#SRC2016: Book Spotlight: A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi

Title:A House for Happy Mothers

Author:Amulya Malladi

Published:June 2016, Lake Union Publishing

Format:Paperback, 301 pages

A stunning new novel—full of wit and warmth—from the bestselling author of The Mango Season.

In
trendy Silicon Valley, Priya has everything she needs—a loving husband,
a career, and a home—but the one thing she wants most is the child
she’s unable to have. In a Southern Indian village, Asha doesn’t have
much—raising two children in a tiny hut, she and her husband can barely
keep a tin roof over their heads—but she wants a better education for
her gifted son. Pressured by her family, Asha reluctantly checks into
the Happy Mothers House: a baby farm where she can rent her only
asset—her womb—to a childless couple overseas. To the dismay of friends
and family, Priya places her faith in a woman she’s never met to make
her dreams of motherhood come true.

Together, the two women
discover the best and the worst that India’s rising surrogacy industry
has to offer, bridging continents and cultures to bring a new life into
the world—and renewed hope to each other.

What readers are saying: 

“Malladi (The Mango Season, 2003) examines India’s surrogacy
industry with honesty and grace. This slice of life will touch all women
who have struggled with conception and/or poverty. This
thought-provoking novel will be a sure hit with book groups.” —Booklist, Starred Review

“Malladi (The Mango Season)
writes a poignant novel from two difficult perspectives that spans
several complex and often controversial topics. This title would make a
great book club selection.” —Library Journal

“A House for Happy Mothers
explores the lengths people will go for family. The characters are
nuanced and sympathetic, and the dueling perspectives of a surrogate and
the biological mother are commendable.” —RT Book Reviews

“The
story provides an intriguing glimpse into the surrogate industry and
casts light on the emotional toil those involved face.” —The Associated Press

“A feel-good story that warms the heart.” —Redbook

“This thoughtful novel examines India’s surrogacy industry with honesty and grace.” —Brit + Co

“A wonderful novel that takes you through the journey of surrogacy and the heart-wrenching emotions of those involved.” —Sejal Badani, author of Trail of Broken Wings

“How far would you go to have a family, and how far would you go to save the family you already have? In A House for Happy Mothers,
Amulya Malladi skillfully and compassionately raises these questions in
a story of two women yearning to protect their families. This is a
thought-provoking, modern-day family saga set against the backdrop of
traditional Indian and American maternal expectations.”—Amy Sue Nathan, author of The Good Neighbor and The Glass Wives

“Compelling
and filled with insight. [Amulya] Malladi’s voice is layered, and her
empathetic powers highly developed. Indian surrogacy is a crucially
important and little-considered subject, and Malladi’s novel is
thoughtful, enlightening, and moving.” —Leslee Udwin, BAFTA award-winning filmmaker of East Is East and India’s Daughter

“A
subtly nuanced and compassionate look at the controversial ‘rent a
womb’ industry, Amulya Malladi’s book is timely and illuminating.” —Nayana Currimbhoy, author of Miss Timmins’ School for Girls

“A House for Happy Mothers
shines an unblinking light on the business of surrogacy in India, and
the emotional fallout. Can anything balance the inequality of power
between a poor surrogate and a biological mother? A husband and wife in
an arranged marriage? A mother and daughter struggling with years of
perceived disappointment? Compelling and realistic, Amulya Malladi’s
latest release is the perfect choice for book clubs, and any reader with
a questioning mind and an open heart.” —Lorrie Thomson, author of A Measure of Happiness and What’s Left Behind

“A
sensitive exploration of the emotional terrain of motherhood and the
socio-economic complexities of our global world. Amulya Malladi’s novel
contains no villains or heroes, just breathing, living characters who
will draw you into their heartbreak.”—Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son

“In
this timely contemporary novel, Malladi describes the important and
controversial issue of surrogate pregnancy with a light and masterful
[hand]. Readers will find their hearts deeply touched by the longings of
the two women who become inextricably intertwined in this process of
giving and receiving the ultimate gift—the birth of a child.” —Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of The Palace of Illusions and Before We Visit the Goddess

A House for Happy Mothers  by Amulya Malladi is one of  BookSparks “Summer Reads” reading selection picks.

Follow the #SRC2016, #BestSRCEver and
#BestSummerEver hashtags on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
as reviews on the other summer books!