
This was a breath of fresh air after having read so many serial killer books recently.
This was a breath of fresh air after having read so many serial killer books recently.
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