March 4, 2019
Jaswal’s witty, emotional second novel (after Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows) is a heartfelt story of three sisters agreeing to the wishes of their deceased mother. The Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—travel to India to embark on a Sikh pilgrimage and scatter their mother’s ashes. The sisters have never been close, and are quite distant now. Both Rajni, a school principal, and Jezmeen, a struggling actress, live in the U.K. Shirina moved to Australia, where she lives with her husband, Sehaj, and his controlling mother. Their journey in India is filled with bickering between Rajni and Jezmeen over Jezmeen’s clothing choices, while Rajni and Jezmeen express concern over Shirina and her limited participation in the trip. As the three women view the splendor of some of the Sikh temples of India, the bond of sisterhood becomes stronger. When Rajni and Jezmeen sense that Shirina is in trouble, they are able to look past their own problems to come to her aid. Jaswal reveals much about the sisters’ personalities through the use of flashbacks, explaining how previous events shaped their lives. Teen and adult fans of women’s fiction will find much to appreciate here. Agent: Anna Power, Johnson & Alcock.