Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins

By Jeff Rivera 

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Secret Keeper is today’s Feature Book of Color. Author Mitali Perkins sets the novel in mid-1970’s India, where Asha’s father, Baba, has just lost his job and has been been forced to move to America for work. Meanwhile, Asha, her sister Reet, and her mother are all sent to live with her uncle, her father’s brother, and his family. In a country restricted by traditional boundaries, Asha and her family must submit to all her uncle’s decisions.

Asha’s living situation becomes more difficult when savings begin to run scarce. Although Asha does all she can to care for her sister and mother, their impulsive behavior threatens the equilibrium in their new household. To keep from going crazy, Asha begins to write in a diary and makes a new friend in Jay Sen, the boy next door. Surprised by his attention, Asha must make a huge decision when news of her father arrives.

Mitali Perkins is the author of Monsoon Summer and The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen. Born in India, she now resides in Massachusetts with her family.