Family Saga, The Stolen Soul Of Somita By Harbinder Mathadu, Mesmerises With Tale Of Female Infanticide

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best book magazine in the UK“, based on deep-rooted cultural beliefs that boys trump girls in Indian society, in The Stolen Soul of Somita by Harbinder Mathadu, Saravati accuses her sister-in-law Manjula of kidnapping and murdering her child.

The Stolen Soul Of Somita

Chilling mystery, The Stolen Soul Of Somita by Harbinder Mathadu takes readers deep into the black magic practices of Indian culture and the patriarchal society that has historically led to a preference to sons over daughters.

When Saravati’s young child disappears, she accuses her sister-in-law Manjula of kidnapping and killing her. The accusation is never proven but Manjula vows that she will clear her name. Thirty years after the kidnapping Manjula finally discovers the real killer but is brutally murdered.

When Seema marries Saravati’s son and is told the story of the kidnapping, she starts to unravel a dark and horrific web of secrets. With the help of her husband’s sworn enemy, Seema embarks on a gruesome journey to discover the truth surrounding the disappearance of Saravati’s child.

Shocking and intriguing readers with the disappearance and murder of Saravati’s young daughter, this impressive and disturbing tale sheds a light on many of the practices that still plague Indian society today.

Harbinder Mathadu

As the son of Indian born parents who immigrated to England in the 1960s, I have become fascinated by the space between Western culture and magical tales of my motherland. 

The Stolen Soul Of Somita was inspired by a radio programme which documented the story of British Asian couples who were travelling to India to discover the sex of their unborn child. When armed with the information, and knowing their child was female, they would then pay for the pregnancy to be terminated.

Shocked at the attitude of these couples towards girls, I was also fascinated by what compels people to allow a boy to survive over a girl.

-Harbinder Mathadu

The son of Indian born parents who immigrated to England in the 1960s. As a British Indian he has become fascinated by the grey area between growing up with the influences of Western culture and the mystic and exotic tales of his motherland. His debut novel, The Stolen Soul Of Somita explores the obsession with the supernatural ingrained in those living in remote Indian villages and how those beliefs have travelled cross the oceans to the shores of England.

He is a graduate of Bournemouth University where he studied design and where he was introduced to his favourite author, David Gemmell by a friend. He lives in London with his wife and two children.

His second novel, The Karma Club was published in 2021.

Find more from Harbinder Mathadu now:

www.harbindermathadu.com

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3w4K5K0

Paperback: https://amzn.to/4d8AfY3

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