Rumki Chowdhury
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Award-Winning Author & Editor
WON "DISTINGUISHED FAVORITE"
AT THE 2023 NYC BIG BOOK AWARD'S
MULTICULTURAL FICTION CATEGORY.
WON "RUNNER-UP"
AT THE 2023 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL'S
YA FICTION CATEGORY.
WON FOFKY'S READER'S CHOICE AWARD.
WON "HONORABLE MENTION"
AT THE 2023 LONDON BOOK FESTIVAL'S
YA FICTION CATEGORY.
Asha is a teenager hoping to get to know her Bengali culture on a deeper level by taking a vacation with her parents from America to Bangladesh. There, she meets her cousin, Kushi, with whom she hopes to form an immediate sisterly bond. However, her hopes are crushed when she senses Kushi is hiding a deep and dark secret. She eventually discovers that her cousin is being stalked and tormented by an older male. After Kushi opens up to Asha about the details, Asha wonders if she can help her cousin. Soon, she realizes that Kushi is just one of many young girls who fall victim to stalkers and child marriage in Bangladesh every year. Will Asha and Kushi be able to escape the wrath of one such monster?
PUBLISHER: Djarabi Kitabs Publishing
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction/Thriller
TARGET READERSHIP: Aged 12+
Secrets in the Wind is a timely coming-of-age story about resilience, femininity and the power of sisterhood. Rumki Chowdhury does a brilliant job bringing to life the complexities and nuances of the Bangladeshi cultural landscapes. The story is deeply-moving, thought-provoking and a rewarding read. It is heartwarming and heart-wrenching, tackling the difficult themes of stalking, gender-based violence with sensitivity and insight.
-Kamrul Khan, Bengalis of New York
As a Bangladeshi-American, the familiarity of the vocabulary, relations and nostalgic moments strongly resonated with me. I found myself on the streets of Bangladesh, following Asha's unflinching attitude and witty nature, which proves vital as the story unfolds. What starts off as a familiar story for all of us juggling two or more cultures, shifts to a more crucial topic of concern in South Asia and beyond. Rumki Chowdhury's writing was amazing and highlights why we need more Ashas in this world.
- Shezda Afrin, Brown Girl Magazine