The story of the main character, Padma, is a compelling and tragic tale of love and deception told from several perspectives, all of them female. The novel begins with Padma's young daughter, Mallika, and blossoms with the viewpoints of the women in Padma's life--her sister, mother, and two close friends. A lie told to protect Padma's reputation when she finds herself pregnant and unmarried engulfs the lives of everyone around her. Families are cursed, lives ruined, and relationships redeemed in this finely wrought tale that subtly circles around to tie all its ends together. On another level, this novel is a look at the oppression of domesticity for women: the relentless demands of parents, husbands, children, and in-laws and the political and social posturing that goes on in households. Although the novel is centered on Indian culture, it holds resounding truths for all women. Appachana intimately portrays relationships between and within families and friends and shows how women build strong friendships and lives for themselves, despite disappointment in marriage and the limitations of careers. Vanessa Bush --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.