An estimated 4-12 million female foetuses have been aborted in the past three decades, and the brutal killings still continue. In an era of technological innovation and evolving social values, one would expect traditional biases to be a thing of the past. Yet, in this compelling narrative, Dr Aruna Kalra, a practising gynaecologist, reveals the persistent and heartbreaking desire for a male child among her patients, showing that deeply ingrained cultural norms still hold strong. Her autobiographical I Want a Boy captures the absurd lengths her patients adopt in their quest for a son. The plea for a male heir resonates everywhere, whether in upmarket maternity homes or in chaotic government hospitals where the author did her three-year residency at the start of her career. This powerful book, peppered with personal anecdotes, is also a commentary on the repeated pregnancies, selective abortions, and outdated rituals for a boy baby that our society endorses, all of which strip women of their self-respect, autonomy, and well-being.
