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katielinn97's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
Nikki moved out of her parents' London home because their Punjabi culture felt too restrictive. When her father has a heart attack and dies shortly thereafter, she feels responsible since he had been strongly against her move. Partly to assuage her feelings of guilt, Nikki takes a second job teaching English classes to Punjabi women who live in the Punjabi community in Southall so she can help out with her mom's finances. To Nikki's initial shock and horror, the widows show a flair for writing erotic stories. As they all (Nikki and the women) learn to express themselves better, complications ensue.
Wow, I didn't realize how complicated the plot of this book was until I tried to distill it into a paragraph. That doesn't even come close to covering everything in the book-- Nikki's sister Mindi is pursuing an arranged marriage; Nikki meets a young man and they start a relationship; a group called The Brotherhood is patrolling the temple area enforcing strict behavior codes; the coordinator of the class is deeply grieving the recent death of her daughter, which mysteriously no one will talk about. Parts of this book seemed really awkward and forced, and the erotic stories (perhaps by design) range from beautifully done to tedious. But overall, it was a fascinating look into Sikh culture and I enjoyed it.
Wow, I didn't realize how complicated the plot of this book was until I tried to distill it into a paragraph. That doesn't even come close to covering everything in the book-- Nikki's sister Mindi is pursuing an arranged marriage; Nikki meets a young man and they start a relationship; a group called The Brotherhood is patrolling the temple area enforcing strict behavior codes; the coordinator of the class is deeply grieving the recent death of her daughter, which mysteriously no one will talk about. Parts of this book seemed really awkward and forced, and the erotic stories (perhaps by design) range from beautifully done to tedious. But overall, it was a fascinating look into Sikh culture and I enjoyed it.
bookschaosnart's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea what to expect when my book club picked this book but it was a fun read. Once I got used to the format of how the stories were interspersed through the main story I couldn't put the book down. A solid read with important reminders for everyone about how we're all learning from each other and that assumptions can definitely hurt any and all of your relationships. This one addresses every form of relationship: family, friends, work, and romantic. Definitely worth picking up a copy.
andipants124's review against another edition
I think if I were in a different mood and I didn’t have competing books that needed to read at the same time, I might enjoy this. I may come back to it later, but I just couldn’t get into it now.
meghanleighb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jadeelizaerrez's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A unique novel with heart. It’s got mystery and intersectional feminism and eroticism and complex conversations about what our cultures expect from us and how collectively we can say no to the forces that harm us.
natalie_is_reading's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting book! The murder mystery and all the affairs were a lot, and it felt like a bit of a stretch that every single plot point all connected back to being about sex, but it was funny and good messages and all that! I’m on a good kick right now of books that are all very different but each of them has a ton of new culture and things to learn about so very neat!
ele_anorhurt's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.0
gishiroma's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0