The Bandit Queens

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The Bandit Queens depicts a community with a dark secret. How do you feel about secrecy? Is it always harmful, or are there instances where it is justified?

2. Geeta looks up to the Bandit Queen, a historical figure, for inspiration. Which historical figures inspire you, and why?

3. How did you feel about the novel’s sensitive subject matter—e.g., its treatment of abuse? Did you find it hard to engage with, and if so, are you glad you kept reading? Why or why not?

4. How have friends helped you to overcome challenges in your life? What did this teach you about the value of solidarity?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel challenges the social expectations and stereotypes that disadvantage women in Indian society. Do you see similar expectations and stereotypes at work in other cultures? What lessons does The Bandit Queen offer to them?

2. Many of the novel’s characters are concerned with the pursuit of wealth and the desire to free themselves from debt. What is the relationship between economic inequality and gender inequality in the novel? What implications does this hold for feminist movements?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss the role that secrets play in the narrative. How do secrets reinforce the novel’s emphasis on insider-outsider dynamics? In what ways do the characters deliberately try to turn other characters into outsiders? Does the novel frame this action as a positive or a negative act?

2. What role does Saloni play in the narrative? How does her tension with Geeta contribute to the novel’s theme of female solidarity? Does her character develop to fulfill a different role by the end of the novel?

3. Index the animals that appear in the narrative. Do the characters regard these animals according to a certain hierarchy? How does this hierarchy reflect the social hierarchy in Geeta’s village?

4. Geeta is introduced as a woman whose reputation has been ruined by gossip. Discuss the ironic ways in which Geeta manages to reclaim that reputation. Consider in particular the way she leans into taboo identities, such as the churel, to achieve this objective.

5. The novel challenges the social expectations and stereotypes that disadvantage women in Indian society. What does the novel suggest regarding the role of mythmaking, gossip, and history in shaping these norms?