Good Indian Daughter

When Ruhi became pregnant she was worried when she discovered that she was to be the mother of a daughter. Born in India but brought to Melbourne, Australia, as a young child, Ruhi had felt trapped between two cultures and the need to conform to her parents' demands and expectations. She knew that she could never be described as a traditional 'Good Indian Daughter' and certainly did not want any daughter of hers to encounter the type of unbringing she had faced.

Issues discussed include bullying, abuse, religion, body image, depression and racism, yet throughout the book there is often humour as Ruhi describes family encounters and the challenges of living in two cultures. As the arrival of her daughter approaches Ruhi and her non-Indian husband set their own rules for family involvement and expectations in the bringing up and nurturing of their child. Needless to say the author uses a pseudonym, Ruhi Lee, when writing Good Indian Daughter to protect her family.

Having recently read The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi similar issues regarding attitudes to women in some cultures - in these books Uganda and India - are portrayed.