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The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
The author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows follows her acclaimed America debut with this life-affirming, witty family drama—an Indian This Is Where I Leave You—about three Punjabi sisters embarking on a pilgrimage to their homeland to lay their mother to rest.
The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. Rajni, a school principal is a stickler for order. Jezmeen, a thirty-year-old struggling actress, fears her big break may never come. Shirina, the peacemaking "good" sister married into wealth and enjoys a picture-perfect life.
On her deathbed, their mother voices one last wish: that her daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites. After a trip to India with her mother long ago, Rajni vowed never to return. But she’s always been a dutiful daughter, and cannot, even now, refuse her mother’s request. Jezmeen has just been publicly fired from her television job, so the trip to India is a welcome break to help her pick up the pieces of her broken career. Shirina’s in-laws are pushing her to make a pivotal decision about her married life; time away will help her decide whether to meekly obey, or to bravely stand up for herself for the first time.
Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives—and learn the real story behind the trip Rajni took with their Mother long ago—a momentous journey that resulted in Mum never being able to return to India again.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a female take on the Indian travel narrative. "I was curious about how different the trip would be if it were undertaken by women, who are vulnerable to different dangers in a male-dominated society," Balli Kaur Jaswal writes. "I also wanted to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity in immigrant communities, and particularly how those tensions play out among women like these sisters, who are the first generation to be raised outside of India."
Powerful, emotionally evocative, and wonderfully atmospheric, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a charming and thoughtful story that illuminates the bonds of family, sisterhood, and heritage that tether us despite our differences. Funny and heartbreaking, it is a reminder of the truly important things we must treasure in our lives.
The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. Rajni, a school principal is a stickler for order. Jezmeen, a thirty-year-old struggling actress, fears her big break may never come. Shirina, the peacemaking "good" sister married into wealth and enjoys a picture-perfect life.
On her deathbed, their mother voices one last wish: that her daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites. After a trip to India with her mother long ago, Rajni vowed never to return. But she’s always been a dutiful daughter, and cannot, even now, refuse her mother’s request. Jezmeen has just been publicly fired from her television job, so the trip to India is a welcome break to help her pick up the pieces of her broken career. Shirina’s in-laws are pushing her to make a pivotal decision about her married life; time away will help her decide whether to meekly obey, or to bravely stand up for herself for the first time.
Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives—and learn the real story behind the trip Rajni took with their Mother long ago—a momentous journey that resulted in Mum never being able to return to India again.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a female take on the Indian travel narrative. "I was curious about how different the trip would be if it were undertaken by women, who are vulnerable to different dangers in a male-dominated society," Balli Kaur Jaswal writes. "I also wanted to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity in immigrant communities, and particularly how those tensions play out among women like these sisters, who are the first generation to be raised outside of India."
Powerful, emotionally evocative, and wonderfully atmospheric, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a charming and thoughtful story that illuminates the bonds of family, sisterhood, and heritage that tether us despite our differences. Funny and heartbreaking, it is a reminder of the truly important things we must treasure in our lives.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2019
About the author
Balli Kaur Jaswal
17 books2,365 followersBalli Kaur Jaswal's latest novel is The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters (Harper Collins/William Morrow). Her previous novels include Inheritance, which won the Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Young Australian Novelist Award, and Sugarbread, a finalist for the Epigram Books Fiction Prize and the Singapore Literature Prize. Her third novel Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was translated into 15 languages and chosen by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine book club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,920 reviews
October 9, 2020
Five amazing sisterhood of the traveling in saris stars ! Nameste! I found a real gem! A sweet, inspirational, heartwarming book !
I loved this kind of book no matter what’s your gender, nationality, religion, culture, race you have, it embraces you tightly and make you feel deeply for the characters! It doesn’t only serve to your mind, it does also feed your soul and empower your spirit.
Three sisters with different perspectives, life choices and characteristic qualities who barely stand each other take a pilgrimage trip to India for ensuring the final wishes of their mother. It seems like the mother’s bucket list has a crucial purpose to bring the sisters back together and solve their past time regrets and issues with each other.
Rajni, eldest sister, married, has 18 years old son and soon to be grandmother, authoritative, doubtful, withdrawn, still has hurt feelings for her sister Jezmeen.
Jezmeen, unsuccessful actress suffering from social media attacks because of a viral video which probably ends her short time carrier, lively, stubborn, single,straightforward and most vivid character of the sisters.
And Shirina, polite, negotiator, sweet talker, good hearted, sweet girl who made arranged internet marriage and suffers from mother-in law’s hostile attitudes, has a big secret that she keeps from her sisters.
I loved their journey, revelation process of the secrets they kept about themselves and the way they start to know each other without judgements and releasing their resentments.
It’s an amazing book makes me wanna have a journey to India for seeing all the sacred places.
The story is about family, sisterhood, love, acceptance, forgiveness but it’s also about finding yourself by accepting who you are and healing your wounds by making peace with your past!
I loved this kind of book no matter what’s your gender, nationality, religion, culture, race you have, it embraces you tightly and make you feel deeply for the characters! It doesn’t only serve to your mind, it does also feed your soul and empower your spirit.
Three sisters with different perspectives, life choices and characteristic qualities who barely stand each other take a pilgrimage trip to India for ensuring the final wishes of their mother. It seems like the mother’s bucket list has a crucial purpose to bring the sisters back together and solve their past time regrets and issues with each other.
Rajni, eldest sister, married, has 18 years old son and soon to be grandmother, authoritative, doubtful, withdrawn, still has hurt feelings for her sister Jezmeen.
Jezmeen, unsuccessful actress suffering from social media attacks because of a viral video which probably ends her short time carrier, lively, stubborn, single,straightforward and most vivid character of the sisters.
And Shirina, polite, negotiator, sweet talker, good hearted, sweet girl who made arranged internet marriage and suffers from mother-in law’s hostile attitudes, has a big secret that she keeps from her sisters.
I loved their journey, revelation process of the secrets they kept about themselves and the way they start to know each other without judgements and releasing their resentments.
It’s an amazing book makes me wanna have a journey to India for seeing all the sacred places.
The story is about family, sisterhood, love, acceptance, forgiveness but it’s also about finding yourself by accepting who you are and healing your wounds by making peace with your past!
May 4, 2019
"I also want you to experience the familiararity of our ancestrial state. You girls are British, yes. But all the generations of our family before you lived in India. It is in your blood. The language, the food, the way things are. These things are not erased just because you grew up elsewhere."Sisters: Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina have been tasked with completing a week pilgrimage to India on behalf of their mother who deeply wanted to go when she was alive. Their mother organized a list of places for them to visit as she suspected the experience would enrich them in a variety of ways. Little did she know just how life-changing this would be for her very lost daughters. True to most books about sisters, they find themselves and each other in the process.
I so enjoyed The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters. I loved watching these three women navigate their family's country as first-time visitors. This created a fascinating element where the sisters could confront negative cultural expectations while simultaneously understand how a male-dominated environment might have impacted their mother and the other women in their family. Oh, insight. How lovely thou art.
Themes related to family, tradition, gender inequality, and taking control of one's life created an interesting and engaging reading experience that is just as humorous as it is heartwarming. I hope you have a chance to read it. Check it out!
My favorite quote:
“A sunrise is something that you shouldn’t take for granted. Stand still and watch a new day beginning. Think of all the new days you have left, and reflect on how you will choose to spend them.”
May 8, 2019
beautifully told this story was bursting with culture, family dynamics, and love!
Balli Kuar Jaswal completely captivated me with this engaging story about these three dynamic sisters. I felt as though I was wisked away to India along with the Shergill Sisters. Jaswal’s writing is so descriptive, she made the characters and the setting pop off the pages. Seriously when I was done with this book I felt as though I knew these characters and had been on this pilgrimage with them. Some books you read, some books you experience, this book was the latter.
Sisters Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina are not terribly close, in fact they don’t necessarily like one another. BUT it is their mother’s dying wish that they take a pilgrimage to India together. The sisters are all hesitant, they each have things going on in their own lives, but how can they deny their mother her dying wish? What transpires is a remarkable journey of self discovery, sisterly bonding, and forgiveness. These sisters started off this journey as complete strangers and ended it with an unbreakable bond. The book really brought home the fact that in order for people to truly understand you, you need to let them see who you truly are.
This book really took me on an emotional journey I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I got frustrated. I found the sister so real and so relatable, I could see a little piece of me in each of them. The cultural aspects of this book were so interesting. The clash between traditional and modern viewpoints appears tricky to navigate. India seems to be a country rich in culture and I’d imagine this would be both rewarding and difficult for people of Indian dissent living outside the country. Simply put this was a beautiful story about remarkable women that should not be missed!
🎧🎧🎧 this was such an engaging and enriching audio experience!Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta really brought these characters to life. I think they especially gave a voice to the mother that really added an extra layer to the story. Not to mention they could pronounce all the names and locations that I would have struggled with.
*** thank you so much to William Morrow and Harper Audio for my copy of this book ***
Balli Kuar Jaswal completely captivated me with this engaging story about these three dynamic sisters. I felt as though I was wisked away to India along with the Shergill Sisters. Jaswal’s writing is so descriptive, she made the characters and the setting pop off the pages. Seriously when I was done with this book I felt as though I knew these characters and had been on this pilgrimage with them. Some books you read, some books you experience, this book was the latter.
Sisters Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina are not terribly close, in fact they don’t necessarily like one another. BUT it is their mother’s dying wish that they take a pilgrimage to India together. The sisters are all hesitant, they each have things going on in their own lives, but how can they deny their mother her dying wish? What transpires is a remarkable journey of self discovery, sisterly bonding, and forgiveness. These sisters started off this journey as complete strangers and ended it with an unbreakable bond. The book really brought home the fact that in order for people to truly understand you, you need to let them see who you truly are.
This book really took me on an emotional journey I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I got frustrated. I found the sister so real and so relatable, I could see a little piece of me in each of them. The cultural aspects of this book were so interesting. The clash between traditional and modern viewpoints appears tricky to navigate. India seems to be a country rich in culture and I’d imagine this would be both rewarding and difficult for people of Indian dissent living outside the country. Simply put this was a beautiful story about remarkable women that should not be missed!
🎧🎧🎧 this was such an engaging and enriching audio experience!Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta really brought these characters to life. I think they especially gave a voice to the mother that really added an extra layer to the story. Not to mention they could pronounce all the names and locations that I would have struggled with.
*** thank you so much to William Morrow and Harper Audio for my copy of this book ***
Read
May 22, 2019Gotta DNF this one. It's just boring. I'm a number of hours into it and it's just a lot of petty squabbling with the sisters. I just don't care to read anymore (or listen). I loved this authors last book, but this one isn't for me. And sticking to my rule....don't read books you have no interest in anymore.
Read
April 7, 2021Three British Sikh sisters (age gaps, personality clashes) go on a pilgrimage to India to fulfil their mother's last wish. On the way secrets are revealed, suppressed anger comes out, and they end up finding one another as sisters: that's as one might expect, but this kind of thing is all in the voice and the characters, and I enjoyed it enormously. The sisters are flawed people with serious problems, including alcohol and abuse, plus facing a heavily patriarchal culture and misogynistic world that is seriously threatening, British racism, and much else.
It's tricky to combine heavy issues with comedy, but I thought this mostly worked very well. In particular there's a farcical misunderstanding at an incredibly tense and important moment that's pulled off with startling panache. Terrific writing and characterisation make this immensely readable even when the sisters aren't very likeable. Possibly a little bit too much wish fulfilment at the ending but it's hard not to feel that we've earned it. Thoroughly engaging stuff.
It's tricky to combine heavy issues with comedy, but I thought this mostly worked very well. In particular there's a farcical misunderstanding at an incredibly tense and important moment that's pulled off with startling panache. Terrific writing and characterisation make this immensely readable even when the sisters aren't very likeable. Possibly a little bit too much wish fulfilment at the ending but it's hard not to feel that we've earned it. Thoroughly engaging stuff.
May 12, 2020
I loved a previous novel by this author so I knew I wanted to read this one for sure! Plus, I absolutely love the cover and the title. The three Shergill sisters were never very close and are polar opposites (they remind me a lot of me and my sister). However, they come together to fulfill their Mother's last wish before she passes away by returning to India to carry out her final rites.
I did enjoy the multiple POVs from each of the sisters. They are all very well developed characters with their own problems and the Author does a great job of showing complex family dynamics. I learned things about India I didn't really know about and enjoyed the setting of the story very much. I kind of considered this a semi light read, but balanced out with hard hitting issues. It started off good, then just turned slow for me and seemed a lot longer than it actually was. I did enjoy the last 20 percent or so of the book much better!
Side Note: It's done very well as an Audio Book!
I did enjoy the multiple POVs from each of the sisters. They are all very well developed characters with their own problems and the Author does a great job of showing complex family dynamics. I learned things about India I didn't really know about and enjoyed the setting of the story very much. I kind of considered this a semi light read, but balanced out with hard hitting issues. It started off good, then just turned slow for me and seemed a lot longer than it actually was. I did enjoy the last 20 percent or so of the book much better!
Side Note: It's done very well as an Audio Book!
August 28, 2021
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An absorbing start gives way to an increasingly frustrating reiteration of the same arguments which provided little character development.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters started well enough. We are introduced to three sisters who are leading different lives and are not particularly close to one another. There is the serious older sister Rajni (married and with an eighteen year old son), the loud middle sister (whose career as an actress is having more downs than ups), and Shirina the youngest and most subdued of the sisters (who currently lives with her husband and his husband in Australia). The three embark on a pilgrimage-of-sorts after their mother's death (who in her last letter to them lists the places they should visit during their journey).
The unfriendly dynamics between the sisters are apparent from before they reach India. Resentment, jealousy, and misunderstandings abound. All three sisters happen to have a big secret that they are keeping from the others and from the narrators...however obvious this secret was the narrative would only allude to it in an attempt to create some sort of mystery (which ultimately failed as it built 0 suspense ).
In spite of the tile and front cover (which is lovely) the story delves into serious topics such abortion, sexism, and abuse. The India portrayed by Jaswal is beautiful but dangerous. For instance, although Delhi is a city that bustles with energy and holds many attractions, it is also full of leering men who can quite readily resort to violence. Yet, Jaswal does not let her depiction of India be submerged by darkness and there are instances in which the sisters are assisted and helped by the locals.
Sadly, the sisters frustrated me to no end. They thought the same thoughts throughout the majority of their travels (ex: I can't tell them; they don't know how it is; she is careless, she is mean, yadda yadda). Their arguments were tiring and repetitive, which although is realistic, it also made a lot of scenes somewhat redundant as they added little to the characters or their relationships. The sisters were also somewhat stereotypes of certain personalities which never bodes well...
The moments of humour were occasionally jarring or forced. For instance, the characters walk into a laser eye surgery instead of an clinic. A lot of the jokes stemmed from misunderstandings which made for many unnecessarily goofy scenes. These oddly contrived moments of humour undermined the serious tone of the story. Some of the characters seemed cartoonish (the evil mother-in-law, the spineless husband, the you-don't-understand 18 year old). And I was vaguely annoyed by the implications that all the sisters are better off by being more 'chilled' (for example being okay that your son is marrying a woman 18 years older than him when he himself has just become a 'legal' adult...).
The story had few adventures, and the pacing felt rather slow, lagging especially in the middle part. A lot of the things that happen seemed predictable (and avoidable), and soon I grew tired of the sisters.
Still, I might try Jaswal's future works...
An absorbing start gives way to an increasingly frustrating reiteration of the same arguments which provided little character development.
“Grief came to her like a series of aftershocks—every time she thought she had moved on, something new reminded her of Mum.”
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters started well enough. We are introduced to three sisters who are leading different lives and are not particularly close to one another. There is the serious older sister Rajni (married and with an eighteen year old son), the loud middle sister (whose career as an actress is having more downs than ups), and Shirina the youngest and most subdued of the sisters (who currently lives with her husband and his husband in Australia). The three embark on a pilgrimage-of-sorts after their mother's death (who in her last letter to them lists the places they should visit during their journey).
The unfriendly dynamics between the sisters are apparent from before they reach India. Resentment, jealousy, and misunderstandings abound. All three sisters happen to have a big secret that they are keeping from the others and from the narrators...however obvious this secret was the narrative would only allude to it in an attempt to create some sort of mystery (which ultimately failed as it built 0 suspense ).
In spite of the tile and front cover (which is lovely) the story delves into serious topics such abortion, sexism, and abuse. The India portrayed by Jaswal is beautiful but dangerous. For instance, although Delhi is a city that bustles with energy and holds many attractions, it is also full of leering men who can quite readily resort to violence. Yet, Jaswal does not let her depiction of India be submerged by darkness and there are instances in which the sisters are assisted and helped by the locals.
Sadly, the sisters frustrated me to no end. They thought the same thoughts throughout the majority of their travels (ex: I can't tell them; they don't know how it is; she is careless, she is mean, yadda yadda). Their arguments were tiring and repetitive, which although is realistic, it also made a lot of scenes somewhat redundant as they added little to the characters or their relationships. The sisters were also somewhat stereotypes of certain personalities which never bodes well...
The moments of humour were occasionally jarring or forced. For instance, the characters walk into a laser eye surgery instead of an clinic. A lot of the jokes stemmed from misunderstandings which made for many unnecessarily goofy scenes. These oddly contrived moments of humour undermined the serious tone of the story. Some of the characters seemed cartoonish (the evil mother-in-law, the spineless husband, the you-don't-understand 18 year old). And I was vaguely annoyed by the implications that all the sisters are better off by being more 'chilled' (for example being okay that your son is marrying a woman 18 years older than him when he himself has just become a 'legal' adult...).
The story had few adventures, and the pacing felt rather slow, lagging especially in the middle part. A lot of the things that happen seemed predictable (and avoidable), and soon I grew tired of the sisters.
Still, I might try Jaswal's future works...
October 18, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Here's the story of a lovely lady. Who was bringing up three very lovely girls . . . .
Sadly, said mother is on her deathbed and this story focuses on her final wish – for her three daughters to make a pilgrimage to India with her ashes. A strict itinerary is to be followed and it matters not that Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina have little in common – they are to follow orders. Which they do . . . sorta . . . . while dealing with their own personal issues. Rajni must come to terms with how to deal with her son’s much older (and now pregnant) girlfriend. Jezmeen must deal with the aftermath of a tantrum going viral and potentially ruining her chance at becoming a star. And Shirina? Her story is the one that will make you have the feels.
A backdrop like this . . . . .
Full of culture and heritage made this author two for two for me. There’s something about sibling stories that really resonates with me and I’m all about books that tackle not only secrets from the past, but also crises in the present and offer hope for the future as the characters remember . . . .
Combine that with a driver called . . . . .
And that’s the recipe for an auto-request for any future releases.
Here's the story of a lovely lady. Who was bringing up three very lovely girls . . . .
Sadly, said mother is on her deathbed and this story focuses on her final wish – for her three daughters to make a pilgrimage to India with her ashes. A strict itinerary is to be followed and it matters not that Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina have little in common – they are to follow orders. Which they do . . . sorta . . . . while dealing with their own personal issues. Rajni must come to terms with how to deal with her son’s much older (and now pregnant) girlfriend. Jezmeen must deal with the aftermath of a tantrum going viral and potentially ruining her chance at becoming a star. And Shirina? Her story is the one that will make you have the feels.
A backdrop like this . . . . .
Full of culture and heritage made this author two for two for me. There’s something about sibling stories that really resonates with me and I’m all about books that tackle not only secrets from the past, but also crises in the present and offer hope for the future as the characters remember . . . .
Combine that with a driver called . . . . .
And that’s the recipe for an auto-request for any future releases.
May 25, 2019
Loved it. Rating : 4.5 stars
I expected something along the lines of Erotic stories for Punjabi widows. But this was gold. It captures the not-so-close sisters who are on a pilgrimage to fulfill their mother's death bed wish.
The scenes of the British sisters adapting to the land of their parents had both hilarious and thoughtful moments. Old grudges and secrets surface and there are talks about sex, wife swapping Punjabi couples, young man-older woman trope, detective trailing of prospective brides, tradition vs modernity, activism, breaking through the entertainment industry, viral videos, 'lassi' and other Indian drinks masqueraded as exotic stuff (and described so in over-adorned language) in menus and more.
Books set in India as these are so important. It is refreshing from the forceful sympathy trope and romanticization of poverty that so many writers write about.
I expected something along the lines of Erotic stories for Punjabi widows. But this was gold. It captures the not-so-close sisters who are on a pilgrimage to fulfill their mother's death bed wish.
The scenes of the British sisters adapting to the land of their parents had both hilarious and thoughtful moments. Old grudges and secrets surface and there are talks about sex, wife swapping Punjabi couples, young man-older woman trope, detective trailing of prospective brides, tradition vs modernity, activism, breaking through the entertainment industry, viral videos, 'lassi' and other Indian drinks masqueraded as exotic stuff (and described so in over-adorned language) in menus and more.
Books set in India as these are so important. It is refreshing from the forceful sympathy trope and romanticization of poverty that so many writers write about.
July 31, 2019
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is the fourth novel by Singapore-born author, Balli Kaur Jaswal. Not long before she died in November, Sita Kaur Shergill set out her wishes for the pilgrimage her daughters were to make to India in her name: a mix of tourism, sentimental and spiritual destinations and activities. Eight months later, Bajni, Jezmeen and Shirina arrive in Delhi.
None of them really wants to be there. Rajni, the eldest (and therefore, most responsible) would much rather be at home dealing with the bombshell her eighteen-year-old son dropped just before she departed. A woman twice his age is bad enough but the prospect of being a grandmother at 43 doesn't bear thinking about. Being in India, meanwhile, brings back the awful memories of the trip she made with her mother shortly after her father died.
Jezmeen is glued to her phone watching her career as a TV host self-destructing over an unfortunate YouTube clip of her restaurant meltdown.
Shirina’s marriage is not turning out to be the idyll she had envisaged. Sehar is wonderful, but being a daughter-in-law is proving challenging. She is finding that acquiescence to the family’s wishes turns out to mean no social life and no job. And now, Shirina is dreading the difficult duty the family requires of her while she is in India.
The sisters have not been the sort to get along with each other for many years (if ever, in Rajni’s case, being so much older). They even came to blows over the circumstances of Sita’s death. So they haven't shared thoughts, secrets or fears like some sisters might have, when some support and understanding could have eased their worries to some degree.
Travelling like this in India “’It’s hardly a break,’ Jezmeen reminded her. ‘We’ve got this itinerary to follow and we’re sequestered in the hotel most evenings because it’s not exactly the friendliest environment for female travellers.’”
As the sisters (mostly) follow Sita’s wishes (Rajni feels her sisters are not taking this as seriously as they should), with the pilgrimage taking them on to Amritsar, not everything goes according to Sita’s carefully laid out plan: one of them is arrested, and later two of them find themselves on a mercy dash across the country in a car daringly chauffeured by a man who insists his name is Tom Hanks.
Sita hated to see the discord amongst her three very different daughters: would her gamble to bring them together on this pilgrimage to their roots pay off? “They had all done their part by coming on this trip, this pilgrimage they did not want to take, and what did it achieve? Arguments, ugly memories and none of the healing that Mum had wanted for them.”
While being of Indian extraction might enhance the enjoyment of this novel, it really is not necessary and if some of the issues raised apply more to that racial group, giving them a wider audience is important. But if Jaswal draws attention to confronting topics like female feticide and rape culture, her characters are easily relatable and she manages to include plenty of humour. This is a thought-provoking and moving read.
None of them really wants to be there. Rajni, the eldest (and therefore, most responsible) would much rather be at home dealing with the bombshell her eighteen-year-old son dropped just before she departed. A woman twice his age is bad enough but the prospect of being a grandmother at 43 doesn't bear thinking about. Being in India, meanwhile, brings back the awful memories of the trip she made with her mother shortly after her father died.
Jezmeen is glued to her phone watching her career as a TV host self-destructing over an unfortunate YouTube clip of her restaurant meltdown.
Shirina’s marriage is not turning out to be the idyll she had envisaged. Sehar is wonderful, but being a daughter-in-law is proving challenging. She is finding that acquiescence to the family’s wishes turns out to mean no social life and no job. And now, Shirina is dreading the difficult duty the family requires of her while she is in India.
The sisters have not been the sort to get along with each other for many years (if ever, in Rajni’s case, being so much older). They even came to blows over the circumstances of Sita’s death. So they haven't shared thoughts, secrets or fears like some sisters might have, when some support and understanding could have eased their worries to some degree.
Travelling like this in India “’It’s hardly a break,’ Jezmeen reminded her. ‘We’ve got this itinerary to follow and we’re sequestered in the hotel most evenings because it’s not exactly the friendliest environment for female travellers.’”
As the sisters (mostly) follow Sita’s wishes (Rajni feels her sisters are not taking this as seriously as they should), with the pilgrimage taking them on to Amritsar, not everything goes according to Sita’s carefully laid out plan: one of them is arrested, and later two of them find themselves on a mercy dash across the country in a car daringly chauffeured by a man who insists his name is Tom Hanks.
Sita hated to see the discord amongst her three very different daughters: would her gamble to bring them together on this pilgrimage to their roots pay off? “They had all done their part by coming on this trip, this pilgrimage they did not want to take, and what did it achieve? Arguments, ugly memories and none of the healing that Mum had wanted for them.”
While being of Indian extraction might enhance the enjoyment of this novel, it really is not necessary and if some of the issues raised apply more to that racial group, giving them a wider audience is important. But if Jaswal draws attention to confronting topics like female feticide and rape culture, her characters are easily relatable and she manages to include plenty of humour. This is a thought-provoking and moving read.
February 15, 2023
A good read, but I had hoped for more after enjoying an earlier novel from this author.
Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina are Sikh sisters from London, who couldn't be more different. Closer as children, they have grown apart over the years and by the time their long-widowed mother dies, they are literally coming to blows. But it was their mother's dying wish to change that, and as a way to facilitate change, she has set out an itinerary for a pilgrimage to India, culminating in the scattering of her ashes. Six months later, the women meet in Delhi to begin their journey of reconciliation. Each of them has brought a big secret, which they try hard to conceal from each other along the way.
As a reference point, think The Darjeeling Limited (movie), but make it women's fiction, and less quirky. It raised some interesting and unexpected (for me) issues, but on the whole was comfortably predictable. Definitely worth reading though, for the local colour and insight to Sikh culture.
Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina are Sikh sisters from London, who couldn't be more different. Closer as children, they have grown apart over the years and by the time their long-widowed mother dies, they are literally coming to blows. But it was their mother's dying wish to change that, and as a way to facilitate change, she has set out an itinerary for a pilgrimage to India, culminating in the scattering of her ashes. Six months later, the women meet in Delhi to begin their journey of reconciliation. Each of them has brought a big secret, which they try hard to conceal from each other along the way.
As a reference point, think The Darjeeling Limited (movie), but make it women's fiction, and less quirky. It raised some interesting and unexpected (for me) issues, but on the whole was comfortably predictable. Definitely worth reading though, for the local colour and insight to Sikh culture.
July 25, 2019
I loved the author’s Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, so when this one came out and I heard the great reviews everywhere it got me all excited.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sister is a story of three sisters who aren’t on good terms with each other but to fulfill their mother’s dying wish return to India.
The book started off great, the three sisters share a difficult relationship with their mother and amongst themselves. The Mother’s subsequent passing and the journey to India sets a very interesting tone to the story; the problem I faced was the constant disagreements and bickering between the three, which though realistic considering their dynamic got repetitive and annoying. It also didn’t help when I could guess the ‘suspenseful part’ of the story pretty soon down the line. I also a little uncomfortable with how India was portrayed; the characters came to India and “discovered” male gaze, patriarchy, pollution etc. which are real issues but they way the story dealt with them made it seem to be a bit of a checklist “things people talk about when they come to India and forget as soon as they go back” cause all this talk didn’t add anything to the story or character development for me.
I’d ask you to give this one a try as it seemed to have worked for a lot of people, but the Shergill Sisters seems to have left me wanting with it’s lack of character development and an unrealistic ending. I don’t know if it’s the book or if I am not the intended reader but this one
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sister is a story of three sisters who aren’t on good terms with each other but to fulfill their mother’s dying wish return to India.
The book started off great, the three sisters share a difficult relationship with their mother and amongst themselves. The Mother’s subsequent passing and the journey to India sets a very interesting tone to the story; the problem I faced was the constant disagreements and bickering between the three, which though realistic considering their dynamic got repetitive and annoying. It also didn’t help when I could guess the ‘suspenseful part’ of the story pretty soon down the line. I also a little uncomfortable with how India was portrayed; the characters came to India and “discovered” male gaze, patriarchy, pollution etc. which are real issues but they way the story dealt with them made it seem to be a bit of a checklist “things people talk about when they come to India and forget as soon as they go back” cause all this talk didn’t add anything to the story or character development for me.
I’d ask you to give this one a try as it seemed to have worked for a lot of people, but the Shergill Sisters seems to have left me wanting with it’s lack of character development and an unrealistic ending. I don’t know if it’s the book or if I am not the intended reader but this one
February 28, 2019
After reading Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and really enjoying it, I was so excited to receive the ARC for this one. This book turned out to be quite different from what I was expecting but it was nevertheless, a very interesting read.
Rajni is the eldest sister, a school principal who likes rules and everything to be in an orderly fashion. However, she was not always like this and things that happened in her past completely changed her attitude and now when things are again uncertain in her life, she is not sure how to handle everything. Jezmeen is a struggling actress who’s just lost her job and gone infamously viral. She also has always been a rebel and resists every attempt by Rajni to follow their pilgrimage schedule and resents her sister for being so strict. Shirina has always tried to be the perfect daughter but felt too invisible in her own home and being scared of any confrontations has left her as the person who always adjusts and makes sure everyone else is happy. I could relate to some parts of each of these sisters and it made the reading experience quite surreal - sometimes nostalgic and sometimes even uncomfortable.
The writing is as usual very engaging. The author uses the stories of these three sisters to give us a picture of immigrant life in Britain, the clash of cultures between traditional parents and their British born kids and sometimes, even the second generation immigrant kids. Through the trip that the characters take, we see a different view of India too - how the noise and crowds can sometimes feel overwhelming; even after so much development, how the sexism and misogyny is so ingrained that it manifests in everyday little things; how female foeticide in parts of India is still rampant and sometimes, these ideas don’t disappear just because someone has immigrated to a more modern country. The author also manages to give us a nuanced portrait of the relationship between three sisters - who were not close while growing up and even held resentments towards each other, but being in close proximity after the death of their mother forces them to acknowledge their issues and maybe pave the way for a better relationship going forward. It’s also great to see them have each other’s back despite any lingering issues.
This book is a very interesting portrayal of family dynamics and sisterhood, traditional vs modern thinking and how it affects our everyday life. It’s a very honest picture of three sister’s lives told with drama, humor and mystery which makes for a fascinating read. I would definitely recommend this one if you enjoyed the author’s previous book and are interested in depictions of the myriad of issues that women face in everyday life.
Rajni is the eldest sister, a school principal who likes rules and everything to be in an orderly fashion. However, she was not always like this and things that happened in her past completely changed her attitude and now when things are again uncertain in her life, she is not sure how to handle everything. Jezmeen is a struggling actress who’s just lost her job and gone infamously viral. She also has always been a rebel and resists every attempt by Rajni to follow their pilgrimage schedule and resents her sister for being so strict. Shirina has always tried to be the perfect daughter but felt too invisible in her own home and being scared of any confrontations has left her as the person who always adjusts and makes sure everyone else is happy. I could relate to some parts of each of these sisters and it made the reading experience quite surreal - sometimes nostalgic and sometimes even uncomfortable.
The writing is as usual very engaging. The author uses the stories of these three sisters to give us a picture of immigrant life in Britain, the clash of cultures between traditional parents and their British born kids and sometimes, even the second generation immigrant kids. Through the trip that the characters take, we see a different view of India too - how the noise and crowds can sometimes feel overwhelming; even after so much development, how the sexism and misogyny is so ingrained that it manifests in everyday little things; how female foeticide in parts of India is still rampant and sometimes, these ideas don’t disappear just because someone has immigrated to a more modern country. The author also manages to give us a nuanced portrait of the relationship between three sisters - who were not close while growing up and even held resentments towards each other, but being in close proximity after the death of their mother forces them to acknowledge their issues and maybe pave the way for a better relationship going forward. It’s also great to see them have each other’s back despite any lingering issues.
This book is a very interesting portrayal of family dynamics and sisterhood, traditional vs modern thinking and how it affects our everyday life. It’s a very honest picture of three sister’s lives told with drama, humor and mystery which makes for a fascinating read. I would definitely recommend this one if you enjoyed the author’s previous book and are interested in depictions of the myriad of issues that women face in everyday life.
June 22, 2022
i read erotic stories for punjabi widows in 2018 and absolutely adored it. when i saw that balli kaur jaswal had released another novel, i was incredibly excited to delve in - and this book hit the spot.
with the shergill sisters, i also find myself similarly enjoying jaswal's storytelling. she plucks just the right notes - serious at times but never stuffy; empowering; and funny at all the right moments. her characters feel real and relatable because she doesn't hold back in depicting their flaws and pettiness and cringiest moments with frankness - alongside moments of tenderness and warmth and redemption. this was certainly the case with rajni, jezmeen, and shirina shergill; i knew from chapter 1 that i had to see their story through.
though at times the feminist themes in this novel felt somewhat heavy-handed, and though the big reveals weren't quite as satisfying as i thought they would be, i really enjoyed this read. and i can't wait to dive into more stories by jaswal!
with the shergill sisters, i also find myself similarly enjoying jaswal's storytelling. she plucks just the right notes - serious at times but never stuffy; empowering; and funny at all the right moments. her characters feel real and relatable because she doesn't hold back in depicting their flaws and pettiness and cringiest moments with frankness - alongside moments of tenderness and warmth and redemption. this was certainly the case with rajni, jezmeen, and shirina shergill; i knew from chapter 1 that i had to see their story through.
though at times the feminist themes in this novel felt somewhat heavy-handed, and though the big reveals weren't quite as satisfying as i thought they would be, i really enjoyed this read. and i can't wait to dive into more stories by jaswal!
August 8, 2019
RATING: 4 STARS
2019; William Morrow/HarperCollins Canada
When Balli Kaur Jaswal's breakout hit Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was being read by anyone, I sniffed at it. I am not good at hyped popular books. I almost go in challenging the book by having high expectations. Sometimes I know it is better to just not read it till the hype dies down. I then saw that Jaswal had a new novel out and I could not help myself and requested it. I put it off for a month and then decided to dive in and see what happens.
Another reason I was hesitant in reading Jaswal's books is that they are considered "Indian". Most "Indian" books are written by Indians born and mostly raised in India or by non-Indians. Being Punjabi/Sikh, I tend not see characters like me in books. They are either Hindus or Muslim or the are Punjabi but from India. I was born and raised in a Western Culture (Canada). My step-grandfather came here in the 1920s and assimilation was the only way to survive. His children were born and raised here with them not even knowing the language or culture of their parents. My dad came to here when he was a kid, and lost his accent as well as his language (which he is now getting back). My mom and maternal grandmother were my main Indian influences, but I saw it as a faraway thing. I've been to India, I can read and write like a child in Punjabi, I can speak it with slang and can cook Indian food, but it's not my first language or culture. I grew up being one of the only brown kids in school, so most of friends and boyfriends have been non-Indian. I think in English but sometimes my Punjabi comes out something fierce. I am proud to be Indian, but I just don't see much about it - or at least what people expect me to know.
I give that background because when I read this book, I felt like I had characters I could relate to. One of the reasons I love the TV show "The Mindy Project" is because I see myself in that character and it is great when you feel like you are being represented in pop culture. In this book, the women are British and around my age. I can see myself in each one. Rajini wanting order in her life and have things go the way they are supposed to is something I cling to, although often don't achieve. I also feel for Shirini as she feels trapped even when she tries to do the right thing and make her mother proud. It is Jezmeen, I feel a kindred spirit to, as I feel the need to rebel and live my own way.
Jaswal does an amazing job in demonstrating the suffocation of expectations. Being the generation that is both Western,but still keeping your Punjabi roots, often there is this need to juggle and act. By that I mean there can sometimes feel like there is two of you and depending on the situation you have to be that person. In keeping the balance of who you are, you toggle between those roles. Jaswal uses the Shergill sisters as a group and individually to show that pull. When their mother passes away asking them to fulfill one last wish of the sisters traveling together to India to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar, they scoff but pack their bags. Each sister is going through an issue where this trips comes in time for them to escape. As they are forced to get to know each other again they bring back memories of their childhood and the expectations they had being Sikh girls. This story is perfectly balanced with drama and humour (and often the humour coming form the drama).
I listened to this one on audio, and it really highlighted the conversations in the book. They felt realistic and like any conversation I have had with my own cousins. We have each felt the over all expectations but felt the pressures differently. Each generation has to rebel against something new, Rajini's son can marry who he would like, but he chooses an older white woman who is having their baby out of wedlock. Shireen who can choose who she would like to marry returns to her roots of arranged marriage but using it through a "newer" form of online dating. I had an absolute blast reading this book as I felt every emotion and really wished it would not end!
I would recommend this book to any reader, but especially to other Punjabi girls. I think this novel is a great step in being another representation of what is a brown girl. Sorry if my review went into babbling territory!
**UPDATEI forgot to mention that when the narrator says Punjabi words she says them like a stranger to the language would, or with a non-Indian accent to it. Hard to describe but when she would say it that way it interrupted me from the story.**
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog
2019; William Morrow/HarperCollins Canada
When Balli Kaur Jaswal's breakout hit Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was being read by anyone, I sniffed at it. I am not good at hyped popular books. I almost go in challenging the book by having high expectations. Sometimes I know it is better to just not read it till the hype dies down. I then saw that Jaswal had a new novel out and I could not help myself and requested it. I put it off for a month and then decided to dive in and see what happens.
Another reason I was hesitant in reading Jaswal's books is that they are considered "Indian". Most "Indian" books are written by Indians born and mostly raised in India or by non-Indians. Being Punjabi/Sikh, I tend not see characters like me in books. They are either Hindus or Muslim or the are Punjabi but from India. I was born and raised in a Western Culture (Canada). My step-grandfather came here in the 1920s and assimilation was the only way to survive. His children were born and raised here with them not even knowing the language or culture of their parents. My dad came to here when he was a kid, and lost his accent as well as his language (which he is now getting back). My mom and maternal grandmother were my main Indian influences, but I saw it as a faraway thing. I've been to India, I can read and write like a child in Punjabi, I can speak it with slang and can cook Indian food, but it's not my first language or culture. I grew up being one of the only brown kids in school, so most of friends and boyfriends have been non-Indian. I think in English but sometimes my Punjabi comes out something fierce. I am proud to be Indian, but I just don't see much about it - or at least what people expect me to know.
I give that background because when I read this book, I felt like I had characters I could relate to. One of the reasons I love the TV show "The Mindy Project" is because I see myself in that character and it is great when you feel like you are being represented in pop culture. In this book, the women are British and around my age. I can see myself in each one. Rajini wanting order in her life and have things go the way they are supposed to is something I cling to, although often don't achieve. I also feel for Shirini as she feels trapped even when she tries to do the right thing and make her mother proud. It is Jezmeen, I feel a kindred spirit to, as I feel the need to rebel and live my own way.
Jaswal does an amazing job in demonstrating the suffocation of expectations. Being the generation that is both Western,but still keeping your Punjabi roots, often there is this need to juggle and act. By that I mean there can sometimes feel like there is two of you and depending on the situation you have to be that person. In keeping the balance of who you are, you toggle between those roles. Jaswal uses the Shergill sisters as a group and individually to show that pull. When their mother passes away asking them to fulfill one last wish of the sisters traveling together to India to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar, they scoff but pack their bags. Each sister is going through an issue where this trips comes in time for them to escape. As they are forced to get to know each other again they bring back memories of their childhood and the expectations they had being Sikh girls. This story is perfectly balanced with drama and humour (and often the humour coming form the drama).
I listened to this one on audio, and it really highlighted the conversations in the book. They felt realistic and like any conversation I have had with my own cousins. We have each felt the over all expectations but felt the pressures differently. Each generation has to rebel against something new, Rajini's son can marry who he would like, but he chooses an older white woman who is having their baby out of wedlock. Shireen who can choose who she would like to marry returns to her roots of arranged marriage but using it through a "newer" form of online dating. I had an absolute blast reading this book as I felt every emotion and really wished it would not end!
I would recommend this book to any reader, but especially to other Punjabi girls. I think this novel is a great step in being another representation of what is a brown girl. Sorry if my review went into babbling territory!
**UPDATEI forgot to mention that when the narrator says Punjabi words she says them like a stranger to the language would, or with a non-Indian accent to it. Hard to describe but when she would say it that way it interrupted me from the story.**
***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***
My Novelesque Blog
July 29, 2020
Well, I loved Balli Kaur Jaswal's Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and so I was always going to read this and I have to say that I loved it just as much as the previous novel.
Both books deal with the problems faced first-generation British Punjabi women, issues of cultural identity (being both English and Punjab), and the inherent and sometimes dangerous problems of women belonging to such a Patriarchal community.
Balli Kaur has dealt with some darker issues here, . In fact, this is the second, otherwise, light-hearted novel, that I have read this summer that deals with the first being a Ciara Geraghty novel (I won’t say which one in case of spoilers but you can see it on my recently read if you are really curious). So I guess overall I am proud of Women’s Literature for once again being able to deal with some really hard-hitting topics and yet still manage to give it all a happy ending.
Incidentally, I googled a lot about India as I went along with this and I absolutely would travel still travel there after reading this but would require a brave female travel companion indeed!
Both books deal with the problems faced first-generation British Punjabi women, issues of cultural identity (being both English and Punjab), and the inherent and sometimes dangerous problems of women belonging to such a Patriarchal community.
Balli Kaur has dealt with some darker issues here, . In fact, this is the second, otherwise, light-hearted novel, that I have read this summer that deals with the first being a Ciara Geraghty novel (I won’t say which one in case of spoilers but you can see it on my recently read if you are really curious). So I guess overall I am proud of Women’s Literature for once again being able to deal with some really hard-hitting topics and yet still manage to give it all a happy ending.
Incidentally, I googled a lot about India as I went along with this and I absolutely would travel still travel there after reading this but would require a brave female travel companion indeed!
August 30, 2021
Бях си я купила тази книга на някаква промоция, привлечена от темата "Индия", която ми е отдавнашна слабост.
И да си призная, подходих с доста снижени очаквания. По принцип заглавия, започващи с "Невероятните/невероятното" инстинктивно ме карат да заставам нащрек и готова да захвърля книгата и да бягам с двеста. Още помня писъците си на ужас от недоразумението "Невероятното пътешествие на факира, който се заклещи в гардероб на ИКЕА" :)
За щастие "Невероятните приключения на сестрите Шергил" се оказа неочаквано свежа и приятна книга. Стилът на авторката тук (казвам "тук", защото първата ѝ книга - "Еротични истории за пенджабски вдовици" все още не съм чела) до голяма степен ми напомня този на Лиан Мориарти, Сали Хепуърт в "Свекървата", донякъде Анджи Ким в "Миракъл Крийк". Съвременна книга, третираща съвременни проблеми, акцентът е върху отношенията между три сестри от индийски произход, родени и израснали в Лондон и културните различия при поклонническото им пътуване до Индия в изпълнение на последната воля на покойната им майка.
Имаше смешни моменти , имаше и потресаващи - като насилствените аборти, които все още се практикуват дори в образованите индийски семейства в момента, когато се разбере, че бъдещото дете е от женски пол. Интересни ми бяха суеверията им, отношенията в индийските семейства, сайтовете за уговорени бракове и т.н.
Давам ѝ оценка 4*. Много свежа!
И да си призная, подходих с доста снижени очаквания. По принцип заглавия, започващи с "Невероятните/невероятното" инстинктивно ме карат да заставам нащрек и готова да захвърля книгата и да бягам с двеста. Още помня писъците си на ужас от недоразумението "Невероятното пътешествие на факира, който се заклещи в гардероб на ИКЕА" :)
За щастие "Невероятните приключения на сестрите Шергил" се оказа неочаквано свежа и приятна книга. Стилът на авторката тук (казвам "тук", защото първата ѝ книга - "Еротични истории за пенджабски вдовици" все още не съм чела) до голяма степен ми напомня този на Лиан Мориарти, Сали Хепуърт в "Свекървата", донякъде Анджи Ким в "Миракъл Крийк". Съвременна книга, третираща съвременни проблеми, акцентът е върху отношенията между три сестри от индийски произход, родени и израснали в Лондон и културните различия при поклонническото им пътуване до Индия в изпълнение на последната воля на покойната им майка.
Имаше смешни моменти , имаше и потресаващи - като насилствените аборти, които все още се практикуват дори в образованите индийски семейства в момента, когато се разбере, че бъдещото дете е от женски пол. Интересни ми бяха суеверията им, отношенията в индийските семейства, сайтовете за уговорени бракове и т.н.
Давам ѝ оценка 4*. Много свежа!
September 30, 2019
To say that I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did is an understatement! From the very first pages, I knew that this would be the one. The IT book, the perfect summer read, a powerful feministic punch to the face. Yes, yes and yes!
I liked Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows alright, but it lacked something for me, so I was a bit apprehensive going into this. But, I needn't have worried.
The three sisters from the story are as different as it gets: a rebel, a very by-the-book and one that is torn between two worlds. And somehow I was able to relate to all three of them at once.
I say that this is a perfect summer read, because of how easy it reads, how engrossing it is, and because of the hot Indian summer setting, that perfectly correlated with my 100 degrees Florida one. BUT, the topics of this book are far from a fluffy summer read. They are heavy. They are raw and they are so important!
Normally, I don't deal well with the topics this book was exploring. Normally I get stuck up on my own opinions and storm away if the book doesn't share them. But Balli Jaswal made me think. Not change my views completely, no, but open a window of possibilities for other views. And for that this book will be among the ones that have changed me forever.
It's also safe to say that this book has started my thirst for immigrant stories. For own voices stories! I felt a tug when I read Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, but after this one, it is unquenched!
I cannot wait for more from this author!
My WEBSITE
My BOOKSTAGRAM
I liked Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows alright, but it lacked something for me, so I was a bit apprehensive going into this. But, I needn't have worried.
The three sisters from the story are as different as it gets: a rebel, a very by-the-book and one that is torn between two worlds. And somehow I was able to relate to all three of them at once.
I say that this is a perfect summer read, because of how easy it reads, how engrossing it is, and because of the hot Indian summer setting, that perfectly correlated with my 100 degrees Florida one. BUT, the topics of this book are far from a fluffy summer read. They are heavy. They are raw and they are so important!
Normally, I don't deal well with the topics this book was exploring. Normally I get stuck up on my own opinions and storm away if the book doesn't share them. But Balli Jaswal made me think. Not change my views completely, no, but open a window of possibilities for other views. And for that this book will be among the ones that have changed me forever.
It's also safe to say that this book has started my thirst for immigrant stories. For own voices stories! I felt a tug when I read Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, but after this one, it is unquenched!
I cannot wait for more from this author!
My WEBSITE
My BOOKSTAGRAM
May 12, 2019
The throbbing vegetables that played such an unforgettable role in Balli Kaur Jaswal's "Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows" don't have an encore in her second novel. Instead, we get a moving story about three estranged sisters fulfilling their mother's dying wish by traveling to India for a spiritual awakening and to scatter her ashes.
Things don't go as planned. Each of the sisters has a secret. Each carries the emotional baggage of growing up with a harried and superstitious mother after the sudden death of their father. Each carries the guilt of their mother's dying action.
As the story unfolds, we learn more about the sisters' secrets. So do they.
This is a sweet story about familial expectations and the dangers of being a woman in India. I liked the story, but I confess that I missed the vegetables a bit.
Things don't go as planned. Each of the sisters has a secret. Each carries the emotional baggage of growing up with a harried and superstitious mother after the sudden death of their father. Each carries the guilt of their mother's dying action.
As the story unfolds, we learn more about the sisters' secrets. So do they.
This is a sweet story about familial expectations and the dangers of being a woman in India. I liked the story, but I confess that I missed the vegetables a bit.
June 6, 2019
I loved this story about three sisters and their fractious, discordant relationships, which are on full display during their trip to India after their mother's death.
Before dying, the sisters' mother insisted her daughters make a pilgrimage in India for her, planning out their itinerary. Each sister only very reluctantly agrees to this trip, partially because of their feelings towards each other, and partially because of how their own lives are progressing, or not.
Each woman has secrets she's anxious to keep from the other two; for example, a) eldest sister Rajni's wayward 18-year old son and her reasons behind her desperate need to control every person she knows and situation she's in. b) Middle sister Jezmeen's acting career is going nowhere, and after an embarrassing incident captured by bystanders, appears to have torpedoed it, but is still looking to make it big. Youngest sister Shirina appears to be the one most on top of her life, living in Australia with a rich husband and seeming happy.
Unlike this author's Punjabi Widows story, there isn't much humour here. There's a lot of anger and frustration, both amongst the sisters, and towards their mother, and the expectations she raised them with. As the sisters attempt to make their way through their mother's itinerary (which goes off the rails almost immediately) Balli Kaur Jaswal comments on a number of social issues (e.g., expectations on Indian children, which are heightened for Indian girls and women, the prevalence of rape and harassment in India, spousal abuse, female infanticide).
Despite the underlying commentary, this is still a story about a family in pain that needs to find a way to repair itself. And though there's melodrama (which, if you're Indian feels believable,) I still really enjoyed the way the sisters find a way to slowly reconnect with each other. And there's even a wee bit of humour towards the end of this terrific story.
Before dying, the sisters' mother insisted her daughters make a pilgrimage in India for her, planning out their itinerary. Each sister only very reluctantly agrees to this trip, partially because of their feelings towards each other, and partially because of how their own lives are progressing, or not.
Each woman has secrets she's anxious to keep from the other two; for example, a) eldest sister Rajni's wayward 18-year old son and her reasons behind her desperate need to control every person she knows and situation she's in. b) Middle sister Jezmeen's acting career is going nowhere, and after an embarrassing incident captured by bystanders, appears to have torpedoed it, but is still looking to make it big. Youngest sister Shirina appears to be the one most on top of her life, living in Australia with a rich husband and seeming happy.
Unlike this author's Punjabi Widows story, there isn't much humour here. There's a lot of anger and frustration, both amongst the sisters, and towards their mother, and the expectations she raised them with. As the sisters attempt to make their way through their mother's itinerary (which goes off the rails almost immediately) Balli Kaur Jaswal comments on a number of social issues (e.g., expectations on Indian children, which are heightened for Indian girls and women, the prevalence of rape and harassment in India, spousal abuse, female infanticide).
Despite the underlying commentary, this is still a story about a family in pain that needs to find a way to repair itself. And though there's melodrama (which, if you're Indian feels believable,) I still really enjoyed the way the sisters find a way to slowly reconnect with each other. And there's even a wee bit of humour towards the end of this terrific story.
July 26, 2019
This book was an adventure in itself. I liked it, but didn't love it. Read on to know why.
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Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina are three sisters who embark on a pilgrimage to India, because of their mother's last wish, to reconnect and rediscover their roots. Their mother expresses this wish in form of a letter, which also mentions the places they should go and what they should do.
The book started off well, with each sister carrying her own baggage of secrets and secretly wishing the trip to end as they cannot stand each other. The portrayal of their relationships was written sharply. Each sister is dealing with her own problems in her own way and failing badly at it.
🍭
The journey to India set a very interesting mood and premise and I enjoyed reading about the "cultural shocks" the sisters experience and discovering some things which exist everywhere else but are stereotyped to India alone. The three sisters are as different as chalk is to cheese. During the first half, I really wished for them to be honest with each other, but as their relationships with each other were explored during the course of the book, I understood that it is going to take time.
The writing was beautiful no doubt, but very different from Erotic stories for Punjabi widows, a book which I loved through and through.
🍭
I found some recurring themes too in both books which are immigrant parents, British Indian kids and superstitions and the kids leading a double life. I also found this book to be more of a social commentary like Erotic stories..
I guess I expected a bit more adventure, but it was a good read, one which can be read once. I don't think I'll read this again. The ending was satisfying, but it felt a little Bollywoody to me
3.5⭐
🍭
Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina are three sisters who embark on a pilgrimage to India, because of their mother's last wish, to reconnect and rediscover their roots. Their mother expresses this wish in form of a letter, which also mentions the places they should go and what they should do.
The book started off well, with each sister carrying her own baggage of secrets and secretly wishing the trip to end as they cannot stand each other. The portrayal of their relationships was written sharply. Each sister is dealing with her own problems in her own way and failing badly at it.
🍭
The journey to India set a very interesting mood and premise and I enjoyed reading about the "cultural shocks" the sisters experience and discovering some things which exist everywhere else but are stereotyped to India alone. The three sisters are as different as chalk is to cheese. During the first half, I really wished for them to be honest with each other, but as their relationships with each other were explored during the course of the book, I understood that it is going to take time.
The writing was beautiful no doubt, but very different from Erotic stories for Punjabi widows, a book which I loved through and through.
🍭
I found some recurring themes too in both books which are immigrant parents, British Indian kids and superstitions and the kids leading a double life. I also found this book to be more of a social commentary like Erotic stories..
I guess I expected a bit more adventure, but it was a good read, one which can be read once. I don't think I'll read this again. The ending was satisfying, but it felt a little Bollywoody to me
3.5⭐
September 16, 2019
Свежа и приятна ненатоварваща книга с лек феминистки уклон- точно каквато ми ��е четеше.
April 28, 2019
(free review copy) Travel + sisters + some secrets to unravel = a captivating and heartwarming story! I loved Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and enjoyed this one just as much.
December 3, 2023
This audiobook was listened to for book club. Once I got into it (I don’t often listen to audiobooks) I couldn’t stop reading this one!! I loved the culture and learning about the family and it was just so well written. I’ve never visited India and it felt like I was transported there and I loved it! I’d say this is 4 star read!
I lost my grandmother a couple of weeks ago and we have yet to spread her ashes, so parts of this book really hit me. But it was absolutely beautiful!
I lost my grandmother a couple of weeks ago and we have yet to spread her ashes, so parts of this book really hit me. But it was absolutely beautiful!
September 8, 2019
My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for a review copy of this one.
This is, as the title suggests, the story of the Shergill sisters—Rajini, Jezmeen, and Shirina, who while not quite at loggerheads have drifted apart with time. Each is dealing with their own life problems—Rajini’s son is about to opt out of college and marry a woman twice his age, Jezmeen’s career is going only one way—downwards, and Shirina’s marriage is not turning out quite as she thought it would be—and not really aware of what the others are going through. When their mother, Sita Kaur, dies, her last wish is that they travel to India, taking a pilgrimage of sorts that she couldn’t go on because of her illness—taking them from Delhi to Amritsar, to the Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib, up in the Himalayas. So of course, the three must take that journey together, one that their mother had planned out for them in detail in a letter she left. Sita Kaur didn’t merely want them to travel to the places she wanted, but more so to spend time with each other and learn to get along once again (or perhaps as they never did). Needless to say, it doesn’t go entirely to plan, but because of this, they begin to face their own problems and also grow closer once again, when dealing with issues of inequality, family, tradition, and modernity.
This was a mixed sort of read for me. On the one side, I liked reading the story/stories (their individual stories as well as of their relationship with each other) of the three sisters, their lives, and how they ultimately handle the problems in their lives (in which at times, circumstances and (happy) coincidences also have a role). Some simply require a change in perspective (acceptance), while others more serious, life-changing decisions. I liked how the author handled these aspects of the story, especially that it was done realistically, with no ‘magical’ changes and yet a bit of magic at work (if that makes any sense). The picture of the country however, I wasn’t too thrilled with—I mean the author highlights various issues that the country is dealing with no doubt, including inequality and women’s safety, but the picture she presented felt to me far too gloomy, as though there is only darkness, no light, and that to me was off-putting. There is the negative, but that doesn’t mean that there is no positive, no hope, either, which I felt the book didn’t reflect.
Three and a half stars.
This is, as the title suggests, the story of the Shergill sisters—Rajini, Jezmeen, and Shirina, who while not quite at loggerheads have drifted apart with time. Each is dealing with their own life problems—Rajini’s son is about to opt out of college and marry a woman twice his age, Jezmeen’s career is going only one way—downwards, and Shirina’s marriage is not turning out quite as she thought it would be—and not really aware of what the others are going through. When their mother, Sita Kaur, dies, her last wish is that they travel to India, taking a pilgrimage of sorts that she couldn’t go on because of her illness—taking them from Delhi to Amritsar, to the Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib, up in the Himalayas. So of course, the three must take that journey together, one that their mother had planned out for them in detail in a letter she left. Sita Kaur didn’t merely want them to travel to the places she wanted, but more so to spend time with each other and learn to get along once again (or perhaps as they never did). Needless to say, it doesn’t go entirely to plan, but because of this, they begin to face their own problems and also grow closer once again, when dealing with issues of inequality, family, tradition, and modernity.
This was a mixed sort of read for me. On the one side, I liked reading the story/stories (their individual stories as well as of their relationship with each other) of the three sisters, their lives, and how they ultimately handle the problems in their lives (in which at times, circumstances and (happy) coincidences also have a role). Some simply require a change in perspective (acceptance), while others more serious, life-changing decisions. I liked how the author handled these aspects of the story, especially that it was done realistically, with no ‘magical’ changes and yet a bit of magic at work (if that makes any sense). The picture of the country however, I wasn’t too thrilled with—I mean the author highlights various issues that the country is dealing with no doubt, including inequality and women’s safety, but the picture she presented felt to me far too gloomy, as though there is only darkness, no light, and that to me was off-putting. There is the negative, but that doesn’t mean that there is no positive, no hope, either, which I felt the book didn’t reflect.
Three and a half stars.
February 26, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Stars
December 30, 2021
This was a book club read. It was somewhat hard to get into and understand at first. A fast read, I wish there were more descriptions and development, it seemed more dialogue (or inner dialogue) than desired. However, as another reviewer stated, I liked "the realistic portrayal of the sisters and their complicated relationships, their differences, and their zany adventures." It was an uplifting read and I liked the sisterhood and healing themes, a happy ending. About communication, grief, healing, parents and sister bonds, supporting each other no matter what, accepting change and differences, etc. And I liked Shirina's story more than the other sisters'.
The book was a little different than I normally read, with it being heavily focused on the Indian culture. Sad to read about women treatment still in traditional cultures.
Overall, it was an ok book, somewhat lighthearted, but nothing too engaging for me or worth reading again. 2.5 stars.
The book was a little different than I normally read, with it being heavily focused on the Indian culture. Sad to read about women treatment still in traditional cultures.
Overall, it was an ok book, somewhat lighthearted, but nothing too engaging for me or worth reading again. 2.5 stars.
January 30, 2020
Not gonna lie, this book gave me chills. Especially . RTC
May 20, 2019
Book blurb: The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a female take on the Indian travel narrative. "I was curious about how different the trip would be if it were undertaken by women, who are vulnerable to different dangers in a male-dominated society," Balli Kaur Jaswal writes. "I also wanted to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity in immigrant communities, and particularly how those tensions play out among women like these sisters, who are the first generation to be raised outside of India.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and this was the first book I read for the #AsianReadathon.
The book cover is a little too chick-litty for my tastes, but the audiobook was available at my library, so I thought I'd give it a try. Well, color me surprised!
This is the story of three sisters, Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina, and the pilgrimage they make to India to honor their mother's dying wishes, and to scatter her ashes. The sisters were all brought up in England, but are not close as adults, so you know things are not going to go as planned.
As a member of the Indian diaspora who has also visited, lived, and worked in India, I could relate to much of what is covered here. Some of themes explored in this one include family and love, sacrifice and secrets, being an immigrant and part of a diaspora, home and career, traditions and freedom, gender politics and patriarchy. I appreciated that we got the POVs of all four women, and that their relationships were complicated with no easy answers. There are a couple of mysteries rolled in, though I figured out what they were fairly early on. I was angry and sad and teary in parts, and was rooting for these sisters the entire time. The reason this did not get a higher rating were the chick-litty parts and the ridiculous coincidences, and I can't really go into those without spoilers.
I listened to the audiobook which was wonderfully narrated by Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta. I found this a compelling road trip tale a twist, and am so glad I looked past that cover to the contents inside.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and this was the first book I read for the #AsianReadathon.
The book cover is a little too chick-litty for my tastes, but the audiobook was available at my library, so I thought I'd give it a try. Well, color me surprised!
This is the story of three sisters, Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina, and the pilgrimage they make to India to honor their mother's dying wishes, and to scatter her ashes. The sisters were all brought up in England, but are not close as adults, so you know things are not going to go as planned.
As a member of the Indian diaspora who has also visited, lived, and worked in India, I could relate to much of what is covered here. Some of themes explored in this one include family and love, sacrifice and secrets, being an immigrant and part of a diaspora, home and career, traditions and freedom, gender politics and patriarchy. I appreciated that we got the POVs of all four women, and that their relationships were complicated with no easy answers. There are a couple of mysteries rolled in, though I figured out what they were fairly early on. I was angry and sad and teary in parts, and was rooting for these sisters the entire time. The reason this did not get a higher rating were the chick-litty parts and the ridiculous coincidences, and I can't really go into those without spoilers.
I listened to the audiobook which was wonderfully narrated by Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta. I found this a compelling road trip tale a twist, and am so glad I looked past that cover to the contents inside.
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