A Mother's Secret - Renita D'Silva

A Mother's Secret is Renita D'Silva's fifth book although it is the first one I have read.  I very much enjoyed it.  The book is set in London and India and 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 is pretty 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 and I'm now looking forward to reading her other novels.

Renita's website gives more information about her other novels and you can also download an excerpt from her first novel Monsoon Memories here.

Author's website:    http://renitadsilva.com/

Publisher:                Bookouture

NOT MUCH WORK DONE TODAY!

I've been under the weather with a bit of a head cold but I did manage to finish an advance copy of The Tea Planter's Wife (Dinah Jefferies).  It's a great book.  In fact I sat up until 2 in the morning to finish it.  The book kept me interested right to the end.

It's set in Ceylon in the 1920s and 30s.  Gwen is a young bride who has just arrived in Ceylon to join her husband.

It a bit of a culture shock to say the least.  Her husband is occupied with plantation business and as he is often away he has an estate manager.  Gwen is told she is in charge of the household including the inside servants.  She is not to concern herself with the plantation workers.  She does.  She helps one who is injured and it is made very clear to her she must not interfere.  She is horrified by the racism she sees.

There are secrets.  Her husband was married before but his wife and child died.  No one will talk about this.

She soon falls pregnant and gives birth to a healthy son. Gwen has to make a very difficult choice. This gives rise to more secrets.  However her husband is happy he has a boy.  I'm not going to give any more away.

The books is really well written.  The author is very good at describing locations and giving you a sense of place.   It is complex enough to make it good story but not so complicated that you give up.  I think this is probably one of the most enjoyable books I have read this year.