Such a treat! Had the chance to hear the author speak in early 2023 but didn’t actually get to start reading this until this year. It also coincided with me visiting India (family wedding) for the first time in six years. For reasons I don’t want to + won’t get into during a book review, the authors note at the end around Phoolan Devi and honouring her were resonant for me. The questions that came up, all there is to consider. And as a survivor of SV & that so much of my work is focused on anti GBV support n stuff idk! n the DV prevalent in the lives of my loved ones too idk this just felt so so close to home 

And it was satisfying to see the women take agency & come together in that way. I appreciate this as a story of friendship & feminism and maybe it’s just because of what came up for and what all of these stories meant to me but I loved this. I want to read more of the authors work :’) and im so happy for Geeta & Saloni and Geeta’s new fridge! <3 

Also the revelations with Geeta & Saloni about Geeta’s parents + her marriage? my tender heart! :-( ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Loved this book so very much! I think I have some questions around some of the themes (eg. Fatphobia) and their purpose? Some of the casteist or misogynistic language, even the anti SWer/whorephobia (halkat randi over n over again lol) felt more clearly like it was known to be bad + used to show the bigotry and evil of the characters in question. The fat phobia was …not this, or not as clearly. There’s just a lot of questions there & for someone who seems to be aware of other systemic harm, it is strange to not understand fatphobia a) as harmful but b) as intertwined with the other harms she notes (eg. sexism, GBV, casteism & colourism, etc.) ….much to think about. 

but yeah the “she decided” part really really did something for me! almost made this 5 stars for me for that alone lol