Secret Keeper [Hardcover]

Mitali Perkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2009

When her father loses his job and leaves India to look for work in America, Asha Gupta, her older sister, Reet, and their mother must wait with Baba’s brother and his family, as well as their grandmother, in Calcutta. Uncle is welcoming, but in a country steeped in tradition, the three women must abide by his decisions. Asha knows this is temporary—just until Baba sends for them. But with scant savings and time passing, the tension builds: Ma, prone to spells of sadness, finds it hard to submit to her mother- and sister-in-law; Reet’s beauty attracts unwanted marriage proposals; and Asha's promise to take care of Ma and Reet leads to impulsive behavior. What follows is a firestorm of rebuke—and secrets revealed! Asha’s only solace is her rooftop hideaway, where she pours her heart out in her diary, and where she begins a clandestine friendship with Jay Sen, the boy next door. Asha can hardly believe that she, and not Reet, is the object of Jay’s attention. Then news arrives about Baba . . . and Asha must make a choice that will change their lives forever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In an intimate and absorbing drama about a displaced Indian family in the 1970s, Perkins (Monsoon Summer) vividly highlights the conflict between traditional Indian values and feminist ideals. After Ashas father goes to America in search of a new job, the rest of the family moves from Delhi to Calcutta to live in the more restrictive household headed by her grandmother. As often as she can, Asha escapes to the rooftop to confide her woes to her secret keeper, a diary; breaking the rules of the house, she also befriends the son of the family next door, who gazes at her through a window. But their relationship changes irrevocably when tragedy prompts Asha to make a painful sacrifice for the sake of her mother and sister. Readers may not always agree with Ashas bold decisions, but they will admire her courage and selflessness as she puts her familys needs before her own. Besides offering insight into Indian culture, Perkins offers a moving portrait of a rebellious teen who relies on ingenuity rather than charm to prove her worth. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–10—In the mid-1970s, when her engineer father loses his job and leaves India to look for employment in America, 16-year old Asha; her 17-year old sister, Reet; and their mother move in with their uncle's family in Calcutta. Beautiful Reet attracts many suitors, and her uncle soon begins to look for a suitable marriage proposal. But impulsive Asha, who promised her father that she would take good care of her sister, manages to publicly humiliate the first serious candidate. Asha hopes to become a psychologist, but her aspirations are curtailed by her lack of finances and concern about the family's reputation. She finds solace writing in her diary, the "secret keeper," on the roof of the house. Here she befriends Jay, who watches her from a window in the house next door. He wants to become a painter and, to Asha's surprise, he takes a liking to her. Since conventions would not allow them to meet in public, he draws her portrait from a distance. Well-developed characters, funny dialogue, and the authentic depiction of spunky Asha's longing for romance and female self-determination, set in a culture that restrains women's choices, make this book an attractive pick for teenage girls. In the end, a surprising sacrifice by Asha demonstrates her emotional maturity and her love for her sister. An author's note explains the turbulent times during Indira Gandhi's regime that influence the narrative. Pair this appealing novel with Padma Venkatraman's Climbing the Stairs (Putnam, 2008), a similar story set in India during World War II.—Monika Schroeder, American Embassy School, New Delhi, India
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 225 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (January 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385733402
• ISBN-13: 978-0385733403
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,703,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write novels for young readers, speak at conferences, schools, and libraries, and chat about writing, books, and life between cultures. Visit me on Mitali's Fire Escape (mitaliblog.com) or track me at twitter.com/mitaliperkins.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sister and the sacfrices to keep them safe..., February 3, 2009

By 

Sarah Woodard (Bremerton, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Keeper (Hardcover)

Asha is the second daughter in a very traditional in a Bengali family in the 1970's. There are riot and jobs are hard to find. Asha's father is forced to go to America in order to find a job. Her sister Reet, her mother, and herself are going to Calcutta; They are going to live with her father's family. In Calcutta, Asia is trapped in her Grandmother's house. She is unable to go to school, because of lack of money. Her mother finds it disrespectful for her to go outside of the house, on her own. So her freedom is limited.
Asha finds relief in writing in her diary or as she calls it, her Secret Keeper. She tends to write on the roof, until she find out that her neighbor, Jay has been spying on her. He wants to paint her. Asha's sister, Reet has caught the attention of the young men in town. Many are their cousin's Raj's friends. Asha and her family are left with difficult decisions that would alter their life's.
I found this book to be well descriptive. The characters drew a hole in my heart from how life like they were and how the ending wasn't exactly what I wants. It was still amazing. If you want to discover a book, that will pull your heart strings and makes you wonder... How much would you sacrifice to save someone that you loved? It also was great at making Asha and It seem like real sisters. I really hope that you check this book out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perkins has done it again!, January 28, 2009

By 

Carl Hofmann (Boulder, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret Keeper (Hardcover)

Mitali Perkins has done it again--but this time with an added depth and poignancy. Secret Keeper introduces twists of intrigue and surprise, along with real-world issues and emotion that resonate with readers of all cultures. This is not just for young adults--all ages will appreciate Perkins' way with words and her grasp of subtle nuance. Cross-cultural richness and great writing--I see "screenplay" written all over this!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must-read for young girls, July 12, 2009

By 

Julie Peterson "Booking Mama" (Central PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret Keeper (Hardcover)

I have been on a huge YA kick lately -- it's like I just discovered a whole new genre that I absolutely adore. And I feel really lucky because all the YA books that I've read recently have been terrific. SECRET KEEPER by Mitali Perkins is no exception. I thought this was a very well-written novel with a very interesting story.

SECRET KEEPER takes place in India in the mid-70s when India is going through a huge state of change. I really appreciated how the author incorporated some of India's political history and other pertinent cultural pieces into the book. I love learning about foreign countries and their customs, and I'm pretty sure that young girls will enjoy that part of this novel too. Much of what Asha and her sister Reet experience in this novel will seem very odd to American girls who live in current times; however, what I truly loved about this novel is that young girls will still be able to relate to these characters. The feeling that Asha has about boys and becoming a woman are universal themes to all teen girls.

And speaking of characters, I couldn't help but fall in love with Asha and Reet. While both girls were very different, they had a love that can only be shared between sisters. I think they were brought closer by their father's departure and their mother's depression, and I liked that they confided in and unconditionally supported each other. Many of the supporting characters were also wonderful, and I especially liked their cousin and Asha's love interest Jay. These two characters especially were some of the only positive things in these girls' lives.

Asha was definitely my favorite character in this novel. She was a strong, brave, and intelligent; yet she also was able to give of herself to the point of self-sacrifice. I loved how the author showed that she had issues with "becoming a women" and even challenged what was expected of her. There were many times in this novel where my heart just broke for her; however, I always felt that she was ultimately a survivor and things would turn out okay for her.

Since I'm haven't been a big reader (or even follower) of YA fiction, I wasn't familiar with Ms. Perkins' books. She has written quite a few other ones that look great like THE NOT-SO-STAR-SPANGLED LIFE OF SUNITA SEN and RICKSHAW GIRL which both fall into the age range of my almost 10 year old daughter. In addition, I think FIRST DAUGHTER: EXTREME AMERICAN MAKEOVER and FIRST DAUGHTER: WHITE HOUSE RULES look like part of a fantastic series. If SECRET KEEPER is any indication of her previous books, I definitely want to read them. Ms. Perkins also has a great website that you should really check out.

This book would make a wonderful selection for our mother-daughter book club. The book is geared towards 12 year old and up, our girls will have to wait a few more years; however, I think young teen girls will really enjoy this story. There are so many complicated themes to discuss such as mother/daughter relationships, relationships between sisters, issues between men and women, and even friendship and love. And even though the book takes place over 30 years ago and in a foreign country, there are still so many things that young girls will relate to.