We had a really good turn out at book club tonight. We were only missing Edna, Louisa and Roe. It was hot as hell so we met in the air conditioning. It was great seeing everyone since it been way too long since we’ve been together.
After much banter, we enjoyed our fried chicken, salads and other accompaniments. I was asked why I picked this book “The Erotic Stories of the Punjabi Widows. I read it several years ago and remembered that the subject matter was interesting. Widows in this culture were considered useless, a non entity. In India, many widows are considered to be unlucky or unworthy. There's a variety of demoralizing customs associated with widowhood. She may be stripped of colorful clothing and allowed to only wear white. Her hair is shaved and she is told to give up all adornment such as jewelry or makeup. This book of fiction described how widows banded together to better themselves by signing up for a class to learn how to read and write English. They got sidelined because they got a hold of a erotic book and it inspired the ladies to write or create their own storied about what they wanted in life. They wanted to feel like a person, be recognized and loved. Yes, there were erotic stories, but they were italicized and you could read around them. The main point of the book was the empowerment of these women. Only a few people read the whole book owing in part of us meeting a week early. I know Alice really enjoyed the book as much as I did.
Alice and I attended the WMP Concert in the park afterwards, interrupted by a rain storm.
Next month Rosemary will host at WMP and we will read “Leaving Time” by Jodi Picoult.
Kathy G
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