Chanda’s Secrets is a 2004 novel by Canadian author Allan Stratton. Set in southern Africa during the HIV/AIDS crisis that spread across the region in the late 20th century, it focuses on the stigma experienced by people suffering from the disease. The main character is Chanda, who must care for her younger sister, Ami, after her father and brother die and her mother falls ill. The novel starkly demonstrates the power of social stigma, which Stratton presents as being as threatening as the disease itself. However, it also emphasises the ability of humans to overcome social forces such as stigma, shame and prejudice by demonstrating courage and compassion in the face of adversity. Stratton implies also that courage need not take the form of great and significant acts. In Chanda’s case, courage simply means talking and being honest about a problem that others refuse to acknowledge. The novel traces Chanda’s personal growth – and, by extension, that of her community – the face of her grief, fear, and family responsibilities as she finds strength in the role unexpectedly thrust upon her.
Chanda’s Secrets
