Valmiki’s Daughter By Shani Mootoo

A hugely entertaining and hypnotically beautiful family saga about the corrosive power of secrets. The story centers on a wealthy Trinidadian family—Valmiki, a renowned doctor and loving, if confused, father; and his eldest daughter, Viveka, lively, intelligent, and intent on escaping the gilded cage that protects but also smothers her. In Valmiki’s Daughter, Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist and best-selling novelist Shani Mootoo explores family relationships, and the competing pulls of race, class, and sexuality, in a tale laced with humor. The author offers a refreshingly different view of Trinidad, evocatively capturing the island’s cultural ethos, and social conventions at odds with hidden desires and family secrets. With this masterful novel, Shani Mootoo gives us a vibrant and uplifting book, full of the vigorous stuff of life.