September Book Club

Thank you for my copy. I enjoyed the book on the whole but disliked both the title and the erotic stories, which just aren't my thing and aren't really what I imagine most Punjabi widows would be so fixated on. The insights into the Sikh way of life in London were interesting, and there was both humour and pathos in the storytelling. If the author is taking questions, I'd like to ask why she chose Southall as the setting for the book.

I struggled to finish this book. I made the comment earlier that it lacked subtlety. Many women have sexual fantasies, but without a degree of subtlety, they quickly lose their eroticism. The theme of the repressive world of widowhood and arranged marriages was really interesting and the idea of exploring it through the widows’ erotic reminiscences could have worked better if it had been approached in a less juvenile fashion. They very soon became irrelevances and I found myself skipping over them to try and find the meat of what was, for the most part, a decent story.
There is a better book in there somewhere. I would like to ask the author whether, if she wrote it again, she would approach it any differently.

Just received my book (September bookclub) this morning - the last day of October! So I apologise, but my comments may be rather late! Thanks for sending it anyway.

There was an additional novel in my parcel this morning - 'She's Not There' by Tamsin Grey. Anyone else get this? Is it another bookclub novel, or just a freebie as compensation for the Sept book being 2 months late?

Not really my thing at the end of the day. I did think that perhaps the title was just a hook, but I didn't find the stories particularly enthralling. Interesting glimpse into other cultures though.

Finished reading the novel today - a week after receiving it, 2 months late! Whilst I found the insight into the Punjabi culture interesting, especially the patriarchal views on women, arranged marriages, careers for women, widowhood etc, but found the 'stories' a little distasteful - 50 shades of grey meets Bollywood type of thing. Some of the characters were convincingly created, but there were too many characters who were similar (perhaps this was the intention with the widows resembling an amorphous group at times). Similarly, the plot needed to be worked on a little more to make it convincing. On the whole I thought it was quite well written, but a few drafts short of what I would consider to be a 'good' novel.

Grannyjacq1 - you are correct in your assumption that a few of us received 'She's Not There' along with the September book club book as our copies were sent so late!
The title 'erotic stories etc' is an appropriate title for the contents within. I found they took up too much of the story. The claustrophobia of the community the women lived in and their culture was of more interest, as was the underlining mystery of Maya and the fear her mother experienced. The main characters were well developed but their stories too weak and over lengthy. Also a short glossary would have been useful instead of needing to resort to the internet. Mine was a copy for further editing so hopefully the story will be greatly reduced in length including the overuse of the erotic stories.

After a long wait, I received the book.
I did enjoy reading it because it was something so far from what I would have chosen for myself. I learned a few things ..NO, not THOSE things you naughty Gransnetters, but it's always good to read about a different culture and actually I think the author was quite brave to write in such a way when she probably risked scorn from her own community as such, or maybe even her family.
I think the author showed that women are much the same the world over and I tell you what WAS nice, that these aging women shocked the younger ones of their community, proving that once you get past fifty, you do still have a beating heart and a past just like anyone else, I'd like to ask the author if this is what she set out to prove?
An unusual book, and I enjoyed it. ..Not sure it's one for reading on public transport though !!