7 Stars
"When her father loses his job and leaves India to look for work in America, Asha, her older sister, Reet, and their mother must wait with Baba's brother and his family...in Calcutta. Uncle is welcoming, but in a country steeped in tradition, the three women must abide by his decisions. ... Asha's only solace is her rooftop hide-away, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next door. ... Setting her novel in the mid-1970s, a time of political turmoil, Mitali Perkins probes the relationships between sisters, mothers and daughters, women and men. Secret Keeper tells of one girl's struggle, within the constraints of tradition, to establish her identity and claim her future." (Taken from the inside cover.)
I have to say that the biggest downside to this book was that it was only fairly written. I found Perkins' switching between the author's viewpoint, and Asha's first-person voice confusing. However, I found that I liked the book more than I normally do when I don't connect with the writing style. The characters were engaging, interesting, and believable, even though they are not deeply expounded upon. The setting, like Jane Austen's books, is mentioned only in direct relation to how it affects the characters (which, truthfully, isn't much), but I found that this added to the realism of Asha as a young woman. (I mean, what 16-year-old is really THAT affected by politics in their everyday life?) The book was also surprisingly poignant. It manages to explore some levels of social acceptance and age-old parent/child drama without making any one thing or person "to blame." You come away a little saddened by the plight of people within a culture that is so rigid in its socially acceptable norms, but still hopeful because the characters have managed to show respect and real love for each other without flouting generations of tradition. It was a surprisingly deep read, despite Perkins somewhat inexpert style.
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