A review by hollyevaallen
An Unrestored Woman by Shobha Rao

5.0

Honestly one of the most beautiful short story collections I’ve ever read. The writing is poetic without coming off as cheesy or too purple. The topics are varied but gently intertwined and the characters’ emotions are raw and vivid. It helps to have a basic knowledge of Pakistani/ Indian culture or history. It also helps to know basic words like saree, roti, dal, etc. If you’re even moderately interested in topics in India, Pakistan, marriage, intimacy, childbirth, gender, etc it’s an excellent choice. As a general warning- the topics are heavy and there’s mention of violence, rape, and death.