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Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Review: A Daughter's Courage by Renita D'Silva

How much would you sacrifice to save your family?

1929. When a passionate love affair threatens to leave Lucy in disgrace, she chooses a respectable marriage over a life of shame. With her husband, coffee plantation owner James, she travels to her new home in India, leaving her troubled past behind her.

Everything in India is new to Lucy, from the jewel-coloured fabrics to the exotic spices. When her path crosses that of Gowri, a young woman who tends the temple on the plantation’s edge, Lucy is curious to find out more about her, and the events that lead her to live in isolation from her family…

Now. With her career in shatters and her heart broken by the man she thought was her future, Kayva flees from bustling Mumbai to her hometown. A crumbling temple has been discovered in a village nearby, along with letters detailing its tragic history – desperate pleas from a young woman called Gowri.

As Kavya learns of Gowri and Lucy’s painful story, she begins to understand the terrible sacrifices that were made and the decision the two women took that changed their lives forever. Can the secrets of the past help Kavya to rebuild her life?


Kindle Edition, 447 pages
Expected publication: May 31st 2017 by Bookouture 
Genre: Fiction

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

Every now and again a book comes along that I can't stop thinking about long after I've turned the last page. A Daughter's Courage was one of those books for me. It was an absolutely beautiful story of four different women from different times and places who's lives were intermingled in a breathtaking and tragic story. Weaving back and forth from 1929 to present and told from each woman's perspective, a connection so profound was uncovered that linked each and every one of them.

Whenever a story weaves between past and present I always find myself drawn to the events of the past. This was definitely the case in A Daughter's Courage. Gowri captivated me and I was gutted by her story. Having read a few books that are set in India and having a sister (my co-blogger) that lived there briefly, I was aware of some of the cultural differences of past and present. However, it did nothing to lessen the shock and disbelief of what happened to her. As a mother I wanted to reach into the pages and give her the love, comfort and friendship that she craved and deserved. My heart ached for her. Lucy got to me as well and even though I was unsure of her initially she won me over in the end.

I would say that this book was simply written and I'm glad for that. Renita D'Silva let the story do the talking instead of burying it in overly elegant words. Her description of the setting made me feel like I was there. I could feel the heat and taste the spices. She made 447 pages feel more like 200, that's how fast I finished it.

I really can't say anything that will adequately describe how much I enjoyed this book so I will just say that I highly recommend it. It was most definitely a story of love, courage and resilience unlike anything I could possibly imagine. I loved every minute of it.




About the Author
I love nothing better than to lose myself in a good book. The only thing that comes close to the feeling I get when I read is when I am writing. I am the author of 'Monsoon Memories','The Forgotten Daughter','The Stolen Girl', 'A Sister's Promise', 'A Mother's Secret' and 'A Daughter's Courage'. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing them.


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