[A Sip of Books] What Happens When Women Reveal Their Sexual Fantasies

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

The story depicts what happens when Nikki, a 22-year-old British woman of Indian descent, unexpectedly takes on the role of instructor for a suspicious storytelling class. Her students are Indian immigrant women in the UK, most of whom are elderly widows. Those who cannot read or write share the sexual fantasies they have kept deep in their hearts throughout their lives. And life changes in astonishing ways. Nikki, who initially felt distant because she thought they were very conservative people, naturally empathizes and becomes friends with them as time spent together accumulates. The story movingly portrays how they overcome the crises that follow together.

“But sex and pleasure are instinctive, right? Satisfying sex stimulates all five senses. It’s the same even for those who cannot read or write. You and I, we tend to think of sex as just a developed invention. That’s because we learned about sex after acquiring other basics like reading, writing, and computer skills. Those women experienced sex before learning those things.”

A long time ago, I faintly felt this way. It was when I first understood what men and women do when they meet and why. I had lived forgetting that youthful excitement completely, but once, she was completely captivated by it. Just being able to get that close to another human being seemed to make life worth living.

Recalling yesterday sent shivers through my body again, but shame soon overwhelmed me.

“But why me?”

The question, uttered unconsciously, broke the silence that filled the room. Why should she feel ashamed? Because she was that kind of person. Women, especially older women like herself, were told not to seek the kind of pleasure she felt the night before.

“Mom, I didn’t just start doing bad things in Southhall. I have no intention of quitting. Our class showed women that they too can be accepted and supported. For the first time ever, they shared their most private stories publicly and realized they were not alone. I helped them discover that, and I also learned a lot from them. Those women used to look away when they saw injustice. They were taught that interfering or going to the police was inappropriate. But when I was in danger, they didn’t hesitate to step into the danger themselves. They realized they could fight.”

A Brazen Erotic Story Club for Respectable Widows | Written by Bali Kaur Jaswal | Translated by Jageun Mimi & Park Wonhee | Deulnyeok | 496 pages | 17,800 KRW