Secret Keeper

From National Book Award finalist, Mitali Perkins, comes a dramatic tale about a displaced Indian family in the 1970s.

When Ashaƒ??s 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 Babaƒ??s 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 temporaryƒ??just 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; Reetƒ??s beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Ashas promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to impulsive behavior.

Ashaƒ??s 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 doorƒ??against the rules of the house. Asha can hardly believe that she, and not Reet, is the object of Jayƒ??s attention.

But when tragedy strikes, Asha must make a painful choice that will change their lives forever

ƒ??Well-developed characters, funny dialogue, and the authentic depiction of spunky Ashas longing for romance and female self-determination, set in a culture that restrains womens choices, make this book an attractive pick.ƒ?ƒ??School Library Journal