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The Morning Star
The Morning Star is a story of love and sacrifice and the unseen hand of destiny.
A desperate woman calls a neighbor before dying in childbirth. Is it a coincidence that she chooses someone who will give her all to save the baby from its unscrupulous father?
When Sudha answers a telephone call in the middle of the night, she cannot know how it will change her life. From the first, she feels a strong connection with the motherless baby. She brings her home and names her after the Arundhati star.
Sudha loves Arundhati – Anu as she calls her - as much as she does her son. She is the daughter of her heart, a precious gift that fate has given her. As the threat to Anu’s safety increases, she grows desperate and takes a drastic step to protect the baby.
Only, it might cost her everything she holds dear …
A desperate woman calls a neighbor before dying in childbirth. Is it a coincidence that she chooses someone who will give her all to save the baby from its unscrupulous father?
When Sudha answers a telephone call in the middle of the night, she cannot know how it will change her life. From the first, she feels a strong connection with the motherless baby. She brings her home and names her after the Arundhati star.
Sudha loves Arundhati – Anu as she calls her - as much as she does her son. She is the daughter of her heart, a precious gift that fate has given her. As the threat to Anu’s safety increases, she grows desperate and takes a drastic step to protect the baby.
Only, it might cost her everything she holds dear …
- GenresFamilyRelationships
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2020
About the author
Gita V. Reddy
59 books90 followersGita V. Reddy lives in Hyderabad, India, with her husband and son. She writes fiction for both adults and children. Her books for children are written when she takes a break from writing for adults, and vice versa.
She enjoys crafting tales of various genres. For children, she has written mysteries, adventure tales, fantasy, science fiction, and a fable. In addition to writing, she is interested in art and has illustrated three picture books. For adults, she has written novels and short stories in the women’s literary fiction genre, sweet romances, and historical fiction genres.
She has more than forty published works.
For more details, please visit: www.gitavreddy.com
Women’s Literary Fiction
Outside the Magic Circle
The Morning Star
A Tapestry of Tears
Happiness is a Collage
Regency Romance
Sisters by Marriage Series
A Harmless Deception
A Disgraceful Affair
A Delayed Courtship
A Lady of Birth
A Promise of Spring
Season of Love (under pen name Jessica Spencer)
Rescuing Miss Fairfax
Lady Helen's Misalliance
Contemporary Romance (India)
The Mishti Doi Bride
The Girl from Trichy
Bride-in-Waiting
Books for Children and Teens
FOR AGES 9-14
Tara and the Giant Queen
Mystery of the Missing Horseman
Mystery of the Diamond Ring
Cinderella’s Escape
Saving Snow White
Rule Breaker Princess
The Boy Who Was Left Behind
The Dinosaur Puzzle and Other Stories
Theft at the Fair and Other Stories
The Unicycle and Other Stories
Rangeela Tales: Book 1
Rangeela Tales: Book 2
Rangeela Tales: Book 3
Rangeela Tales: Complete Collection
FOR AGES 8-12
Dearie: A Tale of Courage
Daksha, the Medicine Girl
The Forbidden Forest
Krishta, Daughter of Martev
The Magician’s Turban
The Homeless Birds
Knife and Fork
Make a Wish
The Missing Girl
Nine Short Chapter Books (Omnibus Edition of all books for Ages 8-12)
PICTURE BOOKS FOR KIDS
The Ant Thief
Bala-Gala the Brave and Dangerous
Super-Duper Monty
Which is p and Which is q?
Hop and Chomp
The Bird that Learned to Swim
The Hat Lady and her Animals
The Alphabet Game (Interactive Learning)
She enjoys crafting tales of various genres. For children, she has written mysteries, adventure tales, fantasy, science fiction, and a fable. In addition to writing, she is interested in art and has illustrated three picture books. For adults, she has written novels and short stories in the women’s literary fiction genre, sweet romances, and historical fiction genres.
She has more than forty published works.
For more details, please visit: www.gitavreddy.com
Women’s Literary Fiction
Outside the Magic Circle
The Morning Star
A Tapestry of Tears
Happiness is a Collage
Regency Romance
Sisters by Marriage Series
A Harmless Deception
A Disgraceful Affair
A Delayed Courtship
A Lady of Birth
A Promise of Spring
Season of Love (under pen name Jessica Spencer)
Rescuing Miss Fairfax
Lady Helen's Misalliance
Contemporary Romance (India)
The Mishti Doi Bride
The Girl from Trichy
Bride-in-Waiting
Books for Children and Teens
FOR AGES 9-14
Tara and the Giant Queen
Mystery of the Missing Horseman
Mystery of the Diamond Ring
Cinderella’s Escape
Saving Snow White
Rule Breaker Princess
The Boy Who Was Left Behind
The Dinosaur Puzzle and Other Stories
Theft at the Fair and Other Stories
The Unicycle and Other Stories
Rangeela Tales: Book 1
Rangeela Tales: Book 2
Rangeela Tales: Book 3
Rangeela Tales: Complete Collection
FOR AGES 8-12
Dearie: A Tale of Courage
Daksha, the Medicine Girl
The Forbidden Forest
Krishta, Daughter of Martev
The Magician’s Turban
The Homeless Birds
Knife and Fork
Make a Wish
The Missing Girl
Nine Short Chapter Books (Omnibus Edition of all books for Ages 8-12)
PICTURE BOOKS FOR KIDS
The Ant Thief
Bala-Gala the Brave and Dangerous
Super-Duper Monty
Which is p and Which is q?
Hop and Chomp
The Bird that Learned to Swim
The Hat Lady and her Animals
The Alphabet Game (Interactive Learning)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 19, 2020
Having previously read the author’s two short story collections, Happiness Is A Collage and A Tapestry Of Tears, I was intrigued at the prospect of experiencing her writing in novel length form. Even more so since I also enjoyed her book, Outside the Magic Circle, exploring the private life of Charles Dickens and revealing his cruel treatment of his wife Catherine, mother of his children.
Described as “a story of love, sacrifice and the unseen hand of destiny”, The Morning Star takes the reader on an emotional – and literal – journey as Sudha attempts to fulfil her neighbour Prerna’s dying wish that she keep her newborn daughter safe from Prerna’s alcoholic husband. Sudha soon finds herself forced to choose between respecting the wishes of her husband Vinay, her responsibilities for her young son Raghu and her sincere conviction that destiny has chosen her to be the protector of the baby she names Arundhati. Her choice sets her on a path that jeopardizes her marriage, forces her to venture outside the relatively enclosed life she has led so far, and brings challenges and risks she can never have imagined.
Although Sudha’s actions may appear rash, even naïve at times, they are clearly motivated by her love for Arundhati, the daughter she would have loved to have, and by her own experiences as a child. This makes her a very sympathetic character. And I’m sure I’m not the only reader to give a little cheer the first time she, in her words, “stands her ground”, answering back to yet another mean comment from her cousin Lavanya.
A chance encounter on a train journey results in an unlikely friendship which brings Sudha (who is somewhat of an innocent abroad, at one point describing herself as “a boat without oars in a fast-moving river”) much needed practical help. It also leads to Sudha and Arundhati finding an unexpected refuge as well as a source of love and support, just at the moment they need it most.
The novel’s references to smartphones, Instagram and Netflix place it very much in the here and now, even more so as the author very cleverly weaves current world events into the storyline. However, as in her previous books, the central story is accompanied by fascinating insights into Indian culture, religious belief and social customs. Oh, and delicious sounding food.
The Morning Star is a moving family drama set against the backdrop of modern day India. It will take you on an emotional journey, one you won’t want to forget for a while.
Described as “a story of love, sacrifice and the unseen hand of destiny”, The Morning Star takes the reader on an emotional – and literal – journey as Sudha attempts to fulfil her neighbour Prerna’s dying wish that she keep her newborn daughter safe from Prerna’s alcoholic husband. Sudha soon finds herself forced to choose between respecting the wishes of her husband Vinay, her responsibilities for her young son Raghu and her sincere conviction that destiny has chosen her to be the protector of the baby she names Arundhati. Her choice sets her on a path that jeopardizes her marriage, forces her to venture outside the relatively enclosed life she has led so far, and brings challenges and risks she can never have imagined.
Although Sudha’s actions may appear rash, even naïve at times, they are clearly motivated by her love for Arundhati, the daughter she would have loved to have, and by her own experiences as a child. This makes her a very sympathetic character. And I’m sure I’m not the only reader to give a little cheer the first time she, in her words, “stands her ground”, answering back to yet another mean comment from her cousin Lavanya.
A chance encounter on a train journey results in an unlikely friendship which brings Sudha (who is somewhat of an innocent abroad, at one point describing herself as “a boat without oars in a fast-moving river”) much needed practical help. It also leads to Sudha and Arundhati finding an unexpected refuge as well as a source of love and support, just at the moment they need it most.
The novel’s references to smartphones, Instagram and Netflix place it very much in the here and now, even more so as the author very cleverly weaves current world events into the storyline. However, as in her previous books, the central story is accompanied by fascinating insights into Indian culture, religious belief and social customs. Oh, and delicious sounding food.
The Morning Star is a moving family drama set against the backdrop of modern day India. It will take you on an emotional journey, one you won’t want to forget for a while.
October 14, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. A young woman dies giving birth to a girl child. A neighbour takes it upon herself to care for the child against her husband's and the father's wishes.
Along the way we learn a great deal about Indian culture and religion, the evolving roles of women in Indian society and the procedures surrounding adoption in that vast and diverse nation. Ancient myths of India are also referenced, as is the strong work ethic which enables enterprising families to start and grow businesses. The traditions of arranged marriage, dowry and the paternalism with which some large corporations treat their employees, surely a hangover from colonialism, are all here.
Above all, this book must hold the distinction of being the first published novel to use the COVID lockdown as a plot device. Forced to remain where she is at the commencement of pandemic control restrictions in Delhi, the protagonist has time to solve her problem. The strangers with whom she is forced to reside become good friends, helping her to solve the problem and to gain a deeper understanding of herself and her marriage.
I recommend this delightful and uplifting paen to motherhood and familial love from a prolific Indian writer to all who are feeling depressed by the present health emergency.
Along the way we learn a great deal about Indian culture and religion, the evolving roles of women in Indian society and the procedures surrounding adoption in that vast and diverse nation. Ancient myths of India are also referenced, as is the strong work ethic which enables enterprising families to start and grow businesses. The traditions of arranged marriage, dowry and the paternalism with which some large corporations treat their employees, surely a hangover from colonialism, are all here.
Above all, this book must hold the distinction of being the first published novel to use the COVID lockdown as a plot device. Forced to remain where she is at the commencement of pandemic control restrictions in Delhi, the protagonist has time to solve her problem. The strangers with whom she is forced to reside become good friends, helping her to solve the problem and to gain a deeper understanding of herself and her marriage.
I recommend this delightful and uplifting paen to motherhood and familial love from a prolific Indian writer to all who are feeling depressed by the present health emergency.
September 8, 2020
‘Time was what they did not have’
Indian author Gita V. Reddy lives in Hyderabad, India – the City of Pearls – and earned her postgraduate degree in Mathematics from Hyderabad Central University, joining State Bank of Hyderabad as a Probationary Officer in 1985. After twenty-six years of serving the bank in various managerial positions, she left the bank in 2011 to pursue full time writing. Her books to date are in excess of thirty – women’s fiction and romance and children’s books. She is married to a physics professor, has a son doing research in neuro-electronics! Gita brings to all of her wonderful books a rich background for data gathering: of the many books she has written, both for adults and for children, her children’s books truly shine and to her credit she has combined her nine short chapter books for intermediate readers - .to encourage young readers to read short stories that begin and end in a period of time the reader can return to with enthusiasm - a fine concept of introducing the reading of entire books by chapters for children as they open the door for loving reading.
Now Gita moves from her well-established short stories specialty to the full novel structure for her adult audience with this excellent new book THE MORNING STAR. Inviting the reader into the sensitive story blending love and sacrifice and destiny in a Prologue that draws the curtain on the events to follow: ‘They tell her she must go into the room but she squeezes her eyes shut and vehemently shakes her head, the movement making her braids swing in wide arcs. Anupama, a distant relative, says that before leaving for the hospital two days ago, the unfortunate woman had braided her daughter’s hair. She was a loving mother; the girl and she were close, a neighbor adds. The girl’s aunt who arrived only an hour ago had taken charge of the funeral arrangements. A slight frown mars her smooth forehead at the unexpected hitch; the girl must pay her respects before the body is removed to the cremation ground…’
With subtle opening Gita begins her moving story, condensed as follows: ‘A desperate woman calls a neighbor before dying in childbirth. Is it a coincidence that she chooses someone who will give her all to save the baby from its unscrupulous father? When Sudha answers a telephone call in the middle of the night, she cannot know how it will change her life. From the first, she feels a strong connection with the motherless baby. She brings her home and names her after the Arundhati star. Sudha loves Arundhati – Anu as she calls her - as much as she does her son. She is the daughter of her heart, a precious gift that fate has given her. As the threat to Anu’s safety increases, she grows desperate and takes a drastic step to protect the baby. Only, it might cost her everything she holds dear …’
It is rewarding to find Gita’s skill in writing short stories encompass a full-length novel. This is a beautiful and very moving story, one that lingers in the mind after completing
Merged review:
‘Time was what they did not have’
Indian author Gita V. Reddy lives in Hyderabad, India – the City of Pearls – and earned her postgraduate degree in Mathematics from Hyderabad Central University, joining State Bank of Hyderabad as a Probationary Officer in 1985. After twenty-six years of serving the bank in various managerial positions, she left the bank in 2011 to pursue full time writing. Her books to date are in excess of thirty – women’s fiction and romance and children’s books. She is married to a physics professor, has a son doing research in neuro-electronics! Gita brings to all of her wonderful books a rich background for data gathering: of the many books she has written, both for adults and for children, her children’s books truly shine and to her credit she has combined her nine short chapter books for intermediate readers - .to encourage young readers to read short stories that begin and end in a period of time the reader can return to with enthusiasm - a fine concept of introducing the reading of entire books by chapters for children as they open the door for loving reading.
Now Gita moves from her well-established short stories specialty to the full novel structure for her adult audience with this excellent new book THE MORNING STAR. Inviting the reader into the sensitive story blending love and sacrifice and destiny in a Prologue that draws the curtain on the events to follow: ‘They tell her she must go into the room but she squeezes her eyes shut and vehemently shakes her head, the movement making her braids swing in wide arcs. Anupama, a distant relative, says that before leaving for the hospital two days ago, the unfortunate woman had braided her daughter’s hair. She was a loving mother; the girl and she were close, a neighbor adds. The girl’s aunt who arrived only an hour ago had taken charge of the funeral arrangements. A slight frown mars her smooth forehead at the unexpected hitch; the girl must pay her respects before the body is removed to the cremation ground…’
With subtle opening Gita begins her moving story, condensed as follows: ‘A desperate woman calls a neighbor before dying in childbirth. Is it a coincidence that she chooses someone who will give her all to save the baby from its unscrupulous father? When Sudha answers a telephone call in the middle of the night, she cannot know how it will change her life. From the first, she feels a strong connection with the motherless baby. She brings her home and names her after the Arundhati star. Sudha loves Arundhati – Anu as she calls her - as much as she does her son. She is the daughter of her heart, a precious gift that fate has given her. As the threat to Anu’s safety increases, she grows desperate and takes a drastic step to protect the baby. Only, it might cost her everything she holds dear …’
It is rewarding to find Gita’s skill in writing short stories encompass a full-length novel. This is a beautiful and very moving story, one that lingers in the mind after completing.
Indian author Gita V. Reddy lives in Hyderabad, India – the City of Pearls – and earned her postgraduate degree in Mathematics from Hyderabad Central University, joining State Bank of Hyderabad as a Probationary Officer in 1985. After twenty-six years of serving the bank in various managerial positions, she left the bank in 2011 to pursue full time writing. Her books to date are in excess of thirty – women’s fiction and romance and children’s books. She is married to a physics professor, has a son doing research in neuro-electronics! Gita brings to all of her wonderful books a rich background for data gathering: of the many books she has written, both for adults and for children, her children’s books truly shine and to her credit she has combined her nine short chapter books for intermediate readers - .to encourage young readers to read short stories that begin and end in a period of time the reader can return to with enthusiasm - a fine concept of introducing the reading of entire books by chapters for children as they open the door for loving reading.
Now Gita moves from her well-established short stories specialty to the full novel structure for her adult audience with this excellent new book THE MORNING STAR. Inviting the reader into the sensitive story blending love and sacrifice and destiny in a Prologue that draws the curtain on the events to follow: ‘They tell her she must go into the room but she squeezes her eyes shut and vehemently shakes her head, the movement making her braids swing in wide arcs. Anupama, a distant relative, says that before leaving for the hospital two days ago, the unfortunate woman had braided her daughter’s hair. She was a loving mother; the girl and she were close, a neighbor adds. The girl’s aunt who arrived only an hour ago had taken charge of the funeral arrangements. A slight frown mars her smooth forehead at the unexpected hitch; the girl must pay her respects before the body is removed to the cremation ground…’
With subtle opening Gita begins her moving story, condensed as follows: ‘A desperate woman calls a neighbor before dying in childbirth. Is it a coincidence that she chooses someone who will give her all to save the baby from its unscrupulous father? When Sudha answers a telephone call in the middle of the night, she cannot know how it will change her life. From the first, she feels a strong connection with the motherless baby. She brings her home and names her after the Arundhati star. Sudha loves Arundhati – Anu as she calls her - as much as she does her son. She is the daughter of her heart, a precious gift that fate has given her. As the threat to Anu’s safety increases, she grows desperate and takes a drastic step to protect the baby. Only, it might cost her everything she holds dear …’
It is rewarding to find Gita’s skill in writing short stories encompass a full-length novel. This is a beautiful and very moving story, one that lingers in the mind after completing
Merged review:
‘Time was what they did not have’
Indian author Gita V. Reddy lives in Hyderabad, India – the City of Pearls – and earned her postgraduate degree in Mathematics from Hyderabad Central University, joining State Bank of Hyderabad as a Probationary Officer in 1985. After twenty-six years of serving the bank in various managerial positions, she left the bank in 2011 to pursue full time writing. Her books to date are in excess of thirty – women’s fiction and romance and children’s books. She is married to a physics professor, has a son doing research in neuro-electronics! Gita brings to all of her wonderful books a rich background for data gathering: of the many books she has written, both for adults and for children, her children’s books truly shine and to her credit she has combined her nine short chapter books for intermediate readers - .to encourage young readers to read short stories that begin and end in a period of time the reader can return to with enthusiasm - a fine concept of introducing the reading of entire books by chapters for children as they open the door for loving reading.
Now Gita moves from her well-established short stories specialty to the full novel structure for her adult audience with this excellent new book THE MORNING STAR. Inviting the reader into the sensitive story blending love and sacrifice and destiny in a Prologue that draws the curtain on the events to follow: ‘They tell her she must go into the room but she squeezes her eyes shut and vehemently shakes her head, the movement making her braids swing in wide arcs. Anupama, a distant relative, says that before leaving for the hospital two days ago, the unfortunate woman had braided her daughter’s hair. She was a loving mother; the girl and she were close, a neighbor adds. The girl’s aunt who arrived only an hour ago had taken charge of the funeral arrangements. A slight frown mars her smooth forehead at the unexpected hitch; the girl must pay her respects before the body is removed to the cremation ground…’
With subtle opening Gita begins her moving story, condensed as follows: ‘A desperate woman calls a neighbor before dying in childbirth. Is it a coincidence that she chooses someone who will give her all to save the baby from its unscrupulous father? When Sudha answers a telephone call in the middle of the night, she cannot know how it will change her life. From the first, she feels a strong connection with the motherless baby. She brings her home and names her after the Arundhati star. Sudha loves Arundhati – Anu as she calls her - as much as she does her son. She is the daughter of her heart, a precious gift that fate has given her. As the threat to Anu’s safety increases, she grows desperate and takes a drastic step to protect the baby. Only, it might cost her everything she holds dear …’
It is rewarding to find Gita’s skill in writing short stories encompass a full-length novel. This is a beautiful and very moving story, one that lingers in the mind after completing.
September 11, 2020
Gita Reddy is at the top of her game in this compelling page-tuner about a young woman, Sudha, a relatively happily married wife and mother living in company housing near Hyderabad, India. Perhaps her husband isn’t all that she might wish, and perhaps there is an emptiness inside her due to a loss in her childhood, but life isn’t all that bad. Then something occurs that throws her life into disarray and changes everything. One night a neighbour calls her, in great distress. Sudha rushes to her aid but nothing can be done and the neighbour dies after a protracted labour leaving a baby girl quite literally in Sudha’s arms. Feeling an instant rush of connection Sudha determines she will do whatever it takes to protect the baby from an uncertain but bleak future with her drunken wastrel of a father. How she does this is the subject of this well-written and engaging novel, one which Reddy handles with her usual insight and compassion. As we accompany Sudha in her adventures we get a fascinating portrait of life in contemporary India, including some of its murkier aspects. There’s drama aplenty her but the book never descends into melodrama. Reddy is in control of her narrative at all times and presents us with a wide range of believable and relatable characters and convincing dialogue. There are many twists and turns but nothing that stretches the reader’s credulity. This is also the first book I have read (September 2020) which includes the Coronavirus pandemic, and Reddy handles this exceptionally well, making the crisis an integral part of the plot rather than letting it dominate. All in all I found this an immersive read which I very much enjoyed and which I heartily recommend.
May 14, 2021
Gita V. Reddy is getting better and better at telling a good story, at developing characters full of human emotions. This was probably my favorite of all her books.
In this book, Gita's main character, Sudha, must take care of a baby while fighting her own demons. Not her baby. And during the pandemic's early days.
There are so many layers of psychological, cultural, and personal issues brought to the reader. These keep them wondering at the woman's sanity. Or is this crazy deep, protective love vital for this case?
I love the people that Sudha meets along the way and the friends that become family.
Please send prayers to Gita and her family and all of India as the pandemic continues to ravage that country. I so look forward to the day when the world can go back to health.
In this book, Gita's main character, Sudha, must take care of a baby while fighting her own demons. Not her baby. And during the pandemic's early days.
There are so many layers of psychological, cultural, and personal issues brought to the reader. These keep them wondering at the woman's sanity. Or is this crazy deep, protective love vital for this case?
I love the people that Sudha meets along the way and the friends that become family.
Please send prayers to Gita and her family and all of India as the pandemic continues to ravage that country. I so look forward to the day when the world can go back to health.
August 30, 2020
Gita Reddy – The Morning Star – Reviewed 8/20/20 – Read 8/16/20
When a friend calls in the night for help, you go and give all you can!!!! Even after death!
When Sudha was just seven her mother died in childbirth. Her aunt decided that she would have to live with her, but not her brother. She would not see him again for many years. Even then her aunt would not allow him to give her his love. Her aunt has no love left for Sudha, only for her daughter, but she has plenty of work for her. Growing up was not easy, but when she married, she knew that her children would experience as much love as they needed.
Now many years have passed and Sudha is remarkably close to her brother. Her husband is devoted but obsessed with bettering their family. They have one son that Sudha lavishes love on. When the phone rings an hour after they retired, Sudha answers. Prerna, their neighbor asked in an extremely low and thready voice, “Please come!” Sudha knew that Prerna’s baby was due soon but not being awfully close to her was not sure. She told her husband, Vinay, that they needed to hurry. Something was most certainly wrong!!!
And now the story begins…
What did I like? Thankfully, I do not personally know anyone that has gone through was Sudha had to contend with. But I do know several women that have lived through the treatment that Prerna experienced. Fortunately, all three of them finally realized that there would never be a change and that if they stayed, they could end up dead. I can certainly understand the feeling of being trapped. Whether it is drugs or alcohol, mental or physical, help is needed by friends and family. Prerna was lucky that her call for help was someone that understood the pain of what could happen and would endeavor to make sure it would not happen again.
What will you like? Amazing and unique characters, intriguing mystery, fascinating storyline, that includes a lesson to be learned. “Don’t judge unless you have walked a mile in their moccasins!” A beautifully written and edited storyline, that will captivate you from page one to the very last one. The descriptions and details are exciting and remarkably interesting, letting you feel yourself right in the middle of the stress that Sudha experienced. An enthralling and emotionally packed book that every woman should read. Do not miss this wonderful story about a newborn baby girl and her savior, or is it the other way?
• File Size: 1639 KB
• Publication Date: August 27, 2020
• Print Length: 209 pages
• ASIN: B08GYKPR75
• Genre: Family Life Fiction, Women’s Domestic Life Fiction, Family Life Fiction
When a friend calls in the night for help, you go and give all you can!!!! Even after death!
When Sudha was just seven her mother died in childbirth. Her aunt decided that she would have to live with her, but not her brother. She would not see him again for many years. Even then her aunt would not allow him to give her his love. Her aunt has no love left for Sudha, only for her daughter, but she has plenty of work for her. Growing up was not easy, but when she married, she knew that her children would experience as much love as they needed.
Now many years have passed and Sudha is remarkably close to her brother. Her husband is devoted but obsessed with bettering their family. They have one son that Sudha lavishes love on. When the phone rings an hour after they retired, Sudha answers. Prerna, their neighbor asked in an extremely low and thready voice, “Please come!” Sudha knew that Prerna’s baby was due soon but not being awfully close to her was not sure. She told her husband, Vinay, that they needed to hurry. Something was most certainly wrong!!!
And now the story begins…
What did I like? Thankfully, I do not personally know anyone that has gone through was Sudha had to contend with. But I do know several women that have lived through the treatment that Prerna experienced. Fortunately, all three of them finally realized that there would never be a change and that if they stayed, they could end up dead. I can certainly understand the feeling of being trapped. Whether it is drugs or alcohol, mental or physical, help is needed by friends and family. Prerna was lucky that her call for help was someone that understood the pain of what could happen and would endeavor to make sure it would not happen again.
What will you like? Amazing and unique characters, intriguing mystery, fascinating storyline, that includes a lesson to be learned. “Don’t judge unless you have walked a mile in their moccasins!” A beautifully written and edited storyline, that will captivate you from page one to the very last one. The descriptions and details are exciting and remarkably interesting, letting you feel yourself right in the middle of the stress that Sudha experienced. An enthralling and emotionally packed book that every woman should read. Do not miss this wonderful story about a newborn baby girl and her savior, or is it the other way?
• File Size: 1639 KB
• Publication Date: August 27, 2020
• Print Length: 209 pages
• ASIN: B08GYKPR75
• Genre: Family Life Fiction, Women’s Domestic Life Fiction, Family Life Fiction
January 5, 2021
What an absolute wonder of a book, reminiscent of the culturally immersive works of Khaled Hosseini. Lovingly and beautifully written; drenched in the sounds, hues, aromas, tastes, and fabrics of the sub-continent of India; with unforgettable characters who will forever remain in your heart, Morning Star is a sweeping tale of a small, modest family (Sudha, husband Vinay, and son Raghu) who are wrenched apart by an unforeseen event that will stretch each character’s – and each reader’s – emotions, fears, and heartstrings to the max.
As Sudha assists a friend during a difficult childbirth, the woman succumbs but her infant daughter survives. Sudha takes her home temporarily and immediately becomes enraptured with the child, as does Raghu. When the baby’s father, Subodh, the town drunk who physically abused the child’s mother, comes to take the child, Sudha is crestfallen and terrified of what might happen to her.
No surprise, Subodh soon abandons the infant. When Sudha asks her husband if they can keep her, he refuses. “We can’t afford it.” As they try to figure out what to do with the baby, Sudha names the child Arundhati for the Morning Star but later changes it to Anu, which means “atom,” the tiniest particle. As their bond deepens in the ensuing weeks, Vinay’s intolerance of the child and his distance from Sudha expands.
When Sudha learns what Subodh plans to do with Anu and that Vinay is in agreement, she is trapped. Because she and Vinay have a son, she is bound to him. But she can’t leave Anu, doesn’t want to put her in an orphanage, and won’t let Subodh take her.
The next day, she and Anu vanish. And the dramatic, crisis-ridden second half of the book commences. Hold on to your seat.
My only quibble is that among the many subplots that emerge later, one viewpoint is missing that could have amped up the tension even more: Vinay and Raghu’s situation. What are they going through during all of this, and what are they doing to locate them? We learn all this later, but I feel it would have been better to have been kept abreast of their circumstances in real time.
As Sudha assists a friend during a difficult childbirth, the woman succumbs but her infant daughter survives. Sudha takes her home temporarily and immediately becomes enraptured with the child, as does Raghu. When the baby’s father, Subodh, the town drunk who physically abused the child’s mother, comes to take the child, Sudha is crestfallen and terrified of what might happen to her.
No surprise, Subodh soon abandons the infant. When Sudha asks her husband if they can keep her, he refuses. “We can’t afford it.” As they try to figure out what to do with the baby, Sudha names the child Arundhati for the Morning Star but later changes it to Anu, which means “atom,” the tiniest particle. As their bond deepens in the ensuing weeks, Vinay’s intolerance of the child and his distance from Sudha expands.
When Sudha learns what Subodh plans to do with Anu and that Vinay is in agreement, she is trapped. Because she and Vinay have a son, she is bound to him. But she can’t leave Anu, doesn’t want to put her in an orphanage, and won’t let Subodh take her.
The next day, she and Anu vanish. And the dramatic, crisis-ridden second half of the book commences. Hold on to your seat.
My only quibble is that among the many subplots that emerge later, one viewpoint is missing that could have amped up the tension even more: Vinay and Raghu’s situation. What are they going through during all of this, and what are they doing to locate them? We learn all this later, but I feel it would have been better to have been kept abreast of their circumstances in real time.
September 13, 2020
Gita V. Reddy's stories are always thoughtful and sensitively written, and "The Morning Star" is no exception. It is essentially a book about the search for family: Sudha's family let her down early in life, and when she finds herself in charge of a motherless baby, she is desperate to seek out a loving family for it - even if it means leaving her own home.
So begins a journey, both physical and spiritual, as Sudha sets out on a lonely and at times frightening quest. Although she finds help along the way, and begins to gather a surrogate family around her, the growing threat of coronavirus looms large and puts yet more obstacles in her path. The virus and its effects are woven skilfully through the storyline in this carefully plotted book, which vividly depicts the upheaval caused in India at both a national and a personal level.
The author is also particularly adept at portraying the nuanced relationships in friendship and marriage. Sudha is a subtly drawn, attractive character who understands the motives and strengths of others but is slower to learn to have confidence in her own strength. Her story is both gripping and sympathetically told; and in the unexpected ending to her search for family, hope and compassion shine through.
So begins a journey, both physical and spiritual, as Sudha sets out on a lonely and at times frightening quest. Although she finds help along the way, and begins to gather a surrogate family around her, the growing threat of coronavirus looms large and puts yet more obstacles in her path. The virus and its effects are woven skilfully through the storyline in this carefully plotted book, which vividly depicts the upheaval caused in India at both a national and a personal level.
The author is also particularly adept at portraying the nuanced relationships in friendship and marriage. Sudha is a subtly drawn, attractive character who understands the motives and strengths of others but is slower to learn to have confidence in her own strength. Her story is both gripping and sympathetically told; and in the unexpected ending to her search for family, hope and compassion shine through.
September 29, 2020
“I even told her the name I had thought for her. Arundhati – the Morning Star – for she was born at the break of dawn” – Gita V Reddy
Being a mother is one of the least paid jobs in the world. I wouldn’t know much about it because I’m a child still, but I can see it in every mother I see. In the up and coming generation, being a mother is much more different than what it was before. Now, it means being an inspiration and foundation for their children, daughters especially, a role that wasn’t so common before.
‘The Morning Star’ celebrates motherhood with its number one perk: love. Love for an unborn child, love for an infant, and love for children that aren’t hers by blood. Makes me wonder if love is our savior from this wretched world. Some would argue, saying that pride is our savior, but obviously, that is what the patriarchal society wants us to think. No, love, with all its pleasantness and goodness, is our escape plan.
The book was so beautifully written, the main plot being a woman’s fight to save her “daughter”; not by blood, but by a bond. This bond is not something that many people understand, for they haven’t felt it themselves. But it never breaks, even when death does them apart. Research has revealed that children are most likely to associate with their mothers even after their death, proving that this bond, forged by love takes more than mortality to rip apart.
I loved reading this! Reminded me of the strong-headedness that my mother bestowed upon me. Highly recommended!
Gita V. Reddy
Being a mother is one of the least paid jobs in the world. I wouldn’t know much about it because I’m a child still, but I can see it in every mother I see. In the up and coming generation, being a mother is much more different than what it was before. Now, it means being an inspiration and foundation for their children, daughters especially, a role that wasn’t so common before.
‘The Morning Star’ celebrates motherhood with its number one perk: love. Love for an unborn child, love for an infant, and love for children that aren’t hers by blood. Makes me wonder if love is our savior from this wretched world. Some would argue, saying that pride is our savior, but obviously, that is what the patriarchal society wants us to think. No, love, with all its pleasantness and goodness, is our escape plan.
The book was so beautifully written, the main plot being a woman’s fight to save her “daughter”; not by blood, but by a bond. This bond is not something that many people understand, for they haven’t felt it themselves. But it never breaks, even when death does them apart. Research has revealed that children are most likely to associate with their mothers even after their death, proving that this bond, forged by love takes more than mortality to rip apart.
I loved reading this! Reminded me of the strong-headedness that my mother bestowed upon me. Highly recommended!
Gita V. Reddy
May 14, 2021
The Morning Star by Gita V. Reddy is not just the story of a mother and a child and their bonding, it is the also the journey of a woman who discovers her real self on the way to fulfill her instinctive craving to shower her love on a motherless infant. Anu is symbolic of Sudha’s own childhood, which was desolate due to the demise of her mother and she was pushed to grow up in the callous care of her aunt.
Sudha flees her home with Anu and doesn’t care for the price she may have to pay for her determination to protect Anu against the wishes of her husband. While treading an unknown path, her goodness wins many hearts. She overcomes her fears, gets acquainted with her confidence and discovers her worth. Her personality that had been crushed by her materialistic aunt comes to the surface.
Written in a simple and straight-forward style, this story moves at a nice pace but gets sidelined more than once and that snatches the emotional effect of the narrative. Rhea’s story has a lot of potential and could have provided a parallel plot to add another dimension to this book. Reddy knows her characters quite well and they do form a connection with the reader. Time-line provides another link but Gita has failed to highlight the honest and realistic picture of Covid crisis in India. Despite the loopholes, this book is interesting.
Sudha flees her home with Anu and doesn’t care for the price she may have to pay for her determination to protect Anu against the wishes of her husband. While treading an unknown path, her goodness wins many hearts. She overcomes her fears, gets acquainted with her confidence and discovers her worth. Her personality that had been crushed by her materialistic aunt comes to the surface.
Written in a simple and straight-forward style, this story moves at a nice pace but gets sidelined more than once and that snatches the emotional effect of the narrative. Rhea’s story has a lot of potential and could have provided a parallel plot to add another dimension to this book. Reddy knows her characters quite well and they do form a connection with the reader. Time-line provides another link but Gita has failed to highlight the honest and realistic picture of Covid crisis in India. Despite the loopholes, this book is interesting.
January 1, 2021
Sudha feels responsible for Anu. For her safety and most importantly she sees herself in this small innocent child. Robbed of her mother and discarded like unwanted baggage, she sees the parallels in her own childhood. She is determined to create better circumstances for this baby.
What's disappointing and yet woefully true is the way women slip into the role of submission and are victims of abuse with no one to reach out to, because the consensus of society is essentially one of victim-blaming. Even the women, including Sudha, go through a process of blaming the victim before the perpetrator, and ultimately thinking about what they or Sudha could have done better. All of the above play into her decisions to protect Anu.
The solution, for me at least, was in the last few chapters. On top of all Sudha's trials, trauma and tribulations the core of her reaction to Anu and the breakdown in her relationship with her husband becomes so much clearer. The lack of respect and good communication, which are both needed in a well-balanced marriage, come to the forefront. If you are both going in different directions there has to be a consensus and a discussion, and consent. If not, one person will always feel as if they have missed out on something and become resentful.
Whilst the story could have worked in the majority of time periods, especially modern ones, the author has woven the tale into the very real reality of Covid. It shows the panic, the isolation and the way criminal elements prosper during the despair of others.
The premise of the story evolves around love and sacrifice, however Reddy also makes some important important points surrounding the attitudes of society towards women in India. It's an interesting balance of hope and reality.
*I received a courtesy copy*
What's disappointing and yet woefully true is the way women slip into the role of submission and are victims of abuse with no one to reach out to, because the consensus of society is essentially one of victim-blaming. Even the women, including Sudha, go through a process of blaming the victim before the perpetrator, and ultimately thinking about what they or Sudha could have done better. All of the above play into her decisions to protect Anu.
The solution, for me at least, was in the last few chapters. On top of all Sudha's trials, trauma and tribulations the core of her reaction to Anu and the breakdown in her relationship with her husband becomes so much clearer. The lack of respect and good communication, which are both needed in a well-balanced marriage, come to the forefront. If you are both going in different directions there has to be a consensus and a discussion, and consent. If not, one person will always feel as if they have missed out on something and become resentful.
Whilst the story could have worked in the majority of time periods, especially modern ones, the author has woven the tale into the very real reality of Covid. It shows the panic, the isolation and the way criminal elements prosper during the despair of others.
The premise of the story evolves around love and sacrifice, however Reddy also makes some important important points surrounding the attitudes of society towards women in India. It's an interesting balance of hope and reality.
*I received a courtesy copy*
September 18, 2020
The Morning Star by Gita V Reddy is a gripping, emotional drama that binds the reader as soon as the actual story start with the urgent pain midnight call from a woman who she knows everyday but still is a stranger. From here starts the roller coaster journey of Sudha that forces her to shed her quiet personality who never takes decisions on her own to a person of action to save a new born girl who though not related by blood becomes a daughter of her heart. She does what she has never done and goes to any lengths to save the little one from harm by her own father and other unscrupulous people and in doing so also frees her own inner self from shackles.
Whether she succeeds forms the crux of the story.
A tale of love, courage and bravery that is so binding that I had to finish this book in a day. Thanks @Booksirens for this great story
Whether she succeeds forms the crux of the story.
A tale of love, courage and bravery that is so binding that I had to finish this book in a day. Thanks @Booksirens for this great story
May 20, 2021
The Morning Star by Gita V. Reddy is the touching emotional and literal journey of a woman who discovers her real self while fighting to protect a motherless child. It is an easy read, due to its very simple style. The reader finds it very easy to connect with the likeable main character. This book will make you meditate on the force hidden in every human being and the circumstances under which it can be revealed. It can be very inspiring and give a lesson on human values and the strength anyone is capable of finding in order to fight for them. Additionally, if you are not familiar with Indian culture, both traditional and modern, it offers you a fascinating insight into it, which adds to the book’s interest.
September 16, 2020
This is a wonderfully written and touching story. The mentions of the pandemic hitting around the time it's set were very skillfully incorporated in to the tale, and the whole plot flows at a nice pace. Also, the characters are fantastically portrayed well-rounded people, and the ending was just beautiful.
December 21, 2020
The Morning Star is a tale about a mother's love and the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her child. The protagonist, Sudha, gains care of a newborn little girl when her mother dies in childbirth with her drunken husband in the next room. While the authorities struggle with what to do with the little girl Anu, Sudha falls in love with her. She is terrified that the State is going to give Anu to her father, whom she fears will sell the baby for money to drink. Sudha's husband Vinay is adamant that the family cannot afford another child and refuses to support Sudha in an adoption. So Sudha does the only thing left to her -- she runs away to Delhi with Anu. The story takes an interesting contemporary turn as the coronavirus begins raging and Sudha and Anu are caught in the lockdown.
The story is somewhat difficult to read for someone not familiar India and its culture, although the author does provide copious endnotes for explanation--unfortunately, they served to take me out of the story. I also thought a good developmental edit was lacking, though Sudha's floundering around did seem realistic given that she was a sheltered, inexperienced woman in an impossible situation. What did come across well was the major theme of the triumph of a mother's love in the face of all difficulties.
The story is somewhat difficult to read for someone not familiar India and its culture, although the author does provide copious endnotes for explanation--unfortunately, they served to take me out of the story. I also thought a good developmental edit was lacking, though Sudha's floundering around did seem realistic given that she was a sheltered, inexperienced woman in an impossible situation. What did come across well was the major theme of the triumph of a mother's love in the face of all difficulties.
November 2, 2020
The Morning Star is in many ways a story of journeys. In particular, it is the story of a young woman's journey towards independence and self-esteem. Sudha is 29. She and her husband,Vinay, have one child and live in a company town outside of Hyderabad, India. I was gently and immediately drawn into a completely unfamiliar culture. I enjoyed meeting Sudha, her neighbourhood and her family. Mention of a smart phone on page 35 told me it was at least 2007 but until then I had not realized the story was taking place in the 21st century. To these North American eyes, Sudha's day to day life seemed to take place decades ago.
Things were rolling along nicely when disaster struck, and Sudha suddenly found herself caring for a newborn baby girl. All manner of complications ensue when she makes a commitment to ensuring the infant's safety. As Sudha's back story is revealed, we gain a better understanding of her behaviour. She is a fully developed character and her reactions are natural. Sometimes she over-reacts and she tends to procrastinate; she is pleasantly imperfect. The repression of women is her normal, but she is beginning to resist.
Although it is not an element at first, during the course of the book, Covid-19 strikes in India. One interesting aspect is seeing how the characters responded to the strict lock-down which India endured in the spring of 2020.
The plot is a little bumpy in places and occasionally meanders off course. And as a reader who wants to know both where and when I am, I would have welcomed a more explicit time line. Occasional references to the age of the baby would have been helpful. The tidy ending is satisfying as Sudha comes to see that all the obstacles in her path were actually guiding her in the right direction.
There are a few minor lapses in English and several useful footnotes explain various rituals and comestibles. I thoroughly enjoyed Morning Star and do not hesitate to recommend it.
Things were rolling along nicely when disaster struck, and Sudha suddenly found herself caring for a newborn baby girl. All manner of complications ensue when she makes a commitment to ensuring the infant's safety. As Sudha's back story is revealed, we gain a better understanding of her behaviour. She is a fully developed character and her reactions are natural. Sometimes she over-reacts and she tends to procrastinate; she is pleasantly imperfect. The repression of women is her normal, but she is beginning to resist.
Although it is not an element at first, during the course of the book, Covid-19 strikes in India. One interesting aspect is seeing how the characters responded to the strict lock-down which India endured in the spring of 2020.
The plot is a little bumpy in places and occasionally meanders off course. And as a reader who wants to know both where and when I am, I would have welcomed a more explicit time line. Occasional references to the age of the baby would have been helpful. The tidy ending is satisfying as Sudha comes to see that all the obstacles in her path were actually guiding her in the right direction.
There are a few minor lapses in English and several useful footnotes explain various rituals and comestibles. I thoroughly enjoyed Morning Star and do not hesitate to recommend it.
November 21, 2020
The Morning Star is no doubt an emotional and spiritual read which brings us to terms with Sudha’s relationship with the child who lost her mother at childbirth.
Sudha, a homemaker in Hyderabad living her normal, mundane life with her son and husband when one day she holds in her hand a motherless child who she named Arundhati.
Sudha, an orphan herself grew up with her aunt in hostile circumstances which makes her protective of Arundhati as she doesn’t want history to repeat itself
The writer explores past and the affect of it on our present decisions and how until we don’t sit down and think about our life do we understand the life we had been living.
Gita writes about relationships and the strength to defy some of them when a woman goes into protective mode.
The author also writes about the patriarchal structure and the workings of it making life bitter for some of us.
She concludes the book with the message of sacrifice, love and friendship.
A special mention has to go to the pandemic situation which bought everything to a halt and its apparent in the narrative too as the story continues while the country remains under a lockdown.
Sudha, a homemaker in Hyderabad living her normal, mundane life with her son and husband when one day she holds in her hand a motherless child who she named Arundhati.
Sudha, an orphan herself grew up with her aunt in hostile circumstances which makes her protective of Arundhati as she doesn’t want history to repeat itself
The writer explores past and the affect of it on our present decisions and how until we don’t sit down and think about our life do we understand the life we had been living.
Gita writes about relationships and the strength to defy some of them when a woman goes into protective mode.
The author also writes about the patriarchal structure and the workings of it making life bitter for some of us.
She concludes the book with the message of sacrifice, love and friendship.
A special mention has to go to the pandemic situation which bought everything to a halt and its apparent in the narrative too as the story continues while the country remains under a lockdown.
July 13, 2021
The Morning Star is not an easy book. Some things don't make sense to a reader who was not born and raised in India, some things are universal. The novel is both about what means to be an orphan, and what means to be a mother. Losing her mother when she was young, Sudha is raised by an aunt, who only saw her as a mean to make more money; the girl has not even been sent to school.
Years later, married and having her on child, Sudha – through a strange chain of coincidences – receive a new-born girl who just lost her mother at her birth. Keeping the baby in her arms gives Sudha a sort of revelation: she will make sure that the little girl will not have her miserable childhood, and she will do everything for that, even leaving her own home.
The writing is sharp and concise, but it carries well the story, the feelings, and the and drama to the reader. I can’t say the same about the long title.
Years later, married and having her on child, Sudha – through a strange chain of coincidences – receive a new-born girl who just lost her mother at her birth. Keeping the baby in her arms gives Sudha a sort of revelation: she will make sure that the little girl will not have her miserable childhood, and she will do everything for that, even leaving her own home.
The writing is sharp and concise, but it carries well the story, the feelings, and the and drama to the reader. I can’t say the same about the long title.
October 5, 2020
The Morning Star by Gita Reddy
The parts I really enjoyed in this story were the events and current day in this corona virus pandemic.
She is in India and quite amazingly she's traveling to help save the child by finding a doctor who will do the paperwork.
She has little clues but she is so determined. She gets help from another on the train and moves in with her and others as long as she helps keep the place clean.
Her husband and child she has left behind and will reunite with them at a later time. Like hearing of the air quality during this time as nobody is driving, the whole world is shut down and the sky looks so clean.
She gives up so much to save the child.
Amazing how the story goes and ends, didn't see it happening that way.
Great read.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
The parts I really enjoyed in this story were the events and current day in this corona virus pandemic.
She is in India and quite amazingly she's traveling to help save the child by finding a doctor who will do the paperwork.
She has little clues but she is so determined. She gets help from another on the train and moves in with her and others as long as she helps keep the place clean.
Her husband and child she has left behind and will reunite with them at a later time. Like hearing of the air quality during this time as nobody is driving, the whole world is shut down and the sky looks so clean.
She gives up so much to save the child.
Amazing how the story goes and ends, didn't see it happening that way.
Great read.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
October 17, 2020
Aside from weekly sketch comedy shows, this is the first work of fiction I’ve experienced set during the current global pandemic. If nothing else, the author deserves credit for her commitment to telling this story, finishing it regardless of the circumstances, and not going for the obvious cheat of setting the narrative in a vague time of “recently” or “whenever this is all over.” The story has a timid wife leaving the world that she knows in order to protect a newborn orphan. There’s a question of who’s saving whom, as the distressing circumstances force the lead into evolving into a stronger individual. Getting into the prose was a little difficult, but there’s a solid idea here. Fans of female-centric fiction with uplifting themes will likely have more to latch onto.
October 17, 2020
I think it’s always great to learn from different cultures and experiences, here we learn about India and find ourselves in a story about motherhood, about striving to care for something. In this story I found a good plot, well written with pleasant characters and a great ending.
As a fellow author this isn't in my genre, nor am I a mother, but I put myself in the audience’s shoes, and an audience here who loves this sort of story will find no shortage of enjoyment.
As a fellow author this isn't in my genre, nor am I a mother, but I put myself in the audience’s shoes, and an audience here who loves this sort of story will find no shortage of enjoyment.
November 13, 2020
The Morning Star is an utterly fascinating read. The book is a really interesting read not only an emotional rollercoaster as a family novel, but we can learn a lot about Indian culture. The characters are engrossing and the plot is fully packed with emotions and actions and keeps tying down the readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 1, 2020
A lovely book full of delightful people, each with their own peculiarities and past. It is also interesting to witness social and cultural differences in India nowadays. Well written, this is a book for the heart.
Thank you, Gita for letting me read this story on BookSirens.
Thank you, Gita for letting me read this story on BookSirens.
September 30, 2020
The Morning Star narrates the story of Sudha, a married woman who unexpectedly finds herself in charge of the future of a newborn baby girl. The death of the baby's mother and the heinous intentions of her alcoholic father make Sudha take drastic steps to ensure the little one's wellbeing. How far can Sudha go for someone else's child? Will her family bear the brunt of her decisions?
The title refers to the baby girl, named after the Indian name for the morning star, Arundhati. In Indian mythology, Arundhati was the wife of the sage Vashista, and they were considered an ideal couple, their marriage a symbol of love and loyalty. Sudha's love for the baby Arundhati makes her take all decisions with a fierce singlemindedness that at times goes against her own family's wishes or needs.
The book starts off as a family drama, slowly turning into covid fiction and finally almost a crime thriller before ending once again as a family drama. I really admired the way the author incorporated the Indian lockdown and covid problems into the narrative. Her chronology is spot on and almost all the information is accurate. ("Almost all" because I didn't find any reference to "giraffes daintily picking their way through parking lots" even after a Google search.)
However, the book isn't essentially a covid fiction but a domestic fiction. As such, the merits of the book must be checked on these parameters. On these, I found the book average.
1. The essence of a domestic fiction novel is a strong woman lead character. I tried my best but I couldn't identify with the Sudha at all. Though the book portrays her as admirable, I really couldn't see any sense in her decisions. She comes across as a very naive, impractical, and impulsive woman who leaves everything behind for the sake of a stranger's child. While she does so everything possible for the benefit of the baby, she does it while ignoring every other important person in her life. It seemed very unrealistic. I can't reveal anything more here as those would be major spoilers.
However, there are many excellent supporting (good and bad) characters in the book who don't fit into the stereotypical mould. Balvant and Neelam were my favourite characters as they came across as the most levelheaded and lovable.
2. Initially I didn't know the time period in which this story takes place. But a remark about the coronavirus made me realise that the book is set in the present. That made me question some of the events in the story. For instance, imagine considering the marriage of a 30 year old spinster to an alcoholic wife-beating widower and hardly any of the adults looking at it as a bad idea. This was a bit too much to take, especially considering that the people involved are educated townspeople, not some illiterate villagers. There are many more such illogical plot points in the novel.
The story seems to unfold at a steady pace throughout, neither too fast nor too slow. The ending is a bit abrupt and predictable.
Overall, it is a decent book but I didn't enjoy it as much as I had expected it to, especially considering the other reviews on Goodreads. I'd rate this book as a one-time read for those interested.
I received an advance review copy of the book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
*************************************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
The title refers to the baby girl, named after the Indian name for the morning star, Arundhati. In Indian mythology, Arundhati was the wife of the sage Vashista, and they were considered an ideal couple, their marriage a symbol of love and loyalty. Sudha's love for the baby Arundhati makes her take all decisions with a fierce singlemindedness that at times goes against her own family's wishes or needs.
The book starts off as a family drama, slowly turning into covid fiction and finally almost a crime thriller before ending once again as a family drama. I really admired the way the author incorporated the Indian lockdown and covid problems into the narrative. Her chronology is spot on and almost all the information is accurate. ("Almost all" because I didn't find any reference to "giraffes daintily picking their way through parking lots" even after a Google search.)
However, the book isn't essentially a covid fiction but a domestic fiction. As such, the merits of the book must be checked on these parameters. On these, I found the book average.
1. The essence of a domestic fiction novel is a strong woman lead character. I tried my best but I couldn't identify with the Sudha at all. Though the book portrays her as admirable, I really couldn't see any sense in her decisions. She comes across as a very naive, impractical, and impulsive woman who leaves everything behind for the sake of a stranger's child. While she does so everything possible for the benefit of the baby, she does it while ignoring every other important person in her life. It seemed very unrealistic. I can't reveal anything more here as those would be major spoilers.
However, there are many excellent supporting (good and bad) characters in the book who don't fit into the stereotypical mould. Balvant and Neelam were my favourite characters as they came across as the most levelheaded and lovable.
2. Initially I didn't know the time period in which this story takes place. But a remark about the coronavirus made me realise that the book is set in the present. That made me question some of the events in the story. For instance, imagine considering the marriage of a 30 year old spinster to an alcoholic wife-beating widower and hardly any of the adults looking at it as a bad idea. This was a bit too much to take, especially considering that the people involved are educated townspeople, not some illiterate villagers. There are many more such illogical plot points in the novel.
The story seems to unfold at a steady pace throughout, neither too fast nor too slow. The ending is a bit abrupt and predictable.
Overall, it is a decent book but I didn't enjoy it as much as I had expected it to, especially considering the other reviews on Goodreads. I'd rate this book as a one-time read for those interested.
I received an advance review copy of the book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
*************************************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
December 20, 2020
Slow and steady
Although this book is described as “gripping” and “emotional” I didn’t think that it was either of those things. It was very slow to get started and not a lot happened. In the current climate, I really didn’t enjoy reading about lockdown and Covid-19, and if you are looking for escapism, you may wish to avoid this book. The use of endnotes also pulled me out of the story, and I found it unnecessary and distracting. The dialogue is quite stilted, which also reduced my enjoyment. I felt that the story never really got started, there wasn’t enough to draw me in, unfortunately.
Although this book is described as “gripping” and “emotional” I didn’t think that it was either of those things. It was very slow to get started and not a lot happened. In the current climate, I really didn’t enjoy reading about lockdown and Covid-19, and if you are looking for escapism, you may wish to avoid this book. The use of endnotes also pulled me out of the story, and I found it unnecessary and distracting. The dialogue is quite stilted, which also reduced my enjoyment. I felt that the story never really got started, there wasn’t enough to draw me in, unfortunately.
March 21, 2023
Touted as "an emotional and heart-warming story", I was underwhelmed by the emotion in the book. I enjoyed reading about how another country with a vastly different culture dealt with the early part of the COVID pandemic and the way that adoption stigmas can be similar in spite of your culture, socioeconomic status, and age of the potential adoptive family or individual. I enjoyed many scenes throughout the story but I think the inclusion of the subtitle had a vastly different impact on my expectations for the plot. I believe that had the title simply been "The Morning Star", I would not have been anxiously awaiting the highly emotional plotline that never quite came together.
February 28, 2022
Maternal Love
This is the first book I’ve read by Gita Reddy; it won’t be my last. When a mother dies during childbirth, the midwife places the baby in the arms of her mother’s friend, Sudha.. She took on the care of the child? The child’s father was a drunk & totally unfit to raise a child. Sudha takes the baby away so the father can’t take the baby to sell. She left her husband & son in order to protect the child. She puts the child up for adoption. What happens next?
This is the first book I’ve read by Gita Reddy; it won’t be my last. When a mother dies during childbirth, the midwife places the baby in the arms of her mother’s friend, Sudha.. She took on the care of the child? The child’s father was a drunk & totally unfit to raise a child. Sudha takes the baby away so the father can’t take the baby to sell. She left her husband & son in order to protect the child. She puts the child up for adoption. What happens next?
March 9, 2022
A very touching and beautiful story. This is my first book by this author; I will definitely be checking out more of her books!
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