The Bandit Queens is a contemporary fiction novel about a group of women in a micro-loan club in a small Indian village and their attempts to rid themselves of their abusive husbands. 

Geeta is a jewelry maker who funds her small business through a women only micro-loan group in her small village. She’s living alone after her husband abandoned her five years prior but the village is under the impression she murdered him. When one of the women in her group asks her to get rid of her own husband Geeta finds herself pulled into domestic dramas, blackmail schemes and organized crime. 

Despite the heavy topics of physical and sexual abuse, murder, the caste system and poverty The Bandit Queens is really, really funny. Geeta and her group of friends find humor in the darkest places and no matter where you are in the world you’ll find them relatable whether it’s as working women, mothers or wives. I learned so much about Indian culture and the issues women face in small conservative villages where the roles are strictly defined and everyone knows each other business. 

I highly recommend this debut novel to readers that like strong and funny main characters who get themselves into sticky situations and use their wits not only to to save themselves but to help other women.