The Bandit Queens

A Novel

De: Parini Shroff

Narrado por: Soneela Nankani

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • A young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful—until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands—in this razor-sharp debut.

"A radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Shondaland, She Reads, CrimeReads

Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die.

It turns out that being known as a “self-made” widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for business; no one dares to not buy her jewelry.

Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her “expertise,” making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal.

And not all of them are asking nicely.

With Geeta’s dangerous reputation becoming a double-edged sword, she has to find a way to protect the life she’s built—but even the best-laid plans of would-be widows tend to go awry. What happens next sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything, not just for Geeta, but for all the women in their village.

Filled with clever criminals, second chances, and wry and witty women, Parini Shroff’s The Bandit Queens is a razor-sharp debut of humor and heart that readers won’t soon forget.

©2023 Parini Shroff (P)2023 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women . . . A tale that demonstrates how the antidote to bleak circumstances is female friendship.”—New York Times Book Review

“[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

the plot

I liked the storyline, environment, and that it was based on a real person but the high pitched back and forth dialog was too childish in nature and delivery. A bit annoying to listen to.

Good, with a few hiccups

This book was super fun, but most of the non-English words used in the book were Hindi even though the book took place in Gujarat. Similarly, most of the translated idioms were Hindi-based. I know this won’t bother most, but as a Gujarati speaker it was jarring.

Otherwise, I loved the book and loved the narrator for the most part (other than that her pronunciation of the Hindi wasn’t the best).

Perfection!

Unexpected because I simply had never read anything like it, but I am so glad I listened to the glowing reviews. Hilarious, stunning, heartbreaking, and very satisfying. ❤️

Loved the performance and story

I very much enjoyed the story and the audiobook performance. I look forward to more from each of these artists

The humor

The humor of the author was good as was the reading of the book. It was somewhat of an unusual story

The story was so captivating

It was so good I couldn’t stop listening. The Bandit Queens is a great story about women and all our social dynamics and most importantly our support for one another.

She nailed this one!

I loved this book. Was fun to listen to but really touched on some big topics. The characters were great! Can't wait to read more from this author.

Unexpectedly humorous and worthwhile!

By chapter 14, I was almost ready to quit. The characters seemed so petty and the story didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. But then, in chapter 14, everything started to make sense. In a way, it was like a dark comedy of errors. There are many significant issues regarding women and their status in society that are discussed. But they are brought out, not as a dry list of fact but, as an engaging story. Everyone gets what they deserve, so in that sense, there is a happy ending!
There is some foul language in the book, but all of it is what would be expected in the situations that are depicted, and none of it is gratuitous.

Very good story

I really enjoyed reading this book. the narration was excellent. I recommend this book .

Could not keep listening

I don’t know why decisions were made to make the accents of the characters so Americanized but it was hard to hear the Hindi words butchered like that. I will get the written book to finish the story.