Heartbreaking, emotional and thought-provoking… I will think about this story for a long time’ ALIYA ALI-AFZAL It is a poignant work set in 1992, a haunting reminder of a time when young mothers in Usilampatti were consumed by fear of losing their daughters in the womb or immediately after birth.

A temple city in lush southern India, Madurai is bustling with pilgrims and steeped in history and tradition. Yet not all traditions should be upheld…Usilampatti of the 90s and Sydney of 2019 are two parallel stories that are connected and finally merge at the end revealing many truths while keeping the suspense alive. In Usilampatti, a young mother, Janani, is faced with desperate choices and will do anything to save her unborn daughter; Nila in Sydney keeps a secret from her parents till she embarks on a life-changing journey to Madurai and discovers more details about her family and how she was saved.

While exploring the phenomenon of female infanticide, the story sensitively underlines the indomitable strength of women and the beautiful bond that mothers and daughters share. It also brings out the enigma of love and how it helps to defeat the obstacles in life. The Daughters of Madurai is a mother-daughter love story. It also gives an alarming insight into female infanticide and misogyny, as well as the strength and fortitude necessary to be a woman and a mother. Heartrending but ultimately hopeful, this richly evocative and spellbinding book will touch your soul’ VERONICA HENRY The ultimate feelings I came away from this book have meant I have thought of it a few times since finishing, and I will certainly enjoy this once it is released, and have no hesitation to gift it out to others.Heartrending but ultimately hopeful, this richly evocative and spellbinding book will touch your soul' VERONICA HENRY It is a family saga replete with suspense, drama, love, trauma, sorrow, courage and success. The secrets women keep and must keep to protect the ones they love makes for a complex plot that also bursts with the colours, sounds and scents of India spanning three decades. As a low-caste cleaner for a wealthy family, Janani's duty has always been quiet obedience. Even at home, her mother-in-law's word is law. Janani has never dared to dream of a different life. But now, she has something she'll do anything to protect... even if it means losing everything she's ever known. Nila doesn’t remember her life before they moved to Australia, and her parents never talk about their past. So when she joins her parents on a trip to their hometown, Madurai, she hopes she’ll finally uncover the truth. Especially as Nila seeks acceptance for a secret of her own…