Several years back, I read ‘Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal. Though it was Jaswal’s third novel it was my first time reading her. I was a little hesitant about picking it up at first since I tend to carry around the book I’m reading, often taking it to work as well. But I loved it. It wasn’t a light, fluffy read as you might assume by the title. It was a moving story of desire and female friendships. So naturally, when I came across ‘The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters’ I didn’t have to even read the blurb before deciding to buy it. I must say I was slightly disappointed by this one, given I had such high expectations going into it. It’s a story about three sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—who are on a pilgrimage in India following the death of their mother. The British-born Punjabi sisters are carrying out their mother’s last wish. The sisters have never been close but the trip forces them to be together in a way they have never been before. Every sister, however, is running away from or towards something when agreeing to go on a trip to India. Rajni’s teenage son has dropped a bombshell on her and she doesn’t know how to handle it. Jezmeen, the middle child, is a struggling actress whom everyone has been mocking after an incident at a restaurant went viral. Shirina, the youngest one, is having problems in her marriage. A meddling mother-in-law is making matters worse.

The story explores the messy dynamics of relationships and family life. It examines the lengths we are willing to go to for our loved ones and to protect what means a lot to us—whether it be our name or family. There’s a lot to unpack in this book but the only problem is that it feels like a Bollywood movie that you’ve watched countless times already. There are some laugh-out-loud moments and overall, the book is a nice escape from the humdrum of daily life.

Trigger warnings though, there are a lot of mentions of forced abortion, violence against women, assisted suicide, and overbearing mothers-in-law. On a lighter note, don’t read it when you are hungry because all the talk about food will make it even worse and you’ll be left craving for things you have no way of getting your hands on, especially if you are reading the book late at night. Three-and-a-half stars Fiction The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters Balli Kaur Jaswal Published: 2019 Publisher: Harper Collins Pages: 320, Paperback