A Daughter's Courage
An Utterly Heartbreaking Novel of Family Secrets, Tragedy and Love
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4.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
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 home town. A crumbling temple has been discovered in a village nearby, and with it 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?
A breath-taking journey through the rolling hills of India, deep into the secrets hidden within a family. For fans of Santa Montefiore, Dinah Jefferies and Victoria Hislop.
Read what everyone is saying about A Daughter’s Courage:
‘WOW!!… I was absolutely blown away by this book and couldn’t put it down. I’m going straight to Amazon to buy another book by Renita D’Silva – I need more! Just incredible… this is an absolutely stunning book which I can’t praise enough.’ Roxanne Starr, 5 stars
‘So compelling I literally didn’t want to put it down… A sheer joy to read and I am putting myself out on a limb by saying this is the best book I have read in this genre this year… A truly outstanding book.’ Best Crime Books and More, 5 stars
‘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… An absolutely beautiful story… 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… I loved every minute of it.’ Twin Spin, 5 stars
‘Renita D’Silva has done it again… Truly sensational story… Stunning… Remarkable and overwhelming… Renita’s words are like liquid gold… This book even took over my dreams. My mind was completely mesmerised… I cannot recommend this book enough.’ Little Miss No Sleep, 5 stars
‘Heartrending... beautiful... a dream... I did not just love this book, I actually LIVED it. A Daughter's Courage is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.’ Relax and Read Book Reviews, 5 stars
‘A story that will keep resonating in my head and heart for a long time… It swept me away… I cannot do anything but have praise for this book.’ Eccentric Lady, 5 stars
‘OMG what a mesmerizing, beautifully written story… [It] has totally blown me away… This is one truly captivating, breathtaking, emotional read that will pull on your heartstrings… Simply stunning… I love this book which I cannot recommend enough… 5 massive stars.’ Chelle’s Book Reviews, 5 stars
‘Gorgeous and lyrical… A very immersive read… Along with a superbly crafted setting, the characterization was outstanding… I was mesmerized by this book… Touching and poignant… A really beautifully told story that left an impact on me.’ Novel Gossip, 5 stars
Customer Reviews
An Amazing Read
A Daughter’s Courage is a touching and unforgettable novel. This story takes place mostly in India, during the 1920’s, but also fast-forwards to the twenty-first century.
Gowri loved school. Her goal was to become a teacher just like the woman she admired, Vandana Ma’am. But at the tender age of fourteen, Gowri’s dreams and choices were stripped from her. She was given over by her parents, to the Goddess Yellamma. Gowri would be bound to the Goddess and to the man who owned the land where the temple was built, for the rest of her life. She would spend her days worshipping the Goddess, and her nights, prostituting herself to the landlord and to any man whom the landlord deemed worthy of her. Gowri’s family cut all ties with her, except for the money they received from her services.
Lucy had disgraced herself and her family. She knew that she’d have to start over somewhere far from England. So when James Bell, a coffee plantation owner, proposed to Lucy, she accepted. She didn’t love him and hated to keep secrets from him, but James was her ticket to India and a new life. So Lucy heeded her mother’s advice and kept her ugly sin to herself. Lucy sincerely hoped, though, that James would never discover what she was hiding; she didn’t think he could ever forgive her if he found out.
There are many likable characters in this book. I loved Gowri, James and Market Boy. These three characters cared more about others than they did about themselves. The character, Lucy Bell, however, took me awhile to warm up to. She had grown up privileged and was quite spoiled and selfish. Kavya and Sue, are present day likable characters who play an important role in this book.
A Daughter’s Courage is a powerful story about love, sacrifice, and survival. After turning the last page, I sat in silence, reflecting on the extraordinary journey that I’d just taken. This emotional book will linger in your thoughts long after you’ve finished it. It is unfortunate, that although the practice of sacrificing young girls to the Goddess Yellamma, was outlawed in 1988, this terrible atrocity still takes place in today’s modern day world.
Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy. I loved it!