Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows: A Novel

This was quite a good easy read where the author laid out the thrill and adventure of the characters well. I didnt like that she would jump paragraphs from one storyline to the next but still would read another book by the author. The depiction of the culture struggle in the Western world to always uphold reputation, your family beliefs (approval), and one own's independent growth was well written. I was hoping for a spin off on the Brothers.

This book was thoroughly enjoyable. Liked the story and the characters in the story.

Sat Sri Akal Reader!🙏 WOW!! My reading year got off to a terrific start with this book. I had a great time reading it. Without a doubt, it was funny and had a nice sense of humour. To be quite honest, I didn't expect this book to be about real life concerns and believed it would be a collection of erotic stories written by some Punjabi widows when I picked it up. The book is set in a Sikh community in London and revolves around the life of Nikki, a daughter of Sikh Indian immigrants who has embraced western culture while attempting to distance herself from the Sikh community since childhood. Nikki, who has left her home to live her life on her own terms, lands a job teaching creative writing to Punjabi widows but ends up teaching an English Literacy class and then an erotic story telling session by these same widows. As an Indian, I could identify with this book in every way. This book not only tells the story of one community, but it also describes the mindset of the Indian community as a whole. According to me, the author only uses the setting of the Sikh/Punjabi community because it allows her to more easily relate to her own community. The issues raised by the author in the book, such as gender inequality, dishonour, and the right to choose, are still prevalent today. Despite the fact that the book is set in modern London, people's mindsets are still rooted in their customs, traditions, beliefs, taboos, superstitions, and so on. The erotic stories, on the other hand, are just the Punjabi widows erotic fantasies, not true stories from their bedrooms. According to me, the book should have been titled "Erotic stories by Punjabi widows" rather than "Erotic stories for Punjabi widows," because anyone enjoys an erotic story, don't we? Overall, a good read and a recommended book if you are looking for a good laugh, some mystery/crime, some thought provoking issues, and some sex stories because this book will not enlighten you about the Sikh/Punjabi community in London, but it will certainly give you a glimpse of it.

I love, love, loved this book! The characters were unique and real!

We had such a delightful time laughing about eggplants and all varieties of innuendo! The consensus on the book is that maybe there wasn’t a consensus. Some of us enjoyed the reading experience and found it a fun read, and appreciated the cultural insights. Some found the “throbbing” and “blooming flower” references not our cup of (chai) tea. Some felt that there needed to be more narrative and less erotica .. or more of a connection between the two, so that it didn’t feel like a string of naughty stories with a novel thrown in for good measure. All of that being said, if you strip away (drink!) the erotica, the book raised some interesting questions about the cultural response (Indian or otherwise) to female sexuality, marital choice, and power dynamics in family and romantic relationships. One of the overarching themes that I saw in the book (beyond the nipple references), was the idea that we cannot pretend to know each others’ lives based upon stereotype and assumption. If we spend the time to listen to each others’ stories (erotic or otherwise), we will find connection and humanity that we might otherwise overlook.