My Secret Daughter

“This delicate exploration of forgiveness examines the myriad little cuts we give each other, and the tenderness with which we heal them. The story spans two decades, exploring how people love and understand each other and how two cultures can become one through understanding and love.”—Romantic Times

One of my goals in writing the novel Secret Daughter was for it to be real. By that I mean the characters are real people, with both admirable qualities and flaws. They have good intentions, but sometimes make poor choices. They have insecurities and blind spots that lead them to avoid things they should probably confront. In other words, they’re just like us, or at least like some friends we can point to.

At the heart of the story are two families on opposite sides of the world. The Merchants are from a poor Indian village and have an arranged marriage. Early in the story, Kavita is devastated by her husband Jasu’s choices, and it seems like an insurmountable rift. Yet, over the next twenty years, isolated from their family and fighting to survive in the Mumbai slums, we see how they grow to forgive and support each other.

The Thakkars meet in Stanford Medical School and fall in love despite their differences in culture and upbringing. They begin their marriage as intellectual partners and their careers as equals, but grow apart as the stresses of infertility and a cross-cultural adoption take their toll. As in many marriages, their separation is the result of many choices over many years. They find their way back to each other, but only by facing difficult truths about themselves and their responsibility in the relationship.

I think readers respond to these stories because the characters and the marriages are real – just as they are in our own lives, no matter where you live in the world. As we read this story, we see Kavita and Somer grow as people, triumph over their challenges, and thrive in their marriages. And in the end, when they finally find the contentment they seek, so do we.