The concept was something new, surrogacy in India and the premise of the novel was set good. But then the ugly side of the exploitation takes shape and it was kind of depressing to read on. I frankly don't understand the title of the novel when all the surrogate mothers are stressed that they would never see the baby again. I kept reading the novel because I am 29 weeks pregnant and thought something would be alike. There is nothing happy in the house for those mothers. Though the house portrayed here was kind of okay, the author does mention that others are cramped and dilapidated.
The life of Priya, the donor mother, is not as emotional as the Indian mother. Her life is very comfortably revolving around her husband, her friends, his friends and the parties their friends throw where everyone goes around judging each other. Sometimes she comes off as shallow. The backdrop though a valid one could have been more sensitive. The author does revive the emotional bonding between the american couple through the way they get over their misunderstandings, miscarriage and everything in between.
The novel however ends abruptly. They give each other hope (the surrogate mother and the client) and they are never going to be in contact with each other. The author substantiates each other's decision because they each get something in return to look forward to. This was how the surrogate and the donor mother cope with their decisions to hire or become a surrogate mother against their conscience. The ending could have been more concrete so that it could have tied all the characters together.
