A House for Happy Mothers: A Novel
by Amulya Malladi
A stunning new novel—full of wit and warmth—from the bestselling author of The Mango Season.
In trendy Silicon Valley, Priya has everything she needs—a loving husband, a career, and a home—but the one thing she wants most is the child she’s unable to have. In a Southern Indian village, Asha doesn’t have much—raising two children in a tiny hut, she and her husband can barely keep a tin roof over their heads—but she wants a better education for her gifted son. Pressured by her family, Asha reluctantly checks into the Happy Mothers House: a baby farm where she can rent her only asset—her womb—to a childless couple overseas. To the dismay of friends and family, Priya places her faith in a woman she’s never met to make her dreams of motherhood come true.
Together, the two women discover the best and the worst that India’s rising surrogacy industry has to offer, bridging continents and cultures to bring a new life into the world—and renewed hope to each other.
**Review
“Malladi (The Mango Season, 2003) examines India’s surrogacy industry with honesty and grace. This slice of life will touch all women who have struggled with conception and/or poverty. This thought-provoking novel will be a sure hit with book groups.” —Booklist, Starred Review
“Malladi (The Mango Season) writes a poignant novel from two difficult perspectives that spans several complex and often controversial topics. This title would make a great book club selection.” —*Library Journal*
“A House for Happy Mothers explores the lengths people will go for family. The characters are nuanced and sympathetic, and the dueling perspectives of a surrogate and the biological mother are commendable.” —*RT Book Reviews*
“A wonderful novel that takes you through the journey of surrogacy and the heart-wrenching emotions of those involved.” —Sejal Badani, author of *Trail of Broken Wings*
“How far would you go to have a family, and how far would you go to save the family you already have? In A House for Happy Mothers, Amulya Malladi skillfully and compassionately raises these questions in a story of two women yearning to protect their families. This is a thought-provoking, modern-day family saga set against the backdrop of traditional Indian and American maternal expectations.”—Amy Sue Nathan, author of The Good Neighbor and *The Glass Wives*
“Compelling and filled with insight. [Amulya] Malladi’s voice is layered, and her empathetic powers highly developed. Indian surrogacy is a crucially important and little-considered subject, and Malladi’s novel is thoughtful, enlightening, and moving.” —Leslee Udwin, BAFTA award-winning filmmaker of East Is East and *India’s Daughter*
“A subtly nuanced and compassionate look at the controversial ‘rent a womb’ industry, Amulya Malladi's book is timely and illuminating.” —Nayana Currimbhoy, author of *Miss Timmins’ School for Girls*
“A House for Happy Mothers shines an unblinking light on the business of surrogacy in India, and the emotional fallout. Can anything balance the inequality of power between a poor surrogate and a biological mother? A husband and wife in an arranged marriage? A mother and daughter struggling with years of perceived disappointment? Compelling and realistic, Amulya Malladi’s latest release is the perfect choice for book clubs, and any reader with a questioning mind and an open heart.” —Lorrie Thomson, author of A Measure of Happiness and *What’s Left Behind*
“A sensitive exploration of the emotional terrain of motherhood and the socio-economic complexities of our global world. Amulya Malladi’s novel contains no villains or heroes, just breathing, living characters who will draw you into their heartbreak.”—Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times bestselling author of Secret Daughter and *The Golden Son*
“In this timely contemporary novel, Malladi describes the important and controversial issue of surrogate pregnancy with a light and masterful [hand]. Readers will find their hearts deeply touched by the longings of the two women who become inextricably intertwined in this process of giving and receiving the ultimate gift—the birth of a child.” —Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of The Palace of Illusions and *Before We Visit the Goddess*
About the Author
Amulya Malladi is the author of six novels, including The Sound of Language and The Mango Season. Her books have been translated into several languages, including Dutch, German, Spanish, Danish, Romanian, Serbian, and Tamil. She has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in journalism. When she’s not writing, she works as a marketing executive for a global medical device company. She lives in Copenhagen with her husband and two children. Connect with Amulya at www.amulyamalladi.com.
In trendy Silicon Valley, Priya has everything she needs—a loving husband, a career, and a home—but the one thing she wants most is the child she’s unable to have. In a Southern Indian village, Asha doesn’t have much—raising two children in a tiny hut, she and her husband can barely keep a tin roof over their heads—but she wants a better education for her gifted son. Pressured by her family, Asha reluctantly checks into the Happy Mothers House: a baby farm where she can rent her only asset—her womb—to a childless couple overseas. To the dismay of friends and family, Priya places her faith in a woman she’s never met to make her dreams of motherhood come true.
Together, the two women discover the best and the worst that India’s rising surrogacy industry has to offer, bridging continents and cultures to bring a new life into the world—and renewed hope to each other.
**Review
“Malladi (The Mango Season, 2003) examines India’s surrogacy industry with honesty and grace. This slice of life will touch all women who have struggled with conception and/or poverty. This thought-provoking novel will be a sure hit with book groups.” —Booklist, Starred Review
“Malladi (The Mango Season) writes a poignant novel from two difficult perspectives that spans several complex and often controversial topics. This title would make a great book club selection.” —*Library Journal*
“A House for Happy Mothers explores the lengths people will go for family. The characters are nuanced and sympathetic, and the dueling perspectives of a surrogate and the biological mother are commendable.” —*RT Book Reviews*
“A wonderful novel that takes you through the journey of surrogacy and the heart-wrenching emotions of those involved.” —Sejal Badani, author of *Trail of Broken Wings*
“How far would you go to have a family, and how far would you go to save the family you already have? In A House for Happy Mothers, Amulya Malladi skillfully and compassionately raises these questions in a story of two women yearning to protect their families. This is a thought-provoking, modern-day family saga set against the backdrop of traditional Indian and American maternal expectations.”—Amy Sue Nathan, author of The Good Neighbor and *The Glass Wives*
“Compelling and filled with insight. [Amulya] Malladi’s voice is layered, and her empathetic powers highly developed. Indian surrogacy is a crucially important and little-considered subject, and Malladi’s novel is thoughtful, enlightening, and moving.” —Leslee Udwin, BAFTA award-winning filmmaker of East Is East and *India’s Daughter*
“A subtly nuanced and compassionate look at the controversial ‘rent a womb’ industry, Amulya Malladi's book is timely and illuminating.” —Nayana Currimbhoy, author of *Miss Timmins’ School for Girls*
“A House for Happy Mothers shines an unblinking light on the business of surrogacy in India, and the emotional fallout. Can anything balance the inequality of power between a poor surrogate and a biological mother? A husband and wife in an arranged marriage? A mother and daughter struggling with years of perceived disappointment? Compelling and realistic, Amulya Malladi’s latest release is the perfect choice for book clubs, and any reader with a questioning mind and an open heart.” —Lorrie Thomson, author of A Measure of Happiness and *What’s Left Behind*
“A sensitive exploration of the emotional terrain of motherhood and the socio-economic complexities of our global world. Amulya Malladi’s novel contains no villains or heroes, just breathing, living characters who will draw you into their heartbreak.”—Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times bestselling author of Secret Daughter and *The Golden Son*
“In this timely contemporary novel, Malladi describes the important and controversial issue of surrogate pregnancy with a light and masterful [hand]. Readers will find their hearts deeply touched by the longings of the two women who become inextricably intertwined in this process of giving and receiving the ultimate gift—the birth of a child.” —Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of The Palace of Illusions and *Before We Visit the Goddess*
About the Author
Amulya Malladi is the author of six novels, including The Sound of Language and The Mango Season. Her books have been translated into several languages, including Dutch, German, Spanish, Danish, Romanian, Serbian, and Tamil. She has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in journalism. When she’s not writing, she works as a marketing executive for a global medical device company. She lives in Copenhagen with her husband and two children. Connect with Amulya at www.amulyamalladi.com.