Chanda's Secret by Allan Stratton (Summary & Review)
The story of the book is set in the town of Bonang, with the teenage Chanda working for Bateman, an English expatriate who owns a funeral home. Chanda has no one to rely on, as her step-father is a drunkard while her mother was hopelessly depressed after the death of her step-sister, Sara, who was 6 months old when she died. Unable to afford anything from Bateman for her sister's funeral, she instead makes a custom one, made of stapled plastic sheets.Chanda's family does odd jobs to try and provide for the family; this includes raising animals and tending their gardens for food. She lives with her young sister and toddler brother, both at around 5 years old.
Chanda's only comfort in the ordeal is her friend: Esther, who is an orphan. Chandra rides her bicycle to where Esther poses for tourists, near the Liberty Hotel. However, she is nowhere to be found. Chandra begins to fear for her safety regarding her relationships to tourists and wether one of them may have kidnapped her. However, as Chanda will discover and accept later on in the book, Esther becomes a prostitute, this does not deter their friendship.
The book later explains that Chanda and her family is originally from Tiro, but all her remaining family members, save her mother, were killed in a mining accident. Later, Chanda's mother has an affair with Isaac, a mining worker, and they have Iris. Later, Chanda's mother has another child with a construction worker with a drinking problem, Jonah, and they had Sara.
Later, Chanda's mother falls ill, and their neighbour, Mrs. Tafa becomes aware and diagnoses this illness as a curse (AIDS). She also hires a spirit doctor that says the curse will be passed along to all her children. They had even attempted to smash her head in to 'release the demons' Chp5. So in an attempt to save her children, the mother leaves for another village.
Towards the end of the book, one of the most memorable scenes is when Chanda looks for Esther in her home, only to discover that she had been kicked out because her foster mother did not want a whore near her children.
Overall, the story of Chanda's Secret is touching, and in a way very shocking. It's astonishing that despite everything Chanda goes through, such as molestation by her step father, experiencing the death of numerous siblings, and more, she still manages to find a friend in Esther. It's also admirable how she can look past Esther's actions and still find affection for her. However, unlike many other stories, this one does not impart an inspiring sense of hope, instead, it shows cruelty, sadness, and simultaneously manages to instill nonchalance into so many actions done by other characters. The book was above average.
Chanda's only comfort in the ordeal is her friend: Esther, who is an orphan. Chandra rides her bicycle to where Esther poses for tourists, near the Liberty Hotel. However, she is nowhere to be found. Chandra begins to fear for her safety regarding her relationships to tourists and wether one of them may have kidnapped her. However, as Chanda will discover and accept later on in the book, Esther becomes a prostitute, this does not deter their friendship.
The book later explains that Chanda and her family is originally from Tiro, but all her remaining family members, save her mother, were killed in a mining accident. Later, Chanda's mother has an affair with Isaac, a mining worker, and they have Iris. Later, Chanda's mother has another child with a construction worker with a drinking problem, Jonah, and they had Sara.
Later, Chanda's mother falls ill, and their neighbour, Mrs. Tafa becomes aware and diagnoses this illness as a curse (AIDS). She also hires a spirit doctor that says the curse will be passed along to all her children. They had even attempted to smash her head in to 'release the demons' Chp5. So in an attempt to save her children, the mother leaves for another village.
Towards the end of the book, one of the most memorable scenes is when Chanda looks for Esther in her home, only to discover that she had been kicked out because her foster mother did not want a whore near her children.
Overall, the story of Chanda's Secret is touching, and in a way very shocking. It's astonishing that despite everything Chanda goes through, such as molestation by her step father, experiencing the death of numerous siblings, and more, she still manages to find a friend in Esther. It's also admirable how she can look past Esther's actions and still find affection for her. However, unlike many other stories, this one does not impart an inspiring sense of hope, instead, it shows cruelty, sadness, and simultaneously manages to instill nonchalance into so many actions done by other characters. The book was above average.