Reviews

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

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sandiet's review against another edition

5.0

A story of family, duty, honour, mystery and finding your own way in a cultural society determined to follow the old ways. Nikki lives in London and does everything that goes against her Sikh upbringing. She's dropped out of law school, works in a pub, lives on her own upstairs of that pub and she drinks and smokes. She's doing okay but she blames herself for her father's death. When she discovers her Mom and sister are struggling financially to maintain the family home she decides to help by taking a job at the community centre. What she thought was going to be a creative writing course turns out to be one of teaching Punjabi widows how to read & write. The widows however don't want to learn to read & write, they want to tell their stories. With vivid imaginations running amok the widows tell their erotic stories and show a side of themselves to Nikki that she comes to embrace (after her initial shock). A wonderful story of forgiveness, friendship and of course there's a love story or two. Thoroughly enjoyed the narration as well. Well worth the read.

shancarr's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

manderzreadz's review

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5.0

Written about a Sikh community in London, this book is the embodiment of female empowerment and the importance of a voice and the necessity of choice. I loved the humor, relationships, and plot line of the book while still learning a lot about Sikh culture and customs. This was a fantastic read over all!

lizswartz's review

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dark funny mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

this is a charming book with an original concept. older women are often invisible to society and it’s lovely seeing them take center stage. it was also great for me to get a peek into a different culture/religion that isn’t always represented in books. this book has got romance, mystery, feminist themes, humor, and some social justice issues too.

eggjen's review against another edition

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3.0

This is one of those books that would benefit from a half star option because it really hovers between 3 and 4 stars for me. I enjoyed the overall plot of this story and getting to know a new to me culture; exploring the ways that we are all the same even when we seem so different either generationally or culturally. There is an underlying mystery that kept me intrigued and a bit of a love story as well. I did feel that the pacing was a bit off and some of the foreshadowing felt forced. I also felt the ending tied up a bit too neatly for my liking. It didn't stop me from enjoying reading it though.