55 pages • 1 hour read
Secret Daughter
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
368
Novel • Fiction
India And USA • 1980s
2010
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda spans twenty years and follows two families connected through an adopted daughter, exploring themes of identity, reconciliation, and cultural clash. Kavita, an impoverished Indian mother, gives her daughter Usha to an orphanage to save her life, while Somer, an infertile American doctor, adopts Usha (renamed Asha). Asha later navigates her bicultural identity during a journalism fellowship in Mumbai.
Emotional
Bittersweet
Contemplative
Inspirational
Heartwarming
Reviews & Readership
82,302 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda intricately weaves themes of motherhood, identity, and cultural contrast. Critics praise its emotional depth, engaging narrative, and vivid settings. However, some feel character development is uneven and certain plot points predictable. Overall, a compelling read that deftly explores complex familial ties and cross-cultural dynamics.
Who Should Read Secret Daughter?
Readers who enjoy heartfelt family stories with multicultural themes will love Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Fans of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner or Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake will appreciate the book's emotional depth and exploration of adoption, identity, and the bond between mothers and daughters.
82,302 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Somer
Somer
A wealthy white physician, she struggles with infertility which prompts her to adopt a daughter, Asha, and faces challenges in embracing her family's multicultural identity.
Asha
Asha
The adopted daughter of Somer and Kris, she is a curious-minded aspiring journalist who seeks to understand her Indian heritage and place between cultures.
Jasu
Jasu
Kavita’s husband, he is a man dealing with the struggles of poverty while trying to provide for his family and maintain his responsibilities amid difficult decisions.
Krishnan (Kris)
Krishnan (Kris)
Somer’s husband from an upper-middle-class Indian background, he shares a special bond with their adopted daughter Asha and reconnects with Somer over time.
368
Novel • Fiction
India And USA • 1980s
2010
Adult
18+ years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.