Jennifer Hsu Hsu itibaren Pobirka, Vinnyts'ka oblast, Ukraine
Shilpi Somaya Gowda's Secret Daughter is built around a unique and yet totally plausible plot set amidst two worlds: San Francisco, US and Mumbai, India and the characters as residents of those two worlds. But at its core, the plot really revolves around the international adoption of Asha, who is given up by a desperate Indian mother seeking to save her female baby from infanticide and adopted by a multicultural couple (husband is from India, wife is caucasian) and its ramifications. I can say as a South Asian American woman that this book brought up issues that are often seen if not talked about in terms of intercultural marriage, class issues amongst Indians, female infanticide, identity issues, etc... However, given the scope of this book, some of these issues as well as some of the characters were short-changed resulting in them being reduced to mere plot devices. For example, Somer, Asha's white mother talks about coming from a loving family and there's no discussion of Asha's relationship with Somer's parents, the only grandparents she knows. How does this relate to her identity issues and wanting to learn more about who she is ethnically as well as biologically? In terms of the writing, the book is paced very well, moving alternately between locales and storylines but this also contributes to the book not being able to provide any in depth discussion on any issue or character, Asha included. Also, while the prose is descriptive, it doesn't possess the lyrical beauty of say, Jhumpa Lahiri's works. But all in all, it is a good first novel whose unique plot at least raises some key cultural questions even if it doesn't seek to discuss them at length.
I love the concept of "The Kind Diet," and the way Alicia emphasizes that veganism is a way to make food choices that are kind to your body, the planet and (of course) to animals. She takes veganism away from deprivation and constantly saying "no" to certain foods, and moves it towards saying "yes" to a kinder lifestyle. That being said, I found the tone of the book annoying, which is why I didn't give it five stars. Alicia seems to think that because she is a celebrity, people are dying to know every detail of her life, and while some of her advice and tips are genuinely useful, others are just over-sharing (I don't need to know what foods make Alicia feel gassy/constipated/bloated, etc.). I also got sick of looking at pictures of Alicia throughout the book. Frankly, I wasn't reading it because I'm a fan of "Clueless," so I just wasn't interested in her photos and personal anecdotes. Despite all this, the book is an excellent introduction to veganism. It also offers an impressive collection of recipes that range from comfort foods that omnivores wouldn't even notice are vegan to more adventurous ethnic dishes. I'm really excited to try the recipes for guacamole bean dip and homemade peanut butter cups!