Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows is a 2017 novel by Singaporean[1] author Balli Kaur Jaswal, published by Morrow/HarperCollins. It is the third novel written by Jaswal.[2]
Plot
editThe main character, Nikki Grewal, is a 22-year-old woman in London,[1] who dropped out of law school and works at O’Reilly's pub, going against the expectations of her Punjabi Sikh family. Nikki is intrigued when her sister Mindi, a nurse who is making enough money to support herself, chooses to do an arranged marriage.[3] She chooses to become a creative writing teacher,[1] for the Sikh Community Association,[3] located in Southall.[1] Her students, older women whose husbands had died,[3] have difficulties with English. The women begin to tell stories about their sexual lives after they encounter a copy of Red Velvet: Pleasurable Stories for Women that Nikki brought.
Reception
editThe Economist praised the book, stating it is a "funny and moving tale of desire and its discontents."[4]
Rosie Milne of the Asian Review of Books gave the book 3.5 stars. Milne stated that the word used are "vivid" and that the author "gives voices to women who are generally voiceless, and ignored, and she lets them talk about sex to boot."[1]
Kirkus Reviews stated that the story "enchants".[3]
Aparita Bhandari, a columnist for the CBC, stated that it was a "lively, sexy and thought-provoking east-meets-west story".[2]
Saadia Faruqi, author of Brick Walls: Tales of Hope and Courage from Pakistan, described the book as "a masterpiece" and that " It entertains, it teaches, it shatters all preconceived ideas of what intra-community tensions look like."[5]
In 2018 Reese Witherspoon added the book to her reading list.[6] Witherspoon stated it was "a mystery, a romance, a family drama....and yes it's 🔥 🔥 🔥!"[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Milne, Rosie (2017-06-27). "Book review: Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows - Singaporean author's novel blends romantic comedy with family saga". South China Morning Post. Asian Review of Books. Archived from the original on 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2018-12-01. - See post at Archived 2018-12-01 at the Wayback Machine Asian Review of Books
- ^ a b "If you liked Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, you'll love..." CBC Radio. 2018-07-13. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
- ^ a b c d "EROTIC STORIES FOR PUNJABI WIDOWS". Kirkus Reviews. 2017-03-21. Archived from the original on 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2018-12-01. - Print date: April 1, 2017.
- ^ "Balli Kaur Jaswal has written a new type of erotic novel". The Economist. 2017-03-30. Archived from the original on 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
- ^ Faruqi, Saadia. "Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows: A Novel". New York Journal of Books. Archived from the original on 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
- ^ Trombetta, Sadie (2018-03-06). "Reese Witherspoon Has Chosen 'Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows' For Her Book Club This Month". Bustle. Archived from the original on 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
- ^ Cadden, Mary (2018-03-09). "Reese Witherspoon's 'Erotic' obsession, and more celebrity book club picks". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2018-12-01.