The Dowry Bride [Paperback]

Shobhan Bantwal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

One sultry night, a young bride overhears an extraordinary conversation. The voices speak of a plot to murder a wife who has failed to produce a child and whose family has failed to produce the promised dowry...

Megha is sick with horror when she realizes she is the intended victim. Her husband--the very man who tied the sacred necklace of marriage around her neck--and his mother are plotting to kill her! In the moment of panic, she runs for her life. Frantically racing through Palgaum's deserted streets, her way lit only by the lights strung up for the Diwali festival, her single goal is to escape death by fire. But fleeing from her would-be killers seems impossible--unless she can find someone to help her...

To approach her best friend would bring scandal to an innocent woman's doorstep, and turning to her own strict, conservative family is out of the question. Instead, with nothing but the sari she wears and a memory of kindness, Megha finds her way to Kiran, the one man who has shown her friendship and respect. Hiding her in his apartment, Kiran becomes her protector. But the forbidden attraction that grows between them can only bring more danger...

Caught between tradition and the truths buried in her heart, a dowry bride will discover the real cost of the only things worth having in life...

"Packed with detail...splendidly depicts passion, brutality, and cultures in conflict." --Dorothy Garlock

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A young Indian bride flees her marriage after overhearing her husband and mother-in-law plot her murder in Bantwal's middling debut. Angry that, a year after the arranged marriage, Megha's father has not paid the dowry and Megha has not yet become pregnant, Amma, her husband's mother, wants her dead. Megha bolts and turns to Kiran, her husband's cousin, whom she remembers as being kind. While Amma searches for Megha, Megha and Kiran feel a forbidden spark. Bantwal lays on thick rich cultural detail, but it's not enough to overcome the uninspired prose and thin characters: the villains are poor, ugly, boorish and lack motivation for their cruel acts, while the heroes are rich, handsome and polite (says Kiran: "I happen to believe in things like decency and integrity, you know"). The ending may surprise, but getting to it can be exasperating.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 343 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; First Edition edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758220316
• ISBN-13: 978-0758220318
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing "Bollywood in a Book," romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture -- stories that entertain and educate. Her writing career is a "menopausal epiphany," because she took up creative writing at the age of 50. By day Shobhan works for the government. In the evenings and on weekends she slips on her writer's cape and flies off to Authorland. She loves writing stories about her native India and Hindu culture. To date, Shobhan has four published novels by Kensington Publishing, with a fifth one slated for August 2011 and a sixth for 2012. She is also a contributing author to a romantic anthology and freelances for a number of publications.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars (3.5) "At the age of twenty-one, Megha Ramnath... was about to be executed.", August 28, 2007

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dowry Bride (Paperback)

In modern-day middle class India, Megha Ramnath, a twenty-one-year old bride of one year, awakens from an exhausted sleep to discover her husband and mother-in-law plotting a gruesome death for her, the mother-in-law furious that Megha's dowry has not been forthcoming. An overweight, homely woman, Chandramma chose the educated young woman for her beauty and dowry, but has since come to loathe the compliant girl, her natural beauty making the older woman even uglier by comparison. At first disbelieving of what she is witnessing outside the wood shed, Megha is petrified, finally taking flight before her devious relatives can act. Racing through the night, Megha can only think of one destination and that one risky, knowing her own family will send her back to her murderous in-laws.

In an evolving society that values educated women, Megha is caught in a world where differing belief systems are practiced by families who sometimes choose traditional ways, restricting the influences of modern society, clinging to the practices of generations. As a dowry bride, Megha falls into a family that views her as a servant, her worth tied the amount of money her family can provide. At the mercy of her mother-in-law, Megha is a pawn and can be disposed of without much investigation into her disappearance. Escaping to the one place the family will not think to look, her temporary protector is of sufficient wealth to avoid the prying eyes of strangers. Yet after weeks of hiding, Megha again falls prey to those who would harm her. In a mix of drama, from Megha's impulsive flight to her constant fear of discovery, to humor and romance, the girl's spirit remains constant.

Targeting a very special audience, the author points out in an afterward that most Indians write literary novels that are "beautiful but don't always reach large segments of the reading public." Bantwal hopes to reach a mainstream audience, one that expects "romance, mystery, sadness and humor". With that in mind, the author accomplishes her goal, a horrific tale grounded in reality but spiced with romance and drama. The fact is that dowry brides are often the unacknowledged victims of a social convention that turns a blind eye to their plight. The Dowry Bride shines a light on an ancient practice that still exists. Although Megha's troubles are tempered with the promise of romance and an opportunity for a changed future, the reason for this protagonist's dilemma is based in uncomfortable reality. Luan Gaines/2007.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars India and all its ironies - Highly recommended, September 3, 2007

By 

blessed - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dowry Bride (Paperback)

As someone who has lived in India, and had educated friends and relatives succumb to the demands for dowry ( some very subtle, some not so subtle), DOWRY BRIDE, is a book we needed. The issue has permeated all socio-economic strata's and faith groups in India and some brides do burn for not bringing enough of a dowry, while others live with taunts, abuse and discrimination for not having brought the laundry lists of goods demanded. Female infanticide in India has its roots in traditions such as this. Woven into fiction, 'The Dowry Bride' will perhaps do for dowry what 'Kite Runner' did for Afghani kids. Highly recommended!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captures your attention, October 31, 2007

By 

Linda Carpenter (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dowry Bride (Paperback)

This book was an amazing accidental find! The author did a wonderful job of weaving a heartfelt story with color and words and facts about the culture of India. It shows the strength of a country with many old traditions and manages to keep the pages turning so quickly you feel as though you are in her world. And the message is life filled with new beginnings and hope!