I found this an interesting, captivating and heart-breaking novel. The themes and subjects covered are tough reading at times, mostly the concept of girls being unwanted babies and often killed at birth in poor rural areas of India. This is an important subject to raise awareness of and I am glad the author has done so.

A wonderful, heart wrenching read about a very emotive subject.

Janani is a young Indian mother, it’s 1992 and she has yet to bear a son and heir for the family.
Unfortunately daughters are seen as too much of financial burden, she was allowed to keep her beautiful first born, but not her next two girls, she hopes with all her heart that her next born is a boy.

Fast forward to 2019… in Sydney and Nila is torn between her family and the love of her life, how can she tell them, will it break their hearts and destroy their relationship forever.

However an urgent family trip home to India to visit her poorly Grandfather changes everything. Family secrets bigger than her own secret are uncovered, Nila then gets to meet many people from her past and she realises that sometimes parents hide the past to protect those they love.

I couldn’t put this book down, I had to know how the story ended. In 1992 I would have been the same age as Janani, and to think what she endured, the heartbreak, the cruelty and the loss, it’s hard to take.

However, she had great spirit and friends and carved a new future for herself.

A highly recommended read!

This is a powerful story with a strong plot and convincing characters, a page-turner that is heart-wrenching and life affirming at the same time.

This well told mother–daughter story deals with many of the complexities that are inherent in any such relationship. The nagging question of how much of the truth the other one can bear lies at the heart of the dynamics between Janini and Neila. Janini does not give much away about her past in India and her family history, which leaves her daughter Neila feeling like she has been sent off on a journey with no sense where she has come from. Neila on the other hand keeps a big secret that certainly does not coincide with her mother’s desire to find her a nice husband from the Indian community. When granddad back in India dies and the family returns to attend his funeral, they go on a journey of discovery that both challenges but also strengthens the bond between them.

There is however so much more to this book. It paints a picture of a society in which a girl is classed as a burden and disadvantaged in her life chances right from the beginning, an inequality aggravated by the strict class / caste system. It tells the sad story of female infanticide and the unspeakable suffering of their mothers. But it also tells a story of resilience, resistance and hope, without which this would have been an unbearable read.

There are two narrative threads, one is carried by Neila and her perspective of what she experiences in 2019, the second one tells Janini’s story in the early 1990s in Madurai / India. Both of them are equally intriguing in their exploration of love and of the strength of women to move forward and heal.

I liked this book a lot and really didn’t mind the few contrived elements in the plot that had my disbelief hanging, since they contributed to a happy ending.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heart wrenching read that really brings to the forefront the tragic system that has been in place due to the importance in Indian culture of having a boy and the dowries linked to birthing daughters.

I found this a compelling read as we learnt about the culture on both timelines and how this has impacted families through the generations.

Whilst initially I found this book very hard to get into, but the backbone of the story is very powerful.
I appreciate that there are different traditions, castes and poverty but it hard to believe that this situation was /is happening.
A mother's love that is so strong and is willing to move heaven and earth for her daughter.
A thought provoking storyline.

I was instantly and utterly transported by this book. A really rich, layered, big story that you can just sink into.

In many parts of India, girls are seen as a drain rather than a blessing. Thousands are killed before birth or shortly after. Janani has already lost two daughters in this way. When she falls pregant with her third can she stop it happening again?

Moving between India in the 1990s and a present day timeline in both Australia and India I was utterly gripped. Obviously the subject of infantcidie means this is a harrowing tale in places, but it is also a story of love and courage, enriched with vivid descriptions of Indian life and culture.

I enjoyed the use of language too with the story peppered with Indian phrases and words which added to the authentic feel. Food plays a large part too and some of those descriptions of the dishes had me drooling!

The writing was so good allowing the reader to conjure the scenes and characters effortlessly that I found it hard to believe this was a debut.

A powerful read dealing with an important subject and I absolutely loved it.

Thanks to Orion & NetGalley for thee chance to read an early copy

This is a massively powerful book for a debut author. It is heartbreaking and beautiful. It had me in floods of tears and will stay with me a very long time. Beautifully written.

I found this book heartbreaking, utterly compelling and completely unforgettable. I still can't believe that the topics covered in this book exist during my lifetime. This is a story I feel must be read.

A difficult read at times as it centres on the pressure placed on women in India to give birth to boys. Female infanticide was rife, any daughters considered a drain on money and time due to dowries needing to be paid. Also covers the pressure put on son's to undertake certain job roles the family feels important.
The story has a dual timeline. In 1993, Janini lives with her drunkard husband and wicked mother in law, she's had previous daughters taken from her at birth but is determined to save her youngest
Present day and Nila travels from Australia to India with her parents as her grandfather is dying. Her mother never really speaks about her past but during this time secrets are revealed.
I liked the characters in this book, friendships revealed and support given.
A solid debut novel.

I've enjoyed reading this book but it's sad (if true) that if a pregnant woman finds out that her unborn baby is a female, she has to either have an abortion or give her away just after birth. The female won't carry on the family name so must be disposed of in the eyes of the families in this book. A girl is a curse, this is sad and disappointing. I feel for Janani and it shows how cruel some parents can be when they don't get their own way with the offspring gender.

I liked the characters, Janani and Sanjay are likeable, they are trying to make a living and a difference in their life as they grow up together. They are all strong characters in their own rights and it is a powerful read.

The glossary at the back was helpful (didn't find it until I'd finished so had to google some words as I was going along, food and family words I worked out to mean daughter, mother, father etc. Would recommend.

the eyes of one family over 2 generations and across 2 continents .
The author has a clear easy to read prose style and the book was an enjoyable read
There are some sections which are difficult to read particularly those involving infanticide ,the horror of going through labour and trusting those helping you only to discover that the baby girl has been taken from her was visceral and made me feel sick
There is an underlying love story which takes a while to emerge as we learn more and more about the family at the same time as the narrator a young woman
The setting mostly in India in the 90s but also in Sydney Australia at the present time was atmospheric and memorable
The book was published in the uk on 27th April 2023 by Orion publishing group I read a copy ok NetGalley uk .This review will be published in. Goodreads ,NetGalley uk Amazon and on my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.Wordpress.Com

“The Daughters of Madurai” is a riveting tale about Janani, a woman born into a poor family who in 1992 is living with her husband, mother in law and young daughter. In a society which only values boys, she is told she is useless because she only gives birth to girls. Having been allowed to keep her eldest daughter, they don’t do the same for the next babies who are cruelly taken away against her wishes and murdered. Somehow, Janani keeps her spirit and keeps fighting for her and her daughter’s future but she faces huge difficulties. Fast forwarding to 2019, we meet Nila, who has been keeping a secret from her family. But her family have been keeping secrets from her and a family trip to return to Madurai prompts big reveals and changes Nila’s life and perceptions forever.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. I found it gripping, emotional and I was entirely invested in the characters. The story switches regularly between Janani’s back story and Nila’s “present day” trip and the drip feed of the plot was enough to keep me turning that page! I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Janani is from a poor background in India. She and her husband have a daughter, they can’t afford another one - dowries are expensive. Her husband isn’t hugely supportive and her mother-in-law is abusive. Janani is pregnant again, and we follow her through the months of the pregnancy.
Twenty years later Nila is visiting India with her parents as her paternal grandfather is dying. Nila’s story is interspersed with Janani’s.
The book was engaging and sad. I found it well written - I just wished I’d found the glossary before reaching the end of the book, that might have helped with some terminology. The culture of dowries, marriage only within your caste, moving in with the husband’s family and caring for the family, being ill-treated - the stereotypical ideologies of Indian culture are all present. Despite this, the book worked for me and I enjoyed it.

Based across dual timelines with Nila in 2019 and Janani in 1992/3, The Daughters of Madurai is recent historical fiction focusing on life in India and the issue of infanticide.

To say I found it shocking was an understatement. That this takes place in my lifetime and not hundreds of years ago really got to me, as a human being but also as a mother. I felt Janani’s pain and championed her throughout.

It’s a slow burner, but one that is absolutely worth sticking with. It crept up on me, eventually becoming an obsessive read. It’s rich in detail of Indian culture with interesting character interactions and insights. With themes of motherhood, family and friendship it’s a powerful and emotive read.

At times an upsetting read but ultimately hopeful, The Daughters of Madurai will stay with me for a long time.

Absolutely love this book, great storyline fabulous characters, very compelling read about culture, women's rights, love and cruelty. Highly recommend

I can't stand it when a female character in a book is treated poorly and demeaned like Janani, but thankfully this book is very well written and the delivery is very powerful with cultural issues involving female figures. This was an excellent book, and I hope that more people read it.

A really interesting story of a mother’s love for her daughter even though her culture places no value on girls, in fact they cost money for a dowry that most families can’t afford. Set in modern day Australia as well as India a few years ago, this is a good insight into the pain that cultural issues can cause.

"The Daughters of Madurai" is a powerful story that follows three generations of women as they navigate the complexities of family, tradition, and social change in India. The story is told through the perspective of each of the daughters in the family, from the conservative grandmother, who holds steadfast to traditional beliefs, to her granddaughter, who fights for her own independence and dreams.

The author, Rajasree Variyar, does an excellent job of immersing the reader into the vibrant and multifaceted culture of India, while also highlighting the struggles and injustices that women face in a patriarchal society. The characters are well-developed and their individual journeys are both compelling and poignant.

"The Daughters of Madurai" is a thought-provoking and inspiring novel that celebrates the strength and resilience of women, and the power of familial bonds. It is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of family and culture in India.

This book is heart-wrenching and beautiful. The characters are incredible and the plot is so well written.

The storytelling and the style of writing are superb, the characters are realistic and well developed.
It's one of the best written and most tragic story I read in a long time, a story about women and women who will never be.
There's a tragedy and there's India with all the contradiction and beauty.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine