{"title":"Balli Kaur Jaswal","description":"\u003cp\u003eBalli Kaur Jaswal’s works explore complex cultural landscapes with sharp insight and compassion. Her stories navigate themes of identity, tradition, and modernity, often set against the vibrant backdrop of Punjabi life. Whether delving into intimate family dynamics or the challenges faced by young adults, Jaswal’s writing resonates with emotional depth and authenticity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect narratives that challenge conventions and celebrate diversity, blending rich characterisation with contemporary issues. From poignant general fiction to compelling young adult tales, her books invite reflection on belonging, resilience, and self-discovery.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"erotic-stories-for-punjabi-widows-by-balli-kaur-jaswal-9780008209919","title":"Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReese Witherspoon’s March Book Club Pick!\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Big-hearted, earthy and funny… A rattlingly good story’ – Deborah Moggach, \u003cem\u003eThe Best Exotic Marigold Hotel\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEvery woman has a secret life…\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Nikki takes a creative writing job at her local temple, with visions of emancipating the women of the community she left behind as a self-important teenager, she’s shocked to discover a group of barely literate women who have no interest in her ideals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet to her surprise, the white dupatta of the widow hides more than just their modesty – these are women who have spent their lives in the shadows of fathers, brothers and husbands; being dutiful, raising children and going to temple, but whose inner lives are as rich and fruitful as their untold stories. But as they begin to open up to each other about womanhood, sexuality, and the dark secrets within the community, Nikki realises that the illicit nature of the class may place them all in danger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEast meets west and tradition clashes with modernity in a thought-provoking cross-cultural novel that might make you look again at the women in your life…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eErotic Stories for Punjabi Widows\u003c\/em\u003e is a compelling exploration of the intersection between tradition and individuality, as well as the power of storytelling to transform lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46494773346540,"sku":"9780008209919","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25019093482190.jpg?v=1748461837"},{"product_id":"now-you-see-us-by-balli-kaur-jaswal-9780008433789","title":"Now You See Us","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe are invisible: we clean your houses, we look after your children, we know your secrets.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCorazon, Angel, and Donita have all come to Singapore to work for a living. The thing that unites them? Their labour must remain unseen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut when a friend is accused of murdering her employer, everything changes. The accused could be any of them; they all know the stories of women who were scapegoated or even executed for crimes they didn’t commit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach woman has secrets to keep, yet they must gather every ounce of bravery, fearlessness, and complete audacity to clear the name of one of their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAfter all, no-one knows the secrets of Singapore’s elite quite like the women who work in their homes…\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReaders LOVE \u003cem\u003eNow You See Us\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Respectfully and masterfully written. A must read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘I am emotionally exhausted – what a wonderful book! A must read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘A wonderful read, that kept me captivated until the end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘I loved it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘A joyous book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘What a fabulous book! Balli Kaur Jaswal’s writing transported me to Singapore … I thoroughly enjoyed this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46532257022188,"sku":"9780008433789","price":26.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/27257793482190.jpg?v=1749310136"},{"product_id":"erotic-stories-for-punjabi-widows-by-balli-kaur-jaswal-9780062645111","title":"Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReese Witherspoon's Book Club Pick\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA lively, sexy, and thought-provoking work of cultural heritage fiction about community, friendship, and women's lives at all ages—a spicy and alluring mix of \u003cem\u003eTogether Tea\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCalendar Girls\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery woman has a secret life...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she's spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her father's death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a \"creative writing\" course at the community centre in the beating heart of London's close-knit Punjabi community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this heartwarming story of a found family, a miscommunication means the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realises that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected—and exciting—kind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs more women are drawn to the class, Nikki warns her students to keep their work secret from the Brotherhood, a group of highly conservative young men who have appointed themselves the community's \"moral police.\" But when the widows' gossip turns them into amateur sleuths with shocking insights into the death of a young wife—a modern woman like Nikki—and some of the class erotica is shared among friends, it sparks a scandal that threatens them all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47642861568236,"sku":"9780062645111","price":50.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780062645111-erotic-stories-for-punjabi-widows.jpg?v=1779160325"},{"product_id":"the-unpronounceables-by-balli-kaur-jaswal-9781761182549","title":"The Unpronounceables","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"My name, Navkiranjhot Ahloowalia, means 'the new light,' and contains a legacy of love and spiritual depth that go back centuries. But there's being unique and then there's watching a teacher reconsider their profession when they're trying to pronounce your name.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt school, Navy's often mistaken for her best friends, fellow unpronounceables. At home, Navy's loving parents believe she must move to a select-entry STEM high school to secure a bright future. In secret, Navy's nurturing a new, addictive passion for art history that changes the way she sees herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSet adrift after a misunderstanding with her besties, Navy struggles to balance her parents' expectations with her own dreams of the future, and must decide what she wants and who she truly is. Then there is Rishal, who is mentoring Navy for the all-important entry exam. But he's just a friend, right?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePerfectly pitched and in the spirit of a contemporary \u003cem\u003eLooking for Alibrandi\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Unpronounceables\u003c\/em\u003e shines a light on second-generation migrant families and is a glorious celebration of Indian-Australian culture – a delightful, upbeat and ultimately hopeful coming-of-age YA novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48022126002412,"sku":"9781761182549","price":22.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761182549-the-unpronounceables.jpg?v=1785288710"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/balli-kaur-jaswal.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}