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greggles_93's review
5.0
I absolutely LOVED this book. It has absolutely everything that you could want from a great narrative; travel, love, loss, grief, family, sisterhood, hope, diaspora, cultural examinations and an incredibly nuanced portrayal of the implications of living in a patriarchal world (both Western and Eastern) and having to obey the rules of an incredibly male dominated and sexist religious practice. My favourite read of this year so far, would highly recommend.
roscoehuxley's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mahima123's review
3.0
Honestly it just didn’t live up to the standard of the first book by this author. I think the story and the character development was really neat and I really enjoyed how we got three different perspectives throughout the book. What I didn’t like was how long the story took to pick up and the naive way in which India is depicted.
I am not a misogyny-denier and I can recount first hand experiences of the male gaze that can be found in India, but it was disheartening how much the book focuses on the negative aspects of India without ever taking a moment to appreciate a greater beauty. I think it’s important to highlight these issues and the author does so by exploring a multitude of different issues: female feticide, rape culture, women’s movements, laws founded in patriarchy, etc. At the same time however it comes off as a immigrant’s better-than-thou attitude rather than a “how can we fix this problem and what work has been going into it already?” point of view.
I don’t know if that’s a jaded take on this book…or how I would’ve written it differently but it did leave me feeling a little frustrated at times.
I am not a misogyny-denier and I can recount first hand experiences of the male gaze that can be found in India, but it was disheartening how much the book focuses on the negative aspects of India without ever taking a moment to appreciate a greater beauty. I think it’s important to highlight these issues and the author does so by exploring a multitude of different issues: female feticide, rape culture, women’s movements, laws founded in patriarchy, etc. At the same time however it comes off as a immigrant’s better-than-thou attitude rather than a “how can we fix this problem and what work has been going into it already?” point of view.
I don’t know if that’s a jaded take on this book…or how I would’ve written it differently but it did leave me feeling a little frustrated at times.
mmotleyu's review
4.0
Learned more about Indian women and was surprised by the male dominance in the culture. I am always a sucker for female bonding stories and the pilgrimage that these sisters take to learn more about themselves and their mother did not disappoint. I like the idea of having my children go on a quest together after I die as a way to process their feelings....
glenn_rulz's review
adventurous
funny
informative
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? Yes
5.0
Loved this book, read it before going to India. Written in a way to understand issues facing women in India but with so much fun along the way. Impressively written to hit such big issues while keeping so page turning. Great analogies for first gen immigrants.
k3ndal's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Loved learning about these sisters: their identities, their relationships, their difficulties, their choices.
mischievous_monkey's review
3.0
I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the book and the look into a culture unlike my own in many ways. The author deserves kudos for delving into many tough topics.
The last three hours or so of this audiobook really made the listen worthwhile. I did have a hard time investing the time up until then because the characters were so unlikeable and I hadn’t found anything in them to care to much about. The character development was slow to begin for my taste.
After reading this and Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women I am definitely interested in reading more by this author. The narrators of this book did a very good job and I will look for more read by them as well.
The last three hours or so of this audiobook really made the listen worthwhile. I did have a hard time investing the time up until then because the characters were so unlikeable and I hadn’t found anything in them to care to much about. The character development was slow to begin for my taste.
After reading this and Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women I am definitely interested in reading more by this author. The narrators of this book did a very good job and I will look for more read by them as well.
gwalt118's review
3.0
I did not read Jaswal's previous novels but was encouraged to pick this book up because it's on the 2019 Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide.
As an only child, I have always been intrigued by sibling relationships. Jaswal paints complex relationships between the three Shergill sisters - Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina - and their mother. Their mother has a special request upon her death for the three sisters to travel to India and participate in a pilgrimage of sorts to scatter her ashes. During the course of the novel, we learn that each sister is dealing with her own troubling life circumstances but doesn't want to disclose the entirety of her situation to the others. Ultimately, the trip brings the sisters closer together and they help lift each other up out of their individual incidents. Overall, I enjoyed the empowerment that the three sisters were able to help each other find. I also think the context of a pilgrimage after their mother's death was an innovative backdrop for a story like this one. I could envision it being a bit too dramatic, but Jaswal makes it work.
I did not enjoy the petty squabbles among the women. They reminded me of adolescents, not grown adults. I became frustrated with the repetitiveness and ridiculousness of some of their arguments. I think it may have been a bit overdone. I also wasn't a fan of the fact that the story ended with everything wrapped up with a bow on top. I typically don't enjoy clean endings like that, and this book was no exception. Life is messier than that and, although I am well aware this is a fiction book, I think the speed and clarity with which conflicts were resolved in this book is borderline absurd.
With all of that being said, the book is an enjoyable and quick summer read. It would be a good selection for the pool or vacation. It doesn't require a lot of complex thought, and that's precisely what I was hoping for when I picked it up.
As an only child, I have always been intrigued by sibling relationships. Jaswal paints complex relationships between the three Shergill sisters - Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina - and their mother. Their mother has a special request upon her death for the three sisters to travel to India and participate in a pilgrimage of sorts to scatter her ashes. During the course of the novel, we learn that each sister is dealing with her own troubling life circumstances but doesn't want to disclose the entirety of her situation to the others. Ultimately, the trip brings the sisters closer together and they help lift each other up out of their individual incidents. Overall, I enjoyed the empowerment that the three sisters were able to help each other find. I also think the context of a pilgrimage after their mother's death was an innovative backdrop for a story like this one. I could envision it being a bit too dramatic, but Jaswal makes it work.
I did not enjoy the petty squabbles among the women. They reminded me of adolescents, not grown adults. I became frustrated with the repetitiveness and ridiculousness of some of their arguments. I think it may have been a bit overdone. I also wasn't a fan of the fact that the story ended with everything wrapped up with a bow on top. I typically don't enjoy clean endings like that, and this book was no exception. Life is messier than that and, although I am well aware this is a fiction book, I think the speed and clarity with which conflicts were resolved in this book is borderline absurd.
With all of that being said, the book is an enjoyable and quick summer read. It would be a good selection for the pool or vacation. It doesn't require a lot of complex thought, and that's precisely what I was hoping for when I picked it up.
khorringa720's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
safiwi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5