Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows: Balli Kaur Jaswal

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Rating: 4.5/5

When I started reading, I thought Erotic Stories was going to be a light hearted story about a young girl finding her own footing in love and life in London. This book was so much more than that. Erotic Stories presented a glimpse into the Pubjabi community in Southall, London through the women who form the backbone of it. A twist on the classic immigrant story, Erotic Stories showed the joy of finding a home in a new country while simultaneously exposing the risks of clinging too hard to tradition.

“Fiery-eyed and indignant, they would pen their stories for the whole world to read.”

Because this novel was a Reese’s Book Club pick, I knew it would feature at least one strong female heroine. Luckily for me, it feature many. First there is Nikki, the independent 22-year old who has bucked tradition, dropped out of school, and moved into a flat above the pub where she works. Nikki struggles with finding the balance of tradition and family in her new life, but the Southall widows are here to help her. A rowdy crew, the Southall widows are like the wonderful aunts that everyone needs – and they too are bucking tradition in their own way. Let me just say this, I will never look at ghee or an eggplant the same way again! And then there are the women who we hear about only in the past tense, those who have been lost to the extreme pull of supposed honor.

“I saw it a few years ago in a bookshop but didn’t buy it.’ ‘I hate it when that happens. Book regret. You come across something and think, I don’t want that, and later, you’re obsessed with getting it and it’s no longer available.”

I highly recommend picking up this book, and not putting it down until you are done! 4.5 stars only because I felt the ending (SPOILER ALERT) in which Nikki picks back up her law books in order to fight the good fight against injustice felt a bit forced.