Scan barcode
A review by machadamia
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
4.5
This is a story about women finding their voice and place in this world.
Writing about a punjabi community based in diasporic society is not easy. There’s loads to balance, the essence of the culture and the outside influences. And I think this book did it very well. I live in diaspora and it felt very authentic though I am not from London. In a way, I understood why these people had the want to hold on to certain values so tightly no matter how backward it may seem. And I love that we start out with Mindi wanting an arranged marriage (not a spoiler as it is the literal first sentence) because it sets the tone for the rest of the book. We’re confronted with these patriarchal ideals that we the reader and the characters have to wonder if they’re worth keeping.
We have a main character who is a true modern girl. Who basically abandons all traditions or so it seems, and decides that she will live life on her own terms and not her family’s. It’s hard to do that when your culture is so tight knit and also really quite judgemental, not to mention, great gossipers.
Living alone doesn’t seem all that and she is struggling in life, and then she stumbles upon an ad to instruct a writing class which isn’t what she thought it would be. But then turns out to be exactly what she needs to find herself again. I loved the ending message for Nikki’s storyline - one does not need to be alone to find oneself. One just needs to be honest and vulnerable.
But don’t forget that we have another character worth thinking about - Kulwinder. She is your typical asian tiger mum, strong headed and ruthless with her words but she holds a secret. I really appreciated her presence because it gave us a different perspective. If it was just Nikki, we would get a rather negative look at the traditions but with Kulwinder, we understand why they are this way even if we may not agree. I also liked her arc. Because she is very similar to Nikki in a sense that she is breaking away from the traditional female role in punjabi families. I loved her journey in learning to let go.
Finally, the other widows and found family. I cannot understate how much I love the found family trope. It is so heartwarming to have absolute strangers that would embrace you for who you are. And to understand what that means for Nikki makes it all the more meaningful. All the widows also carried the humour of the book, they are so funny and the stories they spin are amazing.
My only gripe is that some exposition points in the book that felt a bit forced, particularly Sam’s. And the story more than makes up for it.
I walked into this book thinking it’ll be a funny and good read, also a little spicy given the title. But I found much, much more. Highly recommend.
Writing about a punjabi community based in diasporic society is not easy. There’s loads to balance, the essence of the culture and the outside influences. And I think this book did it very well. I live in diaspora and it felt very authentic though I am not from London. In a way, I understood why these people had the want to hold on to certain values so tightly no matter how backward it may seem. And I love that we start out with Mindi wanting an arranged marriage (not a spoiler as it is the literal first sentence) because it sets the tone for the rest of the book. We’re confronted with these patriarchal ideals that we the reader and the characters have to wonder if they’re worth keeping.
We have a main character who is a true modern girl. Who basically abandons all traditions or so it seems, and decides that she will live life on her own terms and not her family’s. It’s hard to do that when your culture is so tight knit and also really quite judgemental, not to mention, great gossipers.
Living alone doesn’t seem all that and she is struggling in life, and then she stumbles upon an ad to instruct a writing class which isn’t what she thought it would be. But then turns out to be exactly what she needs to find herself again. I loved the ending message for Nikki’s storyline - one does not need to be alone to find oneself. One just needs to be honest and vulnerable.
But don’t forget that we have another character worth thinking about - Kulwinder. She is your typical asian tiger mum, strong headed and ruthless with her words but she holds a secret. I really appreciated her presence because it gave us a different perspective. If it was just Nikki, we would get a rather negative look at the traditions but with Kulwinder, we understand why they are this way even if we may not agree. I also liked her arc. Because she is very similar to Nikki in a sense that she is breaking away from the traditional female role in punjabi families. I loved her journey in learning to let go.
Finally, the other widows and found family. I cannot understate how much I love the found family trope. It is so heartwarming to have absolute strangers that would embrace you for who you are. And to understand what that means for Nikki makes it all the more meaningful. All the widows also carried the humour of the book, they are so funny and the stories they spin are amazing.
My only gripe is that some exposition points in the book that felt a bit forced, particularly Sam’s. And the story more than makes up for it.
I walked into this book thinking it’ll be a funny and good read, also a little spicy given the title. But I found much, much more. Highly recommend.