Scan barcode
A review by bleadenreads
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I LOVED this so much.
It was absolutely insane & unlike anything I'd ever read, just wow.
Things I really enjoyed about this book:
☆ slight timelessness of this book - due to the rural poverty, they had limited technology and so this could have been set at any point in the last 5-40 years, which added more shock to the women's position & lack of social mobility.
☆ Geeta and Saloni's friendship - especially the pain and isolation when childhood friends drift apart, and then the strength of the two of them together.
☆ The setting - I've never read anything set in rural India before, so I learned a lot about the caste system, everyday life for women in this setting, how the different faiths co-inhabit a small village & Hindu religious festivals. You also learn a lot about the symbolism around women's jewellery...
☆ The relative freedom & happiness enjoyed by Geeta as a 'widow', compared to the lives of her married friends (hence why they want to be rid of their husbands)
I can't belive this wasn't shortlisted for the women's prize, it definitely stood on a similar level to Demon Copperhead & was better than the Marriage Portrait, and it was such a powerful (and unique) story about women vs the patriarchy.
I would love some recommendations for fiction set in India please!
Trigger warnings: This does contain graphic violence & scenes of domestic abuse.
It was absolutely insane & unlike anything I'd ever read, just wow.
Things I really enjoyed about this book:
☆ slight timelessness of this book - due to the rural poverty, they had limited technology and so this could have been set at any point in the last 5-40 years, which added more shock to the women's position & lack of social mobility.
☆ Geeta and Saloni's friendship - especially the pain and isolation when childhood friends drift apart, and then the strength of the two of them together.
☆ The setting - I've never read anything set in rural India before, so I learned a lot about the caste system, everyday life for women in this setting, how the different faiths co-inhabit a small village & Hindu religious festivals. You also learn a lot about the symbolism around women's jewellery...
☆ The relative freedom & happiness enjoyed by Geeta as a 'widow', compared to the lives of her married friends (hence why they want to be rid of their husbands)
I can't belive this wasn't shortlisted for the women's prize, it definitely stood on a similar level to Demon Copperhead & was better than the Marriage Portrait, and it was such a powerful (and unique) story about women vs the patriarchy.
I would love some recommendations for fiction set in India please!
Trigger warnings: This does contain graphic violence & scenes of domestic abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence