Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows: A Reese's Book Club Pick Hardcover – June 13, 2017

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was... Amazing. That's all I can say about it in short, because if I open my mouth to talk more, I might just never shut up about it. Despite the really scandalous sounding name, you should really, really, REALLY read this book. It's especially recommended to women. It might change your understanding of womanhood, and the same goes for community relations and traditions. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows is 2017 release that is definitely not to be missed. I find it hard to remember a book this year that touched me more.Let me get this straight. No, this book is not erotica. It's not romance. But! Yes, this book has a couple erotic stories. Yes, you might want to read it in private. However! The stories in this book are meant to look like they are written by women who can't even write or read – they come from the heart, from experience, from loneliness and the pain of the feminine condition, so to say – when a woman is not treasured, not respected. The stories are a longing to be equal, to be loved, to be ALLOWED TO FEEL PLEASURE and to express yourself on equal terms with a man. Or a woman, for that matter. So to tell you what to expect – no, you won't be reading this book for the erotic stories. The stories are a tool. However, the stories will open up a much deeper meaning of the kinds of problems women have faced for CENTURIES. And the kinds of problems women still face a lot in a lot of societies.So now that we've got the erotic stories bit out of the way, we can talk more about the plot of this book. And it's a complicated one – you can not shelve this book into any trope, plot or genre. It's complex and it will give you food for thought. Starting out whimsical and upbeat, it gives you an impression of a fun and easy read at first – but that's not all it is. It does have its dark and complicated moments, and it delves deep into the problems of a community, particularly one that is fixated on purported purity and keeping up a family's honor. Which is irreconcilable with the modern world, especially where it forces 'duties' upon the woman, without giving her any rights or respecting her choices. Perhaps the scariest part of it isn't even the women who are forced into living a life like that, but women who wholeheartedly believe in a lifestyle like this (for those who've read the book, an example would be Tarampal.) There is nothing sadder than a person from an oppressed group identifying with the oppressors and defending their cause. That is the ultimate defeat. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows will present a lot of points of view of women like this, and you won't be able to help understanding them all, even the ones like Tarampal, who have identified with their torturers.Nikki and Mindi – the modern sister and the slightly more traditional sister – show the difference between generations and traditional versus modern so well. Both Niki and Mindi seem to be slightly hyperbolized versions of those sides, and they show the clash very well. While Nikki was slightly annoying to read because she is indeed irresponsible and doesn't consider that some of the things her sister and mother do or say make, in fact, a lot of sense, you still couldn't disregard that her more modern and feminist outlooks are closer to home for most of us. And Mindi was also hard to stomach because of how she defers to traditionalism and "the woman's place" in society and family, but then again, you couldn't disregard that she is right about so many things about Nikki, and she's been there because she's older. Instead of rebelling, she just sighs and keeps going, or tries to find a more socially appropriate solution to a problem. Nikki and Mindi also show the clash between cultures, the more traditional Indian culture in the case of Mindi, and cosmopolitan or individualistic culture in Nikki – because she's younger and the Western ways have rubbed off on her much more than Mindi. Both ways of living are valid – but it illustrates very well the struggles of choosing the way that's best for you if you were born in a multicultural setting.Some very troubling and painful things happen in this book. Some of them are the kinds of things that could tear apart a whole community. You would think you're reading a fun story, but like I said, this is about very real, very serious things. But the presentation! The presentation is amazing for several reasons. First of all, everything is presented in a very discreet way – even the very personal things the women confess or feel are put so very discreetly and without judgement that it evokes respect in a natural way. Secondly, there is no judging tone – just the facts. You get to make your own observations and draw conclusions. That is a very good way to drive discussion and tell a story – you are way more invested when reading a book like that. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows the most.This is for all those foreigners like me reading a book on Punjabi culture. The cultural commentary was amazing! Obviously, I can only speak from a reader's point of view and only a Punjabi person could tell you how accurate it was – but it seems to be genuine, especially because of the author's roots. But as someone who previously had zero knowledge about the Punjabi Sikh communities, I was blown away by the cultural details. I was taught so many small, but meaningful things I could have never learned, had I not read this book. It's worth reading for that alone, if not for the tough issues it delves into!If I've painted the book in colors too dark, please forgive me – I just wanted you to have a good understanding of what this book actually is about. But there is a reason it's called a 'dark comedy' sometimes – even though those #feels might make you weep while reading this, you will also laugh a lot. It is written in an easy style, and it has a lot of whimsical things, especially regarding the stories! It's not all a heavy read. I promise you will laugh!But Beware Of The TriggersIn a story like this, obviously there are triggers. Lots of them. Violent murder, threats, social oppression, oppression of women. I am pretty sure rape is mentioned a couple of times, as is religious prosecution. And of course, there are all the erotic stories with all the... yeah. It would be hard to name everything, so just keep in mind that this is heavy topic material at times.

The daughter of Indian immigrants, Nikki (22), considers herself to be a modern woman. Hired to teach creative writing at the local Sikh community center, Nikki quickly realizes that the job posting was misleading. Almost all of her students are Punjabi widows seeking to learn to read and write. Nikki forges ahead attempting to teach them English letters but they quickly become bored. When one of her students finds a book of sexy short stories, she reads them to the class before the teacher arrives. Nikki is shocked to learn that beneath their mourning garments and traditional Punjabi lifestyles, are smart, funny, sexy women with a lifetime of experiences and vivid imaginations. and who have plenty to teach her. The class re-centers on story writing as the students develop their own sexy short stories in their heads, then tell them to their classmates.Before long the stories are being shared among the community. Inspired by such, long married couples are once again experiencing more fulfilling marriages. Women, men (and, to her surprise, even Nikki) are learning to speak up and speak out for themselves. But fear of the “Brotherhood” is never far away as these young men act as a self-appointed morality police. But is what they’re doing immoral? Or, is it helping the community?The story is a wonderful opportunity to learn that across cultures, age groups and marital status, there is plenty for each of us to learn about the other. With a murder mystery and some jealousy and a touch of erotica thrown in this book is a fun read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NOTE: Available on Kindle Unlimited

Bali Kaur Jaswal’ s Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows is mostly what it says it is. Which is to say this is not for the youngsters. The Erotic stories, and there are a few, are titillating but not particularly explicit. If you do not like reading about mostly conventional fantasies, the title of the book should be sufficient warning.Ms. Jaswal has attempted a number of story lines. In no particular order:A young woman seeking to balance between her culture, her traditional family and her modern ideas.Eastern, specifically Punjabi culture meets Western, specifically British.The suppression of women, specifically older, women in the Punjabi culture.These same women finding an outlet or at least an expression for their sexualityOne or more mysterious deaths.And these are only the major story lines. Something of a crowded field for a 298 page novel.Initially I had expected a fairly balances discussion of traditional values versus modern values, but every chapter or so a new story line opened. This creates a lot to think about but not so much in the way of answers.The erotic stories are scattered about and are the result of the Punjabi Widows hijacking an English Language course that was to be taught by Nikki, a modern Punjabi woman, law school dropout seeking her purpose while maintain her links to her mother and dealing with the recent death of her father, who may have died angry with Nikki and coming to terms with the traditions of her culture and looking for Mr. Right. Like I said a lot of story lines. O I forgot there are at least one suspicious death; actually two.To her credit, Ms Jaswal does a good job describing Punjabi culture, its overly male orientation and the problems of living in or nearly in this community. I like a book that take the reader into a world previously unknown but from reality. Erotic Stories succeeds at this. Despite the overall shallow handling of the deeper themes in her novel, when the time comes to bring the threads together and bring about the climax (pun not exactly intended) she builds the tension and keeps the reader engaged and eager for the finish.The denouement arrives in the form of several chapters, each designed to tie up all loose ends. With this many story lines, there are going to be loose ends. In this, a better editor would have guided the author to a shorter simpler wind up.

I loved this book. The characters were likeable and relatable and the storyline was interesting and entertaining. The book was well written and really enjoyable. I was not expecting the mystery twist but loved it. Definitely worth reading.

I absolutely love it. It’s fun, different and refreshing. It’s so rare for me to feel like I’m reading a story for the first time, and this one had it! A lovely read for anyone.

This book took me out of my reader's block... The idea of the book contains a perfect presentation of every emotion. It will evolve your thought process as the characters and the story does . It is a must read , an amazing pick !!!!

Rich novel with round characters, a mystery and really fun narrative. It put a smile in my face while reading.

Bastante aburrido, no es ni suspenso ni relevante el tema de las historias eroticas. Me decepciono. No lo recomiendo a