In Deepanjana Pal’s Hush A Bye Baby, renowned gynecologist Dr. Nandita Rai, who is known for her upper class connections and standing up for women’s rights, is accused of conducting sex-selective abortions. When this news spreads like wildfire, all of Mumbai is astounded. As the Mumbai Police chase leads left, right and center, they’re forced to consider what is it that the elite in society are keeping hush about Nandita’s supposed crime.
I had really high expectations from this book, especially because the plot sounded unlike anything I’d heard before. And so, when I finished reading it, I realized I had mixed feelings about it. The start developed a bad taste in my mind because, all that surfaced were just how static the characters were; many of them had morality issues, others simply couldn’t perform their jobs properly. On the whole, all of them annoyed me! But once I crossed the first quarter mark, Hush A Bye Baby showed all the promise of a fantastic suspense novel. The clues were unraveled at a steady pace. I began to focus on the story that the author was trying to convey. And I must commend her for coming up with such a thought provoking concept, interlaced into a thriller.
So undoubtedly, a majority of this novel was definitely gripping! But then after all that build up, I felt that the climax was a little underwhelming; it fell flat against the tension and intrigue that the novel was able to maintain till the end. Nandita comes across as somebody who is very sarcastically witty and detached; totally uncaring of the allegations that have been made against her. But soon, you’ll realize the reason behind her perspective. Themes of infanticide, rape, cult are explored. The deeply woven corruption within Indian society peeks out over the course of this book. Despite it’s shortcomings, I believe this book will entertain a lot of readers, and so I do recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers.
Ratings – 3.5 out of 5 stars
What do you get out of it? A medical thriller that echoes some very pressing concerns regarding the future of our country with respect to gender security.
Thank you Juggernaut for sending me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
The Life Stories 