Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda - In Depth with the Book Club (spoiler alert)

This summer we took a break from meetings to reconvene with a barbecue/potluck supper last week.  That is not to say we took a break from reading.  Oh, no.  We had decided in June that we, as a book club, would read Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, my personal recommendation as I loved it soooo much!  If you'd like to take a moment to read my review, please feel free to do so.

Most of us really enjoyed the book and we had a new member join us (yay J), which was a great deal of fun.  And, may I say, combining food with book club makes for a delicious discussion!  On the menu was butter chicken and rice (an Indian dish to go with the novel), quiche, a jello fruit salad, grilled farmer's sausage, and for dessert a lovely microwave cake recipe complete with chocolate sauce (yum!).  As we had decided to bbq, if we desired, one member brought a steak too.

As we were part way through our meal, we began discussions, starting with Indian cuisine, of course!  This led to discussion of the locale of the novel and so forth, but, before I go much further, let me give you just a little peak into my thoughts of this touching novel, taken from my review:

"Shilpi Somaya Gowda weaves an extraordinary tale in Secret Daughter.  From page one, the reader is captivated.  Shilpi creates characters with incredible depth which allows the reader to develop a "relationship" and, totally immersed within the pages, the characters become real.  Based on her heritage of India, the author introduces the reader to culture, society, and individuals who will remain with you long after you've read the book." (April 29, 2011, My Bookshelf)

***Spoiler alert***

As the novel begins, a young mother, Kavita, gives birth to her second daughter, which is tragic in a culture where boys are prized far more than girls.  (I should insert here that Kavita's and Jasu's marriage was arranged by their parents) Kavita's inlaws look upon the birth of daughters rather than a son as Kavita's personal failure to provide a son for her husband.  One of the book club members brought up that boys were considered an asset to the family, especially to the father, as a son would help work the fields and contribute to the well-being of the family as a whole through his labours.  A daughter, on the other hand, wasn't deemed so valuable as she couldn't assist in the farm work (though they often did) and the family would be required to supply a dowry to her husband to be.  Often, in this society, the girls were married off young.  

We found ourselves comparing Secret Daughter with another book, Slumdog Millionaire, which shares horrific stories of the lives of the poor in India.  It would seem the financially well off welcomed both male and female offspring, as the means to provide for both were plentiful; however, should a child be born into poverty, his/her fate could be of the worst imaginable kind including abuse and neglect.  (This is not to say that this is the case always, as some, rich or poor, maintained a value of life.)  As we discussed this most painful aspect of society shared in Secret Daughter, we thought of different countries throughout the world wherein the fates of the poor were dictated directly by their financial standings.  We see this even in our local societies, but to a much lesser degree.  

Returning to the novel, Kavita's first daughter was buried, after being handed off to Kavita's husband's relative to "dispose" of.  It would seem that though Kavita's husband, Jasu, did not want a daughter, he could not bring himself to do the deed himself.  As Kavita was only too aware of the destiny of another daughter, she would pretend her dead and then walk miles upon miles to offer her infant, whom she named Usha (later christened Asha), to the orphanage in Mumbai where she hoped she would find a good family.

Shortly thereafter, the family would travel to the city, in search of a better life.  There they were forced to live in a shanty town, without fresh water and amenities, or proper policing.  Jasu searched long for a job to better their lives and, though he did find one and they eventually left the shanty town for a small apartment and then eventually a larger dwelling, we questioned whether this was the best move for their family.  It certainly presented opportunities for both good and bad and we see the consequences of these opportunities later in the book as Kavita and Jasu raise a son in finer conditions, but it also distanced them from family and exposed them to new "dangers".  The contrasts of the poor and the wealthy are stark.

As Usha/Asha was adopted to an American couple, Krishnan of Indian heritage and Somer   American, we noted the cultural differences between Somer (Usha/Asha's adoptive mom) and Krishnan (Usha/Asha's adoptive father) as their heritages become a matter of conflict, resulting in their separation.  As Asha grows, and situations bring Somer to follow her daughter and estranged husband to India, we noted that both Somer and Krishnan had come to realize, at long last, the value of each other.  A change of scenery, a new country, new circumstances all worked in their favour to bring their family closer together.  Marriage is difficult.  It is something that must be worked at in order to remain strong. In Secret Daughter, we all commented on how easily Somer and Krishnan had given up.  In the end, it was their daughter and heritage and family values that brought them to the realization of love and desire for a loving bond together.  

Truly a touching and enlightening read, we learned a lot about another culture, while gaining a further appreciation for values of family.  I have to say, Secret Daughter touched each of us in ways we could not have predicted and will remain with us for quite some time.

*note:  the thoughts and feelings discussed herein are of personal opinions.  Neither prejudices nor insult are intended in this discussion.

Minding Frankie In-depth With the Book Club

**************** SPOILER ALERT****************** 

If you haven't yet read Minding Frankie, don't read the following.  The story is discussed in great depth here as a summary of our book club meeting.

Tonight we discussed Minding Frankie as a book club. We were mixed in our feelings about the novel, as one didn't really care for it, another couple of individuals liked but didn't love the book and one loved it. Reading is like that and it is difficult to find a genre, let alone a book that everyone loves in the end.

We discussed the characters and how Maeve Binchy carries some forward from one book to the next with the focus changing from one family to another with each novel. In some ways, we found that a bit distracting as we weren't familiar with the other characters, though I have to admit Ms. Binchy does a good job of tying things together. One character, in particular, who really didn't have a role in the Minding Frankie except for a few brief paragraphs about her funeral, was Father Tim's mother. I realize it is difficult to build a story around every one of the individuals but for some "supporting cast" it just isn't plausible. Apparently Father Tim is in another novel and I wondered if, perhaps, this storyline was developed there. Another member had read the novel in question but didn't think Father Tim played a major role in it either. He's more of a supporting character.

Noel's past and what led him to alcoholism is a mystery to us. Perhaps some depression came into play? But that is a matter of opinion as we are never told much about his past, except that he had been a bit of a recluse and didn't care much about anything. Until Frankie came along, that is. At that point, Noel discovered life.

What do the very young and the very mature have to offer to each other? There are several instances where the young turn to the older generation, such as in the care of Frankie and how to handle things like teething. There are also instances when the younger generation contribute to the elder generations. Muttie was a beloved older man, married and diagnosed with cancer. The whole community that offered support to Noel in raising Frankie, also came to offer support to Muttie. He would be taken out to one of his favourite locales, a bar, to have a gentleman's night out, though his escort was not a drinker but did it because he knew the social aspect of the gathering would keep Muttie's spirits high. Meals were brought in, and favours given, all in support of this dear man.

One of the other members of the book club said, " This novel shows the young needing the older generation more, I think. I really liked that everyone kind of rallied together to help raise Frankie and mostly that all of them really seem to care about each other."

There is a true sense of family in this community as they support one another during crisis and good times alike. This is truly admirable and is one of my favourite things about this story.  It evidences that one does not have to be related by blood to be like family.

In discussion about relationships, we analyzed Lisa's relationship with Anton and each one of were in agreement that it was a bad relationship from the start. Some felt that Anton was a user and were dismayed that Lisa couldn't see this. Case in point: Lisa put endless hours into promotions and graphic design for Anton's restaurant but Anton never offered to pay her for her time. Lisa justified this by saying she always looked at it like she was doing it for the two of them. That she was helping to build their future together. Why did Lisa not recognize this relationship for what it was? One of the members said, " I think that there are lots of people who want to feel loved so much that they can ignore almost anything and that Lisa was one of them." P.S., how did Lisa continue to have means to live on when she quit her job to work with Anton?

Anton, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Lisa's needs and unconcerned about the direction their relationship was headed. Anton says to Lisa, “I’m not the villain here, you know,” and she responds, “I know. That’s why I’m angry. I got it so wrong . . . ” (page 314) What does she mean? Lisa is finally seeing the light and we all cheer that she has. It's about time!! It was said, "Anton never tried to hide what he was, Lisa was just really good at not seeing it for the longest time.

None of us liked Moira. Sure we could understand the basis for her behaviour and concerns. She had a terrible upbringing which she thought could have been better had someone intervened on behalf of the children. She brings this prejudice forward, with a bias predetermined. We understand that, but we just couldn't like this character. "Obviously because of her upbringing, Moira doesn't want any child to suffer neglect and she's worried that will happen to Frankie because of Noel's disease. That being said, it still doesn't change the fact that I spent most of the book wanting to shake her," said one of the ladies in the group. To note, neither Emily nor Karen had ideal childhoods, but each had overcome the obstacles associated with their past and had moved forward to make better lives for themselves. Noel's ability to overcome the obstacles he had, as far as we know, put upon himself, is a ray of hope in this novel. Alcoholism is not an easy disease to overcome. It takes daily effort, but Noel proves that one can overcome and make a better life with the right support, desire and hard work.

All in all, most of us enjoyed Minding Frankie. When asked if any of us would read another Maeve Binchy novel, only one said she had no desire to. Next on my list of Maeve Binchy novels to read is Evening Class. A good friend recommended it and I trust that she won't be off the mark on this one either.