The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal [Paperback]

A goddess in the temple. A burden in the family. Children are a gift of God, they say. But do they really believe?Isha and Nikhil Tilak are expecting their second child. Hardwired to favor a grandson, Nikhil’s egotistical parents have resented and coldly rejected their first granddaughter. So ever since the day Isha discovered that she’s expecting, this question has obsessed her: ‘Is it a boy? Or . . . God forbid . . . a girl?’And finally the answer is there on the gynecologist's screen—it’s a girl!What will Nikhil and Isha do now?As their decisions add to their nightmare, Nikhil is found murdered in cold blood. And their innocent unborn daughter is blamed for it. With her five-year-old at her heels, grief-stricken and relentlessly oppressed by her in-laws, who believe the baby to be a bad omen, Isha sets out on her own to build her life around her forbidden daughters. Will she be able to protect them from the grave dangers that lie ahead? A thrilling, captivating, and thought-provoking portrayal of the dark secrets hidden in the Indian culture, this novel is bound to stir your conscience.