Early Review – The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-0778309451
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Audible Escapes
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Escaping from an arranged and abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone from her 1950s rural village to the vibrant pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the henna artist—and confidante—most in demand to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own…
Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I got through the Amazon Vine program to review.
Story (4/5): Lakshmi fled her home town to escape an abusive marriage and ended up in the city of Jaipur working as a successful henna artist, with a secret side business providing women with a way to get rid of unwanted pregnancies. As Lakshmi’s business thrives, her dream of owning her own home is almost a reality…until a young sister she never knew she had shows up in town with her ex-husband. Lakshmi’s life is thrown into upheaval and her hard won business threatened, as she struggles to incorporate her sister into her carefully balanced life.
I really loved this story, it’s incredibly engaging. I read this in two sittings and could not put it down. I loved all the Indian culture and herblore and loved watching Laksmhi try to navigate to the intricate politics of the high castes in Jaipur. It was just such a unique and engaging historical fiction story.
Characters (5/5): I loved all of the characters in this book. They are realistic and sometimes make poor decisions but somehow I still sympathized with them and was drawn into their story. Even the side characters are really well done and really come alive, the characters are what really make this story special.
Setting (5/5): The setting is the other part of this book that made the story absolutely enchanting. Set in India in the mid 1950’s it was sooo interesting to see how the culture in this region was changing. There’s a huge Western influence but also a lot of unique traditions, culture, and medicines that are a critical part of daily life in Jaipur. I never knew henna actually had a medicinal purpose and really enjoyed all I learned in this unique setting.
Writing Style (5/5): This book was incredibly engaging and easy to read. The writing flows beautifully and the description is detailed and really pulls you into the story. I was absolutely enchanted by this book and couldn’t put it down.
Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this book, it was very different from what I normally read, but I could not put it down. The culture, the history, and the day-to-day lives of these characters were perfectly blended to make this into a story that was completely engrossing and engaging. I would recommend to those who like reading historical fiction about strong women, who are interested in learning more about traditional India culture, or who just find historical fiction set in non-US settings intriguing.
