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Origins of Love
Author: Kishwar Desai

Publisher: Simon & Schuster India
ISBN: 9781471101489
Pages: 470
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Origins Of Love by Kishwar Desai, is an electrifying story that lays bare a very provocative social concern; child surrogacy and its alarming rise in India. It is a well constructed story that brings such burning issues as surrogacy, IVF, adoption, sperm donation etc. to the front.
The author weaves her story out of the contentious issue; the multi-million dollar surrogacy industry, through the central character Simran Singh and many other characters whose lives are bound in that backdrop. Simran Singh is a supporter of the Madonna and Child Clinic in Delhi, a place which provides surrogates to hundreds of couples with fertility problems. The book not only delves into the adventures of Simran Singh, a social worker, but also delves deep into the lives of other characters who are emotionally perturbed.

The heart of the book Origins Of Love is India’s shocking surrogacy industry with demands for Indian surrogates not only in India but, also from abroad. There comes a turn of events when Amelia, a surrogate baby is born HIV positive. This leads Simran Singh to start an investigation on how the child got infected and at what point of the process. Her investigation lands her in London. Here she meets Edward, a sperm donor and pins on him, her hope of uncovering the truth. The mysterious death of Amelia’s parents and an attempt to kill Simran Singh spices up the story.

The emotional pangs of the London couple, Kate and Ben, the story of the sixteen year old Sonia and the sordid character of doctor Ganguly, acts as supplementary ingredients to the book, giving it a profound touch. Even the uglier side of humanity, the hidden truths of India’s booming surrogacy industry and its stark reality have been well exposed in the book.

The author skilfully brings to light the grave issues that have been inflicting India for a very long time. Issues of Surrogacy, Adoption, HIV, Sperm donation, IVF have been skilfully knitted within the characters of the book giving rise to an interesting mix of suspense, mystery and dilemmas. The book amply discusses such disturbing issues opening our eyes to what can be best deemed as a shocking revelation.