Bradford Library discussion

**SPOILERS AHEAD**
Let’s go ahead and get started talking about The Widows of Malabar Hill!
I know we didn’t have the meeting scheduled until Tuesday, but a lot of us have had some extra time at home, so if you aren’t finished, just don’t read this until later!
First question, as always, is how did everyone like the book, and what did you particularly want to say about it? Feel free to jump in and bring up whatever topic you want. This is the first time that we have tried this online, so I feel obligated to mention that of course we need to keep the discussion civil. If you don’t agree with someone, that’s ok! But make sure that you don’t resort to insulting anyone’s intelligence or beliefs, just as you wouldn’t if we were in the same room together. :)
(If we don’t have enough to say, I will start posting more questions that literary people have written for me.)

I enjoyed this book, though maybe the storyline wasn't as fast-paced as I thought it would be, for a mystery. I read an interview with the author and she does talk about her writing, passions, and mystery vs historical fiction. https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/....

The flashback timeline was a bit shocking, definitely makes you feel for the main character! I thought that storyline actually was more fleshed out than the mystery. (Again, the author does mention that she loves the historical fiction writing.) Anyway, I am glad I read it and I felt like I did learn some being taken to that time and place in history.

Next question: Perveen is in a historically groundbreaking role: she is representing the rights of female clients, some of whom have never before had any access to legal protection because of religious law, limited education, or patriarchal restrictions that greatly disadvantage them. Perveen is the perfect female lawyer to represent women's rights, since she herself has had terrible legal problems and has seen how frustrating it is to have no power under the law. How much more difficult is Perveen's job than a contemporary female lawyer's? Did any of her encounters frustrate or anger you as a reader? Did she face problems that you couldn't imagine a lawyer today facing? On the other hand, have things not changed as much as we think? --- questions from litlovers.com

Ok, next 2 questions. (Patty kind of brought both of these up in the other group chat.) 1) What do you make of Perveen's last meeting with Cyrus? How would you have felt in her position? 2) Why do you think Behnoush Sodawalla is so insistent that Perveen isolate herself? What do you think are the real reasons behind her strict Parsi traditionalism?
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