The Bandit Queens (Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition)

by Parini Shroff

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

This debut that has captured our hearts with its wit and tenderness, and it’s an unforgettable story about a “self-made” widow who gets requests from other wives to help them also get rid of their no-good husbands. Twisty and bold with a dark edge, The Bandit Queens is one we don’t think we’ll ever stop talking about!

This Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition includes an essay from author Parini Shroff reflecting on the inspiration for and experience of writing The Bandit Queens as well as a Q&A with the author and a reader discussion guide.

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.

“Shroff captures the complexity of female friendship with acuity, wit, and a certain kind of magic irreverence. . . . The Bandit Queens is tender, unpredictable, and brimming with laugh-out-loud moments.”—Téa Obreht, New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger’s Wife

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593722909
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/03/2023
Edition description:	Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	45,860
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

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 Bay Area. The Bandit Queens is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

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

“Parini Shroff’s splendid Bandit Queens is a hilarious romp about serious things—as serious as a novel gets, and as funny, too, with characters who are dear and maddening and indelible and gorgeously drawn. 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. Rooted in a rural village in India—and led by the pariah widow Geeta, whom everyone believes to have killed her husband—a handful of women band together to take back their lives, and take down the patriarchy. An immensely enjoyable read!”—Cristina García, New York Times bestselling author of Dreaming in Cuban and The Lady Matador’s Hotel

From the Publisher