I am not exaggerating when I say I literally never win anything. Like at this point in my life, it’s pretty much expected that when I enter any kind of giveaway or raffle, I’m going home empty handed.
I’m not sure why I continuously do this to myself. It’s the definition of insanity.
But Goodreads did your girl a solid, and I FINALLY GOT AN ADVANCED READER’S COPY OF A BOOK I REALLY, REALLY WANTED!!! Yaaas queens, persistence pays off. #blessed
After reading Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal, I was absolutely itching for The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters to come out. In her first book, Jaswal meshed the traditional values of Indian families with the modern issues facing the younger generation. It was a sexy, yet thought provoking read that I highly recommend. You can find my full review here.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters shares the perspectives of three women as they embark on a spiritual trek through India together, at the request of their recently deceased mother. For each of them, this task could not come at a worse time.
Rajni, the oldest sister, is dealing with some concerning matters regarding her son and his alarmingly mature girlfriend. Wrestling with past guilt and the desire for her family to be secure, Rajni is hesitant to spend this time bonding with sisters she feels so distant from.
Jezmeen, the middle sister, is a struggling actress enduring some less than ideal public scrutiny at the moment. While striving to save face and cement her reputation as a serious show business contender, Jezmeen has no inclination to schlep her way through India with her killjoy siblings in tow.
Shirina, the youngest and most tentative of the sisters, is grappling to please her new in-laws as she establishes her home base in Australia. While trying to keep her new family’s concerns away from Rajni and Jezmeen’s notice, Shirina harbors a secret she’s desperate to withhold, no matter the consequences.
Before passing, their mother created a guide of sorts for how the women are to go about exploring India’s offerings; From feeding the homeless to visiting the holiest of landmarks, ending their trip with releasing their mother’s ashes into the Indian landscape.
Suffice it to say, things go awry in every possible way. The sisters find themselves in less than ideal circumstances on more than one occasion. The trip that’s supposed to bond them closer than ever is threatening to tear them completely apart. And more than one family secret threatens to be revealed…
One big reason I love Jaswal’s content is, though she has quirky family drama in her novels, a big part of what brings her characters together is the oppressive political and cultural narratives that dictate Indian women’s lives.
In her first book, it was the sexual oppression forced upon women expected to practice “traditional Indian values.” She challenged the normality of misogyny and shamefulness forced upon women for even daring to have a passionate thought or feeling. This first book had a similar message to others I’ve read in the past, such as A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum(another book I 100% recommend; you can find my mini review of it in this post); however, there’s a playfulness shown in the characters through their writing of erotica, which offsets the seriousness nicely.
In her second book, Jaswal continues to address the issue of female oppression. She highlights the pressures of entering a traditional Indian family through marriage and the outdated expectation of mothers to bear sons rather than daughters.
I can honestly say, if there’s anything that pisses me off more than this archaic notion of women holding no value, I haven’t found it yet. Seriously, WOMEN ARE THE REASON MANKIND CONTINUES TO THRIVE, JACKWADS. *deep breath*
Jaswal shares a dialogue where two characters talk about how in smaller Indian villages, brothers will share the sexual offering of a wife, as the ratio of females to males can be 1:5.
If you harbor similar misgivings about this kind of patriarchal bull crap, you’ll be happy to know that this book kicks chauvinism in the metaphorical balls.
Yet another great, inspiring, girl power vibes all over the place, read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am SO THANKFUL to Goodreads for blessing me with a copy. You’re the real MVP here, GR. This book will be officially released on April 30, 2019. Make sure you grab it!
And if you haven’t checked out Jaswal’s first book, you can find the link here:
Happy & healthy reading!
Alexis
