Lead Review

• Book: The Lost Daughter of India
• Location: India
• Author: Sharon Maas

Review Author: tripfiction

The novel opens with three storylines. Caroline has come to India with an idealised view of the country; Kamal is the grandson of royalty it seems, raised at the Palace of Moti Khodayal; and Asha is a young girl who is farmed out and by an quirk of unfortunate fate finds herself being shipped from pillar to post.

This book is essentially the story of how tiny Asha is abandoned by her mother and is then swept into Indian family life at the Iyengars, where Janiki, an older child, takes her under her wing. But soon the arrangement falls apart, Janiki has gone to study in the States and Asha is bundled off into harsh servitude. However, the family with whom she has been placed, is soon under arrest, once again leaving Asha in the hands of cruel fate. The police are at the house and rather than finding security with them, she falls prey to unscrupulous people and is groomed for child prostitution. The police are complicit in the trade of young girls.

Her parents, living apart, soon come together with Janiki in their mission to find her when they all realise she is missing….

The theme central to the novel is truly heart rending. This of course is fiction but in the heart of Kamathipura, the red light district of Mumbai, there are thousands of girls and young women who are traded everyday. And that is a truly sobering thought to ponder once the book comes to a close.

As you may guess, the stories of each character introduced at the beginning all dovetail into a cohesive storyline.

At times I did feel that some of the exploits of the characters were a little far-fetched but it’s a good and perceptive story, which blossoms into a very readable novel.

The author clearly knows India well and the feel of the country is beautifully brought to life with all its vicissitudes and contrasts.

And Sharon goes on to share her very personal journey… click on this link to find out more

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