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The co-op bookstore for avid readers
The Bandit Queens
Reader Score
80%
80% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Good
Based on 9 reviews on
"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.
Book Details
- Publisher: Ballantine Books
- Publish Date: Jan 9th, 2024
- Pages: 384
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.20in - 0.80in - 0.66lb
- EAN: 9780593498972
- Categories: • Women• Family Life - General• Literary
About the Author
What people are saying
"One of the most talked-about debut novels of the year lives up to the hype and then some... Uproarious, tender, and at times quite harrowing, with razor-sharp dialogue and a truly magnificent cast of characters, The Bandit Queens is a darkly hilarious delight of a novel."
Mom. Host of @NPR's All Things Considered. Longtime national security correspondent. Author, most recently, of https://t.co/XMPXx42Qce
Our laugh-out-loud conversation with @PariniShroff about the wild ride that is her debut novel, The Bandit Queens. https://t.co/iCcyEur0MX With @courtneydorning @mohammadlinah @npratc https://t.co/Ha8PsxH89f
Critics’ reviews
Praise for this book
"[A] wild ride. Very funny--like, laugh-out-loud funny."--NPR
"This funny, feel-good read is a rollicking ride rife with memorable characters involved in ill-fated hijinks. It also serves up commentary on class, power dynamics and the role of women in society, with a feminist history lesson to boot."--Good Housekeeping
"Shroff cleverly considers how women might achieve autonomy within rural India's patriarchal society through shrewd, if complicated, female friendships."--The Washington Post
"This book is so much fun! In Parini Shroff's dark comedy, the put-upon women of a small Indian village decide to get rid of their husbands--permanently. Things quickly spiral out of control as the bodies start piling up, the police get curious, and Geeta enters into a second-chance romance with a quiet widower who runs a speakeasy. And there's a dog! What's not to love?"--CrimeReads
"For fans of dark humor and social commentary! The book is expectantly funny, but it also tackles things like the pursuit of freedom from abuse. The characters are well thought out, and there's great female friendship."--BookRiot
"The Bandit Queens is an original, memorable, and endearing story. At times deeply serious, then laugh-out-loud funny, Parini Shroff has written a sobering but hopeful exploration of womanhood, social injustices, and second chances."--Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
"Twisty, compulsive, bold, surprising, moving: It's a wonderful book."--Elizabeth McCracken, bestselling author of The Souvenir Museum and The Hero of This Book
"Parini Shroff's debut novel is a rollicking mash-up of adventure story, thriller, dark revenge, and comedy. An immensely enjoyable read!"--Cristina GarcĂa, New York Times bestselling author of Dreaming in Cuban and The Lady Matador's Hotel
"Shroff's debut is a darkly hilarious take on gossip, caste, truth, village life, and the patriarchy. A perfect match for fans of Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer and clever, subversive storytelling."--Booklist (starred review)
"At once immensely sad . . . but it has laugh-out-loud moments too. This is a deeply human book, with women surviving and overcoming in their culture while still remaining a part of it. Similar in feel to Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri."--Library Journal, starred review
What people are saying
"One of the most talked-about debut novels of the year lives up to the hype and then some... Uproarious, tender, and at times quite harrowing, with razor-sharp dialogue and a truly magnificent cast of characters, The Bandit Queens is a darkly hilarious delight of a novel."
Mom. Host of @NPR's All Things Considered. Longtime national security correspondent. Author, most recently, of https://t.co/XMPXx42Qce
Our laugh-out-loud conversation with @PariniShroff about the wild ride that is her debut novel, The Bandit Queens. https://t.co/iCcyEur0MX With @courtneydorning @mohammadlinah @npratc https://t.co/Ha8PsxH89f