Secret Keeper
Mitali Perkins
eBook
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers, Dec. 24, 2008)
From National Book Award finalist, Mitali Perkins, comes a dramatic tale about a displaced Indian family in the 1970s. When Ashaās father loses his job and leaves India to look for work in America, Asha Gupta, her older sister, Reet, and their mother must wait with Babaās brother and his family, as well as their grandmother, in Calcutta. Uncle is welcoming, but in a country steeped in tradition, the three women must abide by his decisions. Asha knows this is temporaryājust until Baba sends for them. But with scant savings and time passing, the tension builds: Ma, prone to spells of sadness, finds it hard to submit to her mother- and sister-in-law; Reetās beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Asha's promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to impulsive behavior. Ashaās only solace is her rooftop hideaway, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next doorāagainst the rules of the house. Asha can hardly believe that she, and not Reet, is the object of Jayās attention. But when tragedy strikes, Asha must make a painful choice that will change their lives forever āWell-developed characters, funny dialogue, and the authentic depiction of spunky Asha's longing for romance and female self-determination, set in a culture that restrains women's choices, make this book an attractive pick.āāSchool Library Journal "Achingly realistic."āKirkus "An intimate and absorbing drama.āāPublisher's Weekly "Heartbreaking and hopeful." āALA Booklist