“Powerful. Visceral. Deeply reflective. Bad Daughter is a phenomenal book” – Catherine Park

“This book moved me to tears. It will speak to many women, inspiring them to be bold, brave & unafraid!” – Georgia Lewis

“Anyone who wants to harness the power of their own Bad Daughter energy should read this book” – Jane Greene

“A book that won’t let me go: inspiring & heart-wrenching!” – Bernie Mitchell

Bad Daughter is a phenomenal book

“A must read for anyone who wants a story of a phoenix rising from the ashes

Powerful, visceral and deeply reflective, Bad Daughter is a phenomenal book. From Kerala to Mumbai to London, Sangeeta’s journey is a motivational one where you see an incredible woman move beyond her past and build the life she dreamed of, whilst finding moments of joy along the way. A story of determination and resilience during the most challenging times.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants a story of a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

– Catherine Park (Community & Events Specialist)

“Very inspired by you and your story”

I read it. I cried through some parts. Some made me so angry. Some, sad. And all of it was inspiring.

Some narratives stood out so much for me. Your Amma’ s rose garden. Your wish to ride the carnival ride. Your guilt at eating the sweets that your dad would get for you – and how they came at a cost. Your journey away from India and charting your own way.

I am very inspired by you, your story, what you have done with it and who are striving to be.

Harneeta Bhalla (Project Lead & Writer)

“Anyone who wants to harness their own Bad Daughter energy should read this book”

Sangeeta Pillai’s book is a brutally honest account of a childhood and coming of age, fractured by violence and trauma. However it is also a book full of beauty and grace. Her exquisite skill as a writer makes her very particular story of growing up in the slums of Mumbai resonate across cultures and time. Anyone who wants to harness the power of their own Bad Daughter energy should read this book.

Jane Greene (Writer & Swimming Coach)

“This book is going to unleash a movement!”

Sangeeta’s story is brutal, but the language is clear and spellbinding. Reading this book is both inspiring and heart-wrenching.
The way Sangeta uses words reminds me of Maya Angelou, David Goggins, and Primo Levi, who share their horrors with calm, powerful clarity, yet without drama. She writes about growing up in a Mumbai slum, surviving a violent home, and the unimaginable loss of her mother — all while refusing to let the fire in her belly go out. Her story stays with me and I cry as I listen (to the book transcript).

Bernie Mitchell (Coworking Community Builder)

“A compass for every woman ready to reclaim her story”

It’s been an honour to edit this memoir. Sangeeta’s story-telling voice is unflinching, sustained with grace even through deep personal pain – you stay hooked from the first page to the last. She writes with discipline and soul, alchemising pain into something powerful.

Thatchaayanie Renganathan (Book Editor)

Moved me to tears…

“This book will speak to many women, inspiring them to be bold, brave and unafraid to defy expectations.

I’ve read this book three times now. Every time, I was moved to tears and learned new things. Despite our different upbringings, I relate to so much of Sangeeta’s story – of idyllic childhood memories, of doing things behind our parents’ backs, of learning that feminism is important and relevant, of the pressure to be a good daughter – and the guilt that can come with that, no matter how old you are or where you are in the world.

After reading this book, it’s became clear to me how much girls and women across the world have in common. Our struggles, fears, internal conflicts, abuses, barriers and frustrations may happen in different settings and with different levels of advantage and privilege, but the bullshit behind it all remains the same.”

– Georgia Lewis (Journalist & Writer)