Ashray by Chandasi Bandyopadhyay [Hardcover]

Little Sunaina moved across the seven seas from India to the distant city of Sydney, Australia, with her father and mother. There, she lost her father at a very young age. Her new journey began with her Anglo-Indian mother, Bandana, and stepfather, Jeremy. A few years later, her stepbrother Sujoy became a new path for the deprived, humiliated, and abused seven-year-old girl to live anew. Gradually, she took over the role of Sujoy's mother. This story, set against the backdrop of Sydney, begins with twelve-year-old Sunaina and five-year-old Sujoy running away from home and taking refuge on the platform of a railway station. Through various events, the inherent conflicts of different characters, realistic dialogues, and effortless, lively descriptions, this novel portrays the picture of a foreign society. The reader sees the complexities of interpersonal relationships between men and women based on Western values. They realize how sensitive the government and social workers of that country are about the safety of helpless, homeless children. These social workers go forward and help the reckless children seeking a safe haven with great skill. The foster care institutions provide wholehearted, unreserved value to each human life.