The Bandit Queens : Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023

【Product Information】

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023
A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick 2023

‘Not since Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger has the rotten core of modern India been exposed in quite such blackly antic fashion as Parini Shroff manages here in this intermittently absurd, feminist revenge caper about a group of snarky, much-abused, predominantly Hindu wives…sheer gutsy verve.’ The Times

‘A darkly funny revenge drama rooted in the reality of rural India . . . [A] vivid, unsentimental story that succeeds in being both satirical and moving.’ Guardian

‘A radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women’ – New York Times

‘Mordantly humoured, pacey feminist revenge thriller’ – The Sunday Times
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For Geeta, life as a widow is more peaceful than life as a wife…

Until the other women in her village decide they want to be widows, too.

Geeta is believed to have killed her vanished husband – a rumour she hasn’t bothered trying to correct, because a reputation like that can keep a single woman safe in rural India. But when she’s approached for help in ridding another wife of her abusive drunk of a husband, her reluctant agreement sets in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of all the women in the village….

A darkly irreverent and fresh take on a feminist revenge thriller, perfect for readers of My Sister the Serial Killer, How To Kidnap The Rich and the Sharon Horgan series Bad Sisters.

【Author Information】

Parini Shroff

Parini Shroff received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied under Elizabeth McCracken, Alexander Chee, and Cristina García. She is a practicing attorney and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bandit Queens is her debut novel. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

【Media’s Review】

“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

“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 García, 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