Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows features a kick-ass cast of strong female characters. Weak argument. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that tired stereotypes were the only reason the premise had struck me as so funny. This was a humbling realization to have straight out the gate, and it made me even more curious as to what other thought-provoking issues this book would cook up. To briefly summarize: Nikki, a Londoner of Punjabi heritage whose feminist views tend to clash with the more traditional beliefs of the Punjabi community, is hired to teach what she thinks is a creative writing class for the women at the temple.
As the class turns into a writing group for erotic stories, Nikki begins to see the widows in a whole new light. All the same, the beauty of this book lies in the emotional connection we feel with the women, in how invested we feel in the unfolding of their personal stories. But, from what I can tell, the themes explored in this book are the same ones women from all traditions have had to deal with at some point in history or another. By the end of the novel, Nikki has also come to this realization.
For me, Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was not so much about the storyline, as it was about the attachment we felt to the characters and the difficult-to-dissect themes it addressed. I love a good book discussion! Skip to content Wow.
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