Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Mother courage: Satyarani's Story. 3. Trapped in hell: Jyoti's Story. 4. Driven to suicide: Tikka Preet's Story. 5. American nightmare: Archana's Story. 6. Fight to the finish: Maria Bai Ki Kahani. 7. Love story gone wrong: Mary Shaila's Story. In the end. References and bibliography.

"Dowry deaths have disappeared from the national consciousness even though thousands of women continue to be burnt, poisoned, electrocuted or are forced to commit suicide every year. In the first book of its kind, Seema Sirohi gives voice to six such dowry victims and retraces their lives, without the abstraction of theory. She also shows how, if the victims tried to bring their tormentors to justice, they faced a backlash from the male-dominated establishment."