I do think the plot got a little busy in places but one particularly great thing about the book is the sheer number of voices we hear. Obviously, we hear a lot from Nikki, her experience in her community and outside of it. But with each short story, a new voice is heard and we learn more about each character and escape with them into their stories. I also loved the dynamic of the group of widows, slowly winning both Nikki and reader over and blooming empowering female friendships.
Title: Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
Author: Balli Kaur Jaswal
Type: Fiction
Published: 2017
Pages: 386
TW: Violence, Abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicide, Murder, Forced Marriage
Given the title of the book, it should come as no surprise that it gets a little raunchy in places, but what I was surprised about was the amount of genres is felt like this book was straddling. On the one hand we have romance elements with Nikki’s love life and each woman imagining their own romantic meetings and stories, but alongside that we have a crime plot running parallel which gets quite dark in places – these two genres definitely juxtapose each other.
“It would be easier to be a criminal fairly prosecuted by the law than an Indian daughter who wronged her family. A crime would be punishable by a jail sentence of definite duration rather than this uncertain length of family guilt trips.”
With insight into the immigrant experience, domestic relationships, deconstructing the role of women, and a generous dollop of intrigue and romance, it’s safe to say this book has it all. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows will take you by surprise in the best way and a highly recommend you read it!
Review overview
Summary
Nikki is a law school dropout and works in a local pub; when her father dies she finds herself a little lost and wanting to support her family so she takes a job teaching writing class at a community centre in the Punjabi community she grew up in. However it quickly becomes clear that it’s not what it first appears. Nikki thought she’s be teaching creative writing but the Sikh widows who show up want to learn to read and write basic English. Eager to find a compromise as she gets to know the women she learns of the stories they have within them and helps get them down on paper. But when the widows’ gossip steers in the direction of the death of a young girl, Nikki realises there might be more at stake than just their creative freedom.
