Year of the Historical: Secret Keeper

Secret Keeper Mitali Perkins

In 1974 Asha's father leaves India to look for work in the US, Asha moves with her sister and mother into her paternal grandfather's house. There, Asha's family is in the precarious position of being female relatives dependent on their relatvies. In Kolkata Asha loses the freedom she had in Delhi. She struggles with being the "ugly" sister-- why is so much of her value dependent on her looks-- and with the role women are expected to play in society.

Her only solace is writing in her diary, up on the house's rooftop. There, she befriends and the neighbor boy, a friendship that is strictly forbidden.

I appreciated that Asha's brashness wasn't the only way that women stood up for themselves in this novel, and at different points, different approaches worked better. I also liked that Perkins included a depressed character and her explorations of grief.

But perhaps my favorite part is the fact that this isn't a story about how unfair traditional Indian homes are, but rather a story about the strength and importance of family, especially sisters. Oh! And a great author's note at the end  A great example of why I love Mitali Perkins so much!

Also, this is the paperback release day! Mitali Perkins does so much to promote teen and middle grade books using social networking, so give her some love today!

If publication day is a book's birthday, is paperback day like its bar mitzvah?

Book Provided by... the author, for review consideration

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