4/5 (audiobook)

This book was a mix of emotions - sadness, laughter, confusion, understanding. It tells the unique, engaging stories of each character without breaking them each up into their perspectives.

I did have to start this audiobook over about three times, and not really to any fault of its own. I just always seemed to start it at a bad time and ended up having to start over because I did not have enough time to listen to a portion to where I remembered the details. With all that being said, I did find the beginning of this audiobook to be a bit slow. It might have been different had I been reading the physical book, but it just seemed to take a while to get into the major plot points of the stories.

The characters in this book are fun and real and dynamic. I was genuinely interested in each of the character's lives because they told a real story. A story that I could be engaged with. Nikki was a feisty, independent woman who wanted to make something of her life based on her own choices, and that is something I respect in characters, especially female characters. Her relationships and personal growth developed so much throughout the story and created a complex character who was interesting to read about.

I also fell in love with the writing class. Initially, I was not sure what to expect, but after the first few sessions when the widows started to feel more comfortable telling and writing their stories, I found myself laughing, gasping, blushing, and rooting for the characters they created. The women were ready to push the boundaries and challenge the traditional expectations of their culture by creating and sharing these stories, and again, it was inspiring to see a group of courageous, strong, intelligent, and amazing women push societal expectations and really challenge those beliefs of the ones who believe they should be silenced.

I really liked the way the two major plots intertwined with each other. From past reading experiences, I know this can get a little messy and it has turned me off from some of the plotlines because I am just not as committed to it. But, I feel like Balli Kaur Jaswal did a nice job of creating a complex plot that includes Nikki's personal development along with the story of Maya and her mysterious death.

So, overall, I really enjoyed this listen, and one of the major "issues" I had was that the beginning was a bit slow for me, and again this may have been an audiobook thing. Either way, I would definitely recommend this book to others!