Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

58 reviews

dani_reis's review against another edition

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slow-paced

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

3.0

Kind of bored with the pace feeling too slow. Bit too much like an anthology of erotica, which I should have expected.

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veereads's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I enjoyed this novel because it really gives a glimpse into the Punjabi Sikh community and offers a very wholesome set of characters that challenge the stereotypical view of widows prevalent in society, particularly the South Asian community. There are so many topics covered like the clash of cultures, the role of women in the household, and the concept of "honor" and how maintaining it can justify violence towards women.

But that's the main issue here: the book tries to do too much. It's very difficult to keep a story lighthearted when there are such serious themes. And I don't think the author succeeded. Subplots are brought up just to be abandoned, a whole murder mystery is very easily solved, and the protagonist, who is stubborn to the point of being annoying, just lets go of arguments and ideologies on a whim.

Although I liked the reading experience, the half-baked feel of major plot points and themes affected the success of the storytelling and I can't justify giving a higher rating than 3 stars.

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julialeigh's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

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felishacb's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A really lovely tale that features Nikki, a young Indian woman, who is trying to find her place in the world and in her own community. Teaching writing to a group of Indian women, mostly widows, presents a way for her to make the money she needs, do something she loves, and help her community.

Kulwinder, the woman who hires Nikki, doesn't share the complete story. Many of these women do not read or write in English; their goal is to learn in the class.

And the students have their own ideas! After finding a book Nikki checked out as a joke, they start sharing erotic stories. They all end up having more fun than expected.

In the center of this story is a mystery of Kulwinder's daughter, a young woman who died under mysterious circumstances. Nikki commences sleuthing!

This was a fun read, and I would recommend to most.

CN: sex, suicide, violence, murder, discussion of honor killings

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