4.0
The Bandit Queens
By Parini ShroffPublisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • A young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful—until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands—in this razor-sharp debut.
"A radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Shondaland, She Reads, CrimeReads
Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die.
It turns out that being known as a “self-made” widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for business; no one dares to not buy her jewelry.
Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her “expertise,” making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal.
And not all of them are asking nicely.
With Geeta’s dangerous reputation becoming a double-edged sword, she has to find a way to protect the life she’s built—but even the best-laid plans of would-be widows tend to go awry. What happens next sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything, not just for Geeta, but for all the women in their village.
Filled with clever criminals, second chances, and wry and witty women, Parini Shroff’s The Bandit Queens is a razor-sharp debut of humor and heart that readers won’t soon forget.
"A radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Shondaland, She Reads, CrimeReads
Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die.
It turns out that being known as a “self-made” widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for business; no one dares to not buy her jewelry.
Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her “expertise,” making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal.
And not all of them are asking nicely.
With Geeta’s dangerous reputation becoming a double-edged sword, she has to find a way to protect the life she’s built—but even the best-laid plans of would-be widows tend to go awry. What happens next sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything, not just for Geeta, but for all the women in their village.
Filled with clever criminals, second chances, and wry and witty women, Parini Shroff’s The Bandit Queens is a razor-sharp debut of humor and heart that readers won’t soon forget.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities819 Reviews
4.0
Mia H
Created about 18 hours agoShare
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Funny writingUnpredictableRealistic settingComicalDark
moonbloomandgrow
Created about 20 hours agoShare
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“This was my book club’s pick for August and I honestly don’t think I’d have stuck it out and read it all if it wasn’t. Unfortunately I struggled to get into this book and found myself googling vocabulary and cultural references too much to fully feel like I could get stuck in. I did enjoy the camaraderie that eventually grows between the women of the village and admired their strength and quick wit but the dark humour was a little bit hard for me to take given then amount of abuse and trauma the book delves into. It’s definitely one that I wish I’d read the trigger warnings for before reading but it was eye-opening to learn about how things are in remote villages such as the one featured in this book.”
Diverse charactersDarkAbuseAnimal abuseRacismSexual assaultViolence
Kayla D
Created 4 days agoShare
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“This is a nice story about the power of female friendship and empowerment. There wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with it just not my favorite but a pleasant enough listen.”
Multi-layered charactersEasy to readFunny writingRealistic settingMisogynySexual assaultPredictable
Bettie
Created 5 days agoShare
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Believable charactersCharacters change and growEasy to read
Tara Kuenzer
Created 7 days agoShare
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AbuseMisogynySexual assaultViolence
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