THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER - Shobhan Bantwal
Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-0-7582-2030-1
September 2008
Contemporary Fiction

Palgaum, India - Present Day

The world has crashed down upon Isha Tilak, and she's gone to pray for guidance at a local temple. The ancient holy man who has always been outside, seemingly in constant meditation, suddenly speaks to her, telling her when her baby will be born and how she will bring joy to the people around her. But to Isha, this doesn't make sense. Her husband has been murdered in his office; her in-laws -- with whom Isha (her husband, Nikhil, before his death) and their daughter live -- want her to get an abortion because she carries another girl. Having nowhere to turn, Isha can hardly believe the holy man's words. Numb to everything, she returns home, only knowing the pain and grief she carries in addition to the baby.

Nikhil's parents have treated his wife and daughter with disdain ever since Isha gave birth to a baby girl. Their old-fashioned opinion that only boy children mean anything has caused a rift between Isha and her in-laws, now made more difficult because she no longer has Nikhil to stand up for her and their daughter. To make matters worse, the elder Tilaks believe the baby Isha carries now is somehow to blame for her father's death. When her father-in-law spanks her daughter for crying, Isha knows she must leave this distasteful environment. She flees to the only place she can, the convent where she went to school. Knowing that Nikhil recently took out an insurance policy on himself, Isha hopes it will be settled quickly so that she can move on with her life. All along, though, she wonders if Nikhil's death is related to the fact that her physician asked her if she wanted an abortion to rid herself of the female fetus? Although abortion, and especially female feticide, is against the law, the doctor obviously does them. Nikhil was infuriated by this and vowed to see the man punished. Not long afterwards, Nikhil was killed.

Alone, pregnant, and with a young child in tow, Isha must overcome terrible odds if she is to survive. When the baby is born, the nuns bring in a young doctor who tends to the orphans living at the convent to examine the infant. To Isha's surprise, it is Harish Salvi, with whom she went to college. He is stunned to find the girl he'd had a crush on living in such dire straits, and he begins to bring her and her children food, medicine, and other necessities. Isha is touched, but is afraid that the secret she has discovered in her husband's papers will cause all those around her to be in danger. What will happen if Isha reveals what she knows?

THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER is an enlightening tale of a dark subject. Because of the feticide caused by the old beliefs, the use of ultrasounds to determine gender has been banned, although there are still unscrupulous people who participate in this horrible crime. Isha is a well educated, intelligent young woman who finds herself having to defend her daughters and to learn to lead a life entirely different from the upper-class existence she is used to. Harish is an idealistic, noble young doctor who devotes himself to his work until he meets Isha again. He cannot ignore her plight and doesn't. Isha's in-laws are old-fashioned, narrow-minded, and unwilling to embrace the future. The villains are the antiquated ways and the gynecologist who has sold his soul for money.

Beautifully written, with realistic dialogue and characters who will make your heart ache at times, THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER is a worthy successor to Ms. Bantwal's first novel, THE DOWRY BRIDE. Both books are most highly recommended.

Jani Brooks