Secret Daughter

Kavita, one of the book’s protagonists, is an impoverished woman living in rural India who moves with her family to the slums of Bombay/Mumbai in 1990. Kavita is a foil for Somer, as she is born into a cycle of poverty and culturally established sexism, while Somer benefits from more Western ideals, a college education, and a respectable career. Kavita develops the theme of motherhood within her social constraints, giving the reader a glimpse into the difficulties that Eastern mothers face, including infanticide. It’s poignant that Asha chooses later to focus her article on mothers in the slum, as she’s unknowingly tracing the narrative of her biological mother’s life. As such, Kavita’s character is defined in Asha’s declaration about the slum mothers—she is resilient. She’s also courageous, as she risks her life to ensure Asha’s survival. 

Somer is a wealthy white woman and physician who struggles with infertility, which leads her to adopt her daughter, Asha. Somer has blonde hair and looks like a stereotypical “American” woman. She proves herself to be a self-conscious mother, who isn’t certain she’s connecting properly to her daughter. She also fears that Asha will drift further away from her should she pursue Indian culture and her birth parents.