Daughters Inherit Silence

Tales from the Deccan Plateau #2

by Rasana Atreya

A compelling tale of one woman’s struggle to find fulfilment in a society where she’s caught between traditional and modern values.

Jaya is bound by tradition to take care of her late husband’s family, and she takes this responsibility seriously. An engineer and a businesswoman in contemporary India, she is also the mother of a ten-year-old girl. To Jaya’s sorrow, no one in her family has room in their lives for her shy daughter, who has cocooned herself in her grief.

A series of events shakes up not only their lives but also Jaya’s long-held assumption that when a woman marries a man, she also marries his family. And that this marriage doesn’t end when the husband dies.

In a moment of truth, she realises that she's spent so much time focussed on being the Perfect Indian Woman, she’s lost her voice. She fears that if she doesn’t learn to speak up—even at the risk of being ostracized by the community—silence will be her daughter’s inheritance as well.

Genres: India, Fiction

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2021

About the author

Rasana Atreya's debut novel, Tell A Thousand Lies, was shortlisted for the UK-based "Tibor Jones South Asia Prize." In 2017, the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, taught this novel to the students of "English 479."

Glam Magazine, UK (June 2014) calls "Tell A Thousand Lies" one of their "five favourite tales from India."

She's currently working on the series, "Tales From The Deccan Plateau":
* Tell A Thousand Lies
* Talking Is Wasted Breath
* Daughters Inherit Silence
* The Temple Is Not My Father
* The Water Wives
* Tell A Lie, Beget A Daughter

Rasana is one of India's self-publishing pioneers. She was invited by Amazon to the India launch of the Kindle.

Reviews

[Chandra Sundeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughters inherit silence is such a fantastic book, that I can think of only word to describe it–Unputdownable! Though this is the first time I am reading this author’s work, she has done such a wonderful job that I could visualize every character, the scenes and the setting. I did not feel as if I was reading a book, but I felt as if I had become a part of the book.

Daughters Inherit Silence is not just the story of Jaya, but of countless other women brought up to remain silent. It’s not just a narration of social stigma and despair, it is a story of second chance.

The story has a wonderful arc, realistic characters, and extra-ordinary narration. The cultural spin adds a magical touch to the story, making it excellently engaging.
A riveting book from the very first word.

Sharing a line from the book I’d remember for long –
“About what home meant. A life partner that you were happy to go home to. Kids. Good friends. According to him, you could build a home anywhere in the world, if only you had these three ingredients.”

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[Steph Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free DRC of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

This is part of the Tales from the Deccan Plateau series, but it stands alone perfectly well, with no series knowledge required.

The story follows single-dad widower Kavid and his daughter Nina, and single-mum widow Jaya and her daughter Ananta and depicts the struggle to balance modern living with following traditional beliefs and practices. Jaya, in particular, has her own business, drives a car and pays her in-laws support money from her own pocket, yet has to be careful who she is seen speaking with in public.

The author also explores the challenges facing immigrants moving from East to West, and how and where they ‘belong’, having lived in both India and the US: Kavid and his brother are unaware about the cultural rules around socialising with women in India; Ananta faces racial slurs in America; and Jaya is unable to live freely without censure in India, but is afraid to leave the home she loves for an unknown, foreign land.

Not only does the reader get a rich and atmospheric glimpse into life in India, but you are drawn right in to the characters and really feel the dilemmas they face. The author also does a great job of portraying the problems of both cultures in a fair and balanced way, even if that does end up painting something of a negative picture of both countries/cultures at times.

The book ends a little abruptly, with no big climax or closure moment to make the story feel ‘complete’, but that fits with the ‘slice of real life’ impression – we spend a little time with the characters, then move on and leave them to their lives.

This is the ideal read for anyone looking for a character-focused, family-centred drama set in India and America in the near past.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Poonguzhali A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok....  just wow! Going into the book,  I had no idea what it is about. And reading a new author,  it always takes time to get used to their prose and narrative style. 

But I am really glad I tried this book and thanks to the publishers for providing an ARC of it. 
I completed this book in one sitting despite having already decided to read it in 2 days. And this must show how much I actually enjoyed the book. 

The fact that the setting of the book is a place in South India really caught my attention. And then on,  once I started going inside the story,  I could just feel the experiences the heroine goes through,  being a South Indian residing in south India myself. I felt as if I am living her life and I am going through the same hardship as hers. The heroine's character was that relatable. 

It is particularly a story of empowerment and finding one's voice. The author has done an incredible job of portraying it throughout the story. I particularly loved the way she describes clearly the multitude of clashes of culture,  morality, emotions and other things one faces, when one moves to unfamiliar land. 

Overall,  it is the kind of book which will fill you with warmth and contentment once you finish reading it. And it is a must read book for a book lover.

[Chandra Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am normally a binge reader, in that I read everything in one sitting, but I slowed down with this one. There was so much visceral depth of place, character and culture that I feel I have truly gone on a journey to a small village in India. This book goes beyond stereotypes and creates a love story of hope and happiness for characters who deserve all of that and more. Themes of feminism, history, love and honor punctuate a wonderfully layered read.

[Cynthia Stott · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was wonderful! It read more like a movie script than a book. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I was there in every moment! I could almost smell the curry cooking!

What a wonderful journey of empowerment to finding her voice. A mother determined not to let her daughter inherit silence.


A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[Madeleine Booth-Smits · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply moving tale of loss, love, social expectations, history, and life. This book was so moving it had me laughing, cringing, crying and smiling. A highly recommended read.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that DAUGHTERS INHERIT SILENCE (Tales from the Deccan Plateau) by Rasana Atreya is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, finding Rasana Atreya was a great experience for me, and I will be looking for further works by her in the future. Jaya, a widow in contemporary India, must take care of her husband's parents as well as her daughter. The prejudices and condemnation she encounters would crush many women, but Jaya finds the strength to fulfill her duties and to make decisions and choices for herself and her daughter. She may also find romance in her life, too...

[Rasana Atreya]

Very excited that Daughters Inherit Silence is on pre-order!
Launching on February 08, 2021.

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[Jill Dobbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was taken back to my time in India while reading this book. Although I lived in the city, I was still aware of what went on in the rural villages. It's a sad and horrific existence for women who have no control over their lives and suffer from physical and mental abuse, poverty, and lawlessness in arranged marriages.

However, Daughters Inherit Silence is a book about a woman who defies some of society's rules, like driving and owning a car, starting her own business, and marrying a second time after becoming a widow. Despite living life on her own terms, she must still put up with the gossip, glowering looks, and ostracizing from neighbors and even family members. Throughout the book, Jaya proves she's a strong woman and a good role model for her daughter.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading about India and the culture. Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and Rasana Atreya, author.

[Gauri Kulkarni · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is riddled with cliché after cliché - both about Indian and American societies. It’s a little depressing. In my experience, people and their humanity deserve a little more credit - I’m sure the hard, unforgiving, chauvinistic people depicted in this book exist - but they are surely outnumbered by warm-hearted, well-meaning folks who bring light and laughter with them.

[Manoj · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read, a bit repetitive on the negative

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a basic taste of India from the 80’s or maybe a bit prior. For the uninitiated, it can skew your perspective quite a bit. All said, great characters, the writer wove together awesome relationships, amazingly real life backgrounds. Loved it!

[Shruthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intimate, authentic portrayal of characters that feel so real that they leap off the page. It's been a while since I read this book, but sometimes I think of Jaya and wonder what she's doing, before remembering she's a fictional character. Rasana's writing is simple, easy to read, and holds your attention throughout. Highly recommend.

[Satyabrata Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so triggering. Reading through this you realise what your mother, grandmother, aunts have been through their life. The value that used to be put on a woman's identity..

I could seldomly go beyond reading 20-30 pages at a stretch, but really glad I finished this.