Friday 12 September 2014

The Stolen Girl by Renita D'Silva




What They Say:


‘Your mother has been arrested. She stole you.’


For as long as thirteen-year-old Diya can remember, it’s always been just her and her mum, Vani. Despite never staying in one place long enough to call it home, with her mother by her side, Diya has never needed anything else.


Then, in an instant, Diya’s fragile world is shattered. Her mother is arrested, accused of abducting Diya when she was a baby…


Vani has spent a lifetime looking over her shoulder, determined to make the best possible life for her daughter. Now she must fight for her child, re-opening the door to her childhood in India and the woman who was once as close to her as a sister.


Told through the eyes of Diya, Vani and Aarti, this is a heart-breaking story of friendship and betrayal, love and motherhood, which asks the question; how far would you go to protect your only child?


What I Say:

I would like to thank Bookouture for my approval on NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Although I like the cover of this book I feel it is a little deceiving as the child looks a lot younger than Diya actually is in the book, but don’t let this put you off reading this great book.

When we first meet Diya and Vani they are at not getting on as teenage girls tend not to with their mums. Vani wants to move again but as Diya is getting older and has finally made a friend she doesn’t want to move on and can’t understand why they need to move.  Running out of the house she realises the police are there, at the time she doesn’t know that they have come to arrest her mum.  When she returns home she is shattered and devasted to learn that Vani has been arrested for kidnapping her.

The book is grippingly told from Diya’s point of view, a 13 year old girl trying to get her head around what she has been told, she is placed with a loving family and even goes back to school where her friend supports her and she finally makes new friend.  She is devastated at what she has been told but unable to believe her mum would do that, she is angry and wants answers.

It is also told from the point of Vani, in a series of letters to her daughter explaining how much she loves her and what had happened 13 years ago, we also go back to find out Vani’s back story and how she met Aarti.

We also see the story from Aarti’s point of view and as this is told I realized how cold and selfish she is.

The book is put together brilliantly and it takes you to the less fortunate areas of India if you want to call them and also through the lives of the more fortunate of India’s population.  Also to present day England and the situation that has fallen Vani, Diya and Aarti.

I really enjoyed this book it was totally not what I was expecting when I picked it up to read and would recommend to anyone that likes a different book that isn’t all love and romance but more true to life. I’ve read somewhere that this is utterly compelling well I totally agree with that as once I picked it up and didn’t put it down and finished it one night.  In some parts, I became so engrossed and I felt emotionally wrung out once I had finished it, the following night I couldn’t put my mind to read again as I kept thinking about this wonderful if sad story.

Renita kept me hoping and praying right to the very last chapters that things would work out for Vani and Diya.  

5 out of 5 stars

About The Author



I love nothing better than to lose myself in a good book. The only thing that comes close to the feeling I get when I read is when I am writing. I am the author of 'Monsoon Memories','The Forgotten Daughter' and 'The Stolen Girl'. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing them.

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