A charming mix of comedy, romance and female empowerment, this book was nothing that I expected and everything I needed.
After seeing this book all over Instagram and Goodreads, I finally decided to pick it up at my local Barnes and Noble. I thought this book was going to go one of two ways: be a lighthearted quick contemporary read or a book that was too heavy for me to handle right now. Luckily for me, it was the perfect balance of both and just what I needed from a book in that moment.
Once I realized it was available on audio from my library, I decided to pick it up sooner than later. No regrets.
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows is so much more than a book about writing or women or culture. It’s a story about women who find their own way to unleash within them what’s always been suppressed and downplayed. It features a cast of characters that is impossible not to love, even the women you want to hate. And it’s truly an ode to the power of creativity and writing.
Our main character, Nikki, was a huge hit for me. When we start the book, she’s just moved out of her family home and is dealing with processing the death of her father. Her relationship with her mother and sister aren’t exactly how she’d like, which she attributes to being the non-traditional, black sheep of the family.
While Nikki fights against cultural traditions, her sister fully embraces them and asks Nikki to help her write an profile for marriage websites. Arranged marriage websites, that is.
I loved the contrast between Nikki and her sister and watching the way Nikki and that relationship changes as Nikki gets to know the women she teaches in her “writing” class.
Speaking of the writing class, the women who make up this class and share their stories are truly the highlights of this novel. Though they are all in this class for a similar gain, none of the women are the same and have been through different life experiences and lived different lives that lead them to the writing course. They each have more personality than you’ll be able to take and will absolutely make you laugh out loud.
There is a mystery element to this book, that I honestly could have taken or left. It didn’t take anything away from the novel, but it wasn’t the top moment of the novel for me.
I would definitely recommend this book and gave it 4.5/5 stars. Pick this up if you need a light read full of a lively and diverse cast of characters. Reading this will feel like coming home and turning on your favorite sitcom every night.