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While The Daughters of Madurai explores the harrowing issue of female infanticide, it’s also a universal story about the bond between mothers and daughters, the strength of women, the power of love in overcoming all obstacles—and the secrets we must keep to protect the ones we hold dear. While THE DAUGHTERS OF MADURAI explores the harrowing issue of female infanticide, it’s also a universal story about the bond between mothers and daughters, the strength of women, the power of love in overcoming all obstacles --- and the secrets we must keep to protect the ones we hold dear. Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret, one she’s been keeping from her parents for too long. Before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill, so she agrees to join her parents on a trip to Madurai. Nila knows little about where her family came from or who they left behind. What she’s about to learn will change her forever.
The ultimate feelings I came away from this book have meant I have thought of it a few times since finishing, and I will certainly enjoy this once it is released, and have no hesitation to gift it out to others.The Daughters of Madurai’ is a book I fell in love with, in the very first paragraph of the book itself. I am a fanatical reader but at the same time very critical of what has been written. So, to say that Rajasree did manage to win a five-star review way before I reached the end of the book would and should mean a lot.
Reading The Daughters of Madurai was like no other experience I’ve ever had before. It was deeply personal; intimate in a way that venturing too far only results in the unravelling of certain wounds concealed deep within. Rajasree Variyar creates a striking contrast between the two timelines scattered across the novel—present and the past. This isn’t a tale for the faint-hearted but a tale of the deeply woven misogyny in the minds of the people in India, an issue that was more than just an issue decades ago. Fans of historical and contemporary fiction novels about India such as Alka Joshi's The Henna Artist from the Jaipur Trilogy and Thrity Umrigar's The Space Between Us, as well as Kristin Hannah's books exploring sisterhood and mother-daughter relationships will enjoy Variyar's poignant debut. This extraordinary work of fiction tells a story that deserves to be read and discussed for years to come.
Without going into spoilers: Lavanika is five and had no living siblings. Nila is two years older than Rohit. The timelines have a 27 years gap. This data won't make sense to you now, but if you read the book, you'll realise that this simple maths will reveal much in advance, a supposedly surprising twist. I am one who likes characters’ ages being mentioned, but in this case, they were a spoiler to what should have been an ‘Oh my!’ moment. The book is an emotional roller coaster ride, and it is not for the faint hearted. Therefore, reader discretion is advisable. Heartrending but ultimately hopeful, this richly evocative and spellbinding book will touch your soul.”—Veronica Henry, author of How to Find Love in a Bookshop Nila’s desire for individuation battles it out with her need to belong, told in a manner that’s relatable and compelling. Deeper still is the story of the love we have for the women who gave us life and for the children we give life to. Madurai, 1992. A young mother in a poor family, Janani is told she is useless if she can’t produce a son—or worse, if she bears daughters. They let her keep her first baby girl, but the rest are taken away as soon as they are born, and murdered. But Janani can’t forget the daughters she was never allowed to love . . .
There is no doubt that this book could have been far more despairing and depressing, and there were certainly some heart wrenching, heavy moments, but it was also full of hope, courage and the bond between a mother and their daughters. Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret, one she's been keeping from her parents for far too long. Before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill and she agrees to join her parents on a trip to Madurai - the first in over ten years. Growing up in Australia, Nila knows very little about where she or her family came from, or who they left behind. What she's about to learn will change her forever... Heartbreaking, emotional and thought-provoking… I will think about this story for a long time’ ALIYA ALI- AFZALYou knew that Janani had made it out of India at the beginning of the book, you wanted to read about how she got there. In a Nutshell: A highly relevant topic that loses its impact due to the simplistic writing style and glossing over of key events. Good description of places, but shallow exploration of people.
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