User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Update Dec 2021: This little note of mine on my experience with this book seems to have taken off in ways I never intended. To everyone who writes to me, please note that this is not a review. It's one person's very personal observation, and will never reflect anyone else's opinions about this book. Please read or support the author in other ways. But also, please allow the reader to have their say. That's what books should be. We read. We love the words. We love to talk about the experience. Anything as stuffy as a 'review' is not what I intended with this note. It shouldn't stop you from reading this book, although I respect the choices we make when doing so. I have enjoyed the lovely comments, and even more so, from the ones who loved the book. I can only wish you joyful reading experiences - let's read them all, yo!
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I have done this again. Not really fallen for a book that everyone seems to be raving about. But see - I am from South India. We don’t really go around applying henna for fun, on occasions, to get pregnant or arouse desire in our spouses. The art of henna itself is far removed from my life. That’s not why I struggled with this book.
It’s just that I have a feeling this book is written for that white woman who finds India ‘exotic’ and swoons at its ‘spirituality.’ It’s not written for the Indian audience who knows that India is also the nation of 10,000 startups, sleek bustling offices, and more technology than you can dream of. Show me that book now coming from the US! But it won’t sell. We have to show India with its drains of sewage, the Maharanis and their glittering lifestyles, and the prostitution. No wonder the West laps it up.
I found the narrator, Lakshmi Shastri, a henna artist who reads Dickens and Jane Austen, rather unbelievable. Her explanations on what Indians do and don’t do seem written for that white woman audience. She has a sister who I would have thrown out if it were me, so annoying is she. The one saving grace is that Lakshmi is a self-made woman who leaves her husband, sleeps with her client’s husband, then gets irritated when the client gets upset (!), and is quite the nod to American individualism.
Overall, I was annoyed with the book. But don’t take it as a rating for the book. It’s a reflection of my affair with the book. When it comes to books, I sleep around a lot with them. This affair didn’t last well or long.
Pros: The prose flows. Beautifully written and engrossing. A unique setting of post-Independence India just finding its feet.
Rating: really liked it
I don't get the opportunity to travel much anymore so I kinda have to rely on books to take me to places I might not get the chance to ever visit. I've read a few fiction books with India as the setting and what first caught my interest about this one is it takes place in the 1950s. The author did a phenomenal job in making me feel like I was transported to this time and country and the main character, Lakshmi, is someone worth getting to know in my opinion. Very glad I got the chance to read this one.
At the age of seventeen, Lakshmi escaped her abusive marriage and headed to the city of Jaipur. She's worked hard as a henna artist for quite a few years. She's developed quite the reputation among her wealthy clients with her artistry and has managed to scrimp and save enough money to own a home. Work still needs to be completed on the house and that means Lakshmi must keep on working to pay off her debts. Her husband tracks Lakshmi down and brings with him quite the surprise, Radha, a thirteen year old girl who is the sister Lakshmi never knew she had. The new and better life Lakshmi worked so hard for threatens to come crashing down with this new development.
First of all, I admit I was a bit worried when I started the book and saw there was a section for the cast of characters. Usually that indicates there are going to be so many characters it can be confusing to the reader and therefore you need a cheat sheet. However, other than a few names here and there, I didn't even find myself flipping back and forth as it was pretty easy to keep everyone straight in my mind. On a related note, the glossary of terms in the back for different Indian words and phrases was pretty helpful. Within the story, italics were used for the different words that appeared in the glossary.
Lakshmi is one of the more stronger female characters I have come across in my reading recently. I thought she was a character who was very easy to root for and I felt bad when it seemed like so many things beyond her control were causing problems in her life. I thought Lakshmi's non-henna work enhanced an already rich and layered story. There's so much here for a book club discussion as you have such things as the different social classes in India, differences in Western medicine and herbal remedies, women's roles in society in 1950s India, etc.. I really hope this book finds a large audience as I found it to be a worthwhile read.
I won a free advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
Rating: really liked it
i really enjoyed this, but once i read the authors note at the end, it made the book that much more meaningful. this story is an imagining of the life AJs mother could have lived, had she not entered an arranged marriage when she was a teenager.
its a tale of perseverance, history, self-worth, forgiveness, womanhood, and family. lakshmi is also a character worth reading about. i adored her hard work ethic and her determination to create the life she knows she deserves. she made is very easy for me to root for her the entire way.
but i will say i wish there was more about henna in this. i would have loved to read more about the tradition of henna, what the art means, and the background of it all. while doing henna is lakshmis job, its really only brought up as a way to explain how she meets people/makes money. i just thought there would be more of it considering the title, but it honestly didnt feel like a main focus in the story at all.
regardless, this is a wonderful historical fiction novel that will immediately carry to you to india in the 1950s.
↠ 4 stars
Rating: really liked it
This whole book felt a little surface level. As much as I was curious about the story and where it would go, I never cared about the characters or felt invested in their lives. I always wanted more from the story and it felt liked it only scratched the surface of the emotions it could have had.
My favorite part of the story was Lakshmi's job, her role as Henna artist and abortionist, and how she helped people. I loved seeing the insight into the lives of the rich and how her Henna helped them as well as the poor and desperate and the different remedies she had. It was a fascinating look at Indian society in the 50s and the relationship between her and her clients was very well done.
But the story seemed like it drifted away from that quite a bit. Instead of delving deeply into Lakshmi's career, her relationships, or her younger sister's troubles, it felt like the book hit on every point briefly, just long enough to explain the issue without giving time to explore it. I think part of that was because of how fast paced the book was. It covers a whole year in just under 350 pages, and there aren't any large time jumps. It just sort of skims the trials and tribulations of their lives.
We don't actually get to see any of the characters' development, the easiest example being Radha, Lakshmi's younger sister. She shows up in the beginning as a village girl who's never left home, but at some point becomes confident in the city and rebellious against her sister. When did this happen? I have no idea. We didn't get to see any growth or change apart from Lakshmi giving her a list of instructions on how to act.
I didn't dislike this book, but I really did find myself struggling to care. I felt so distant from these characters and their lives. Nothing about this book hit me emotionally. Even when things got difficult for these characters, as they nearly always do, it felt almost clinical.
Overall, interesting story in theory and there was enough I enjoyed about the culture of the time to make it worthwhile, but it's not a book I'll be excitedly pushing on others. If it sounds interesting to you, I'd recommend picking it up, but I didn't think it was anything spectacular.
Rating: really liked it
I love it when a book introduces me to something new and teaches me something. I had never given any thought to the people who create the elaborate henna drawings on the hands and feet of an Indian woman for ceremonial occasions. This book is set in 1950s India and introduced me to Lakshmi who was a henna artist. Lakshmi had been forced to marry when she was 15. Her mother in law was a healer and she taught Lakshmi about folk cures and the properties of various herbs. After Lakshmi left her husband she established herself as a henna artist for wealthy women. The job included much more than painting, she was also part therapist/part masseuse and she provided herbal remedies including one that caused abortions. She was an independent woman who managed to save enough money to build her own house, until her younger sister appeared on her doorstep and changed both of their lives.
The details of the lives of these women, and the societal restrictions that they faced, were fascinating. The writing was very clear and contained. I was pleased to find that it did not have an obligatory romance. This is the author’s first book and I’d be happy to read her next one. 4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
There’s a whole classification of books I think of as “flog fiction.” You know the type, where reading them feels like you’re beating yourself with a stick all in the name of “literature.” These books often get described as “difficult yet powerful,” because the things that happen to the protagonists are so horrible it’s like torture turning each page for fear of what atrocities will lie ahead.
I expected The Henna Artist to be flog fic, but to my surprise it’s anything but. In fact, author Alka Joshi’s debut novel is the story of a woman, Lakshmi, in 1950s Jaipur who has taken destiny into her own hands. She works hard as a henna artist and herbalist to pay for the construction of her dream house and all the security it will provide. Sure, there are some difficult topics discussed, but none that outshine the powerful portrait of a strong, independent woman blazing her own trail.
The Henna Artist is the first novel of a planned trilogy, with The Secret Keeper of Jaipur slated for publication in June, 2021. It has already been optioned for a TV series starring Freida Pinto that is being described as a lush production akin to an “Indian Downtown Abbey.” Consider me signed up for both.
The audiobook of The Henna Artist is currently available on the Hoopla library app for immediate download.
Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com
IG: @confettibookshelf
Rating: really liked it
Alka Joshi tells us the story of Lakshmi, who is a Henna artist in Jaipur in the 1950s, in this first book of The Henna Artist trilogy. She had to face a lot of hardships, including an abusive husband, to become a well-known Henna artist in Jaipur. The re-entry of her husband and a new sister totally disturb the balanced life that Lakshmi has been leading in Jaipur. How will Lakshmi tackle the obstacles she suddenly has to face in her life? The author tries to answer this question through this novel.
What I learned from this book 1) What are the three types of karmas in life? We can see Lakshmi telling about the three types of karma in life that Saasuji once mentioned to her.
“Saasuji once told me there were three kinds of karma: the accumulated karma from all our past lives; the karma we created in this life; and the karma we stored to ripen in our future lives.”
2) What are all the differences between India before independence and India after independence? The author mentions all the changes that happened to the people in India after independence. She also says how the outlook toward Western countries changed after independence.
“What independence had changed was our people. You could see it in the way they stood, chests puffed, as if they could finally allow themselves to breathe. You saw it in the way they walked—purposefully, pridefully—to their temples. The way they haggled—more boldly than before—with the vendors in the bazaar.”
“Independence changed everything. Independence changed nothing.”
3) Who is a henna artist, and what are the problems faced by them? The author is trying to mention the lives of henna artists through this novel. Henna artists make beautiful designs using dye made from the henna tree. Henna can be considered as temporary tattoos. The artistic skills of the people applying henna will play a significant role in making the henna designs unique.
The author is trying to discuss the problems faced in the lives of henna artists.
“I felt my spirits lift. I would leave the map of my life here, in Jaipur. I would leave behind a hundred thousand henna strikes. I would no longer call myself a henna artist but tell anyone who asked : I healed, I soothed. I made whole. I would leave behind the useless apologies for my disobedience. I would leave behind my yearning to rewrite my past. My skills, my eagerness to learn and my desire for a life I could call my own - these were things I would take with me. They were part of me the way my blood, my breath, my bones were.”
My favourite three lines from this book “If I had learned anything from them, it was this: only a fool lives in water and remains an enemy of the crocodile.”
“Women have their own reasons for needing to do difficult things.”
“People are more gullible and less compassionate than any of us want to believe.”
What could have been better? Just check out this sentence from this novel.
“Kanta came from a long line of Bengali poets and writers; her father and grandfather had passed their time composing sonnets and organizing literary salons. “The only thing Jaipur women read is Readers Digest,” she’d once complained.”
That was a ridiculous statement. You also must remember that this same Jaipur hosts one of the biggest literature festivals in India. I have a few female friends from Jaipur who are excellent readers. I came to know that their parents and grandparents also love books.
It was irritating to read a character coming from a lineage of poets and writers talking about the whole women of Jaipur in such a judgemental and condescending manner.
India portrayed in these movies
and in books written by authors like Aravind Adiga are all not authentic India.
It is true that there is still poverty and corruption in India. But portraying India just as a land of poverty, corruption, and other unethical activities is unacceptable. We can argue that the author opted for a time period adjacent to that chosen by V.S. Naipaul in An Area of Darkness and is not mentioning contemporary India. Still, I felt sad to see such a portrayal of India in a novel written by an author of Indian ethnicity.
Rating 3.5/5 This novel has a strong plot that authors do not commonly discuss. The women-centric theme discussing the lives of strong women is written in a manner that evokes curiosity. Despite the negatives, Alka Joshi still managed to write a good novel that many people will love to read.
Rating: really liked it
I’m not sure what I could possibly add to the already wonderful reviews by Alka Joshi’s debut novel.
I purchased the ebook back in early March - before the pandemic lockdown - having no idea that it was a Reese Witherspoon Sunshine Book Club Pick.
Life and other books got in the way - as many readers understand too well, too.
A sweet birdie from India, gently reminded me to read “The Henna Artist”....[ for goodness sake, it’s time already].... and I did!
I was in India for almost a full year in the 1974....but this story takes place in the late 1940’s and 1950’s, in Jaipur, also known as Pink City.....the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. ( a vibrant city....a great place to shop for jewelry, fabrics, handicrafts, body oils, creams, spices, herbs, and other vibrant delightful divines).
Author, Alka Joshi ....[as many before me have said]...takes us on an alluring, full-of-life, passionate, spirited, and thoroughly engaging journey, in India.
Historical fiction at its best...culture, customs, art, traditions vs. the unorthodoxy modern life, challenges for women of the working class, abandonment of abortion as birth control, identity, escape of an abusive arranged marriage, family, (an engrossing sister relationship, romance, healing, solace, personal desires vs.family obligations, dissimulation, heart break, heart warmth, perseverance, courage, vivid experiential descriptions, wonderful sweeping cast of characters....( easy to remember), and marvelous adventurous storytelling.
I was a little late to this book party ....but I absolutely loved it.
This is another book that truly deserves all the praise it’s getting.
5 strong stars....Highly recommend it. ( as many other readers did for me).
Many thanks to readers before me....and congrats to our author - Alka Joshi - on her first - outstanding novel.
Hm.....tonight is Friday night date night ( watching ‘Soundtrack’ on Netflix) , ..... maybe we’ll pick up Indian cuisine for dinner tonight ( Paul’s favorite anyway)....chickpea curry, veggie biryani, daal, .... cauliflower and peas, rice, and some yummy Naan
Getting hungry? Me too!
Rating: really liked it
Alka Joshi brings 1950s India to life with her lush and vivid writing. If you are someone like me who enjoys learning about other cultures and traveling to places you might never go, this is a can’t miss. The interesting well drawn characters and the captivating storytelling completely drew me into this clever tale. Sneha Mathan masterfully narrated this audiobook, really bringing a voice and an additional layer to this incredible story. With a book like this it is nice to have the audiobook because then you know how things are pronounced, however you don’t always know how things are spelled. There is a PDF that accompanies the audiobook that includes a list of the characters and a glossary. This made me a little nervous that there needed to be a character list, but I have to say I never needed to refer to it I never was confused.
1950s India 17-year-old Lakshmi escapes her abusive marriage and heads to Jaipur. In Jaipur Lakshmi establishes herself as a successful henna artist as well as a procurer of herbal remedies. She has even realize her dream of owning her own home, then her pass catches back up with her. Her estranged husband shows up with her 13-year-old sister Radha, A sister she did not even know she had. What ensues is a compelling tale of family, tradition, secrecy, revenge, and second chances.
Loved this book! Lakshmi was such an easy character to get behind. She was so strong, so smart, and so deserving. Her sister Radha on the other hand really frustrated me, I had to remind myself that she was just a teenager at times. There were many other extremely well drawn secondary characters some who I loved and some who I did not. I also found the herbal medicine in this book super fascinating and I liked how they combined it with traditional medicine in the story. This is one of those books that gives you a lot to think about. Filled with colorful characters and beautifully told this is a story that I will not soon forget.
This book in emojis: 🇮🇳 🖌 💰 🦜 🛺 🚂 🏔 🏥
*** Big thank you to Harlequin & Harper Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
Rating: really liked it
Brew a Chai tea and immerse yourself in the vivid descriptions of the life of Lakshmi, the most requested Henna Artist in the vibrant 1950’s pink city of Jaipur. (Of course I googled it and was in awe of the beautiful city whose architecture is all painted a dusty pink hue, which signifies hospitality)
For more than five thousand years, intricate henna art has been used to adorn the body for celebrations to promote luck and happiness, with the most talented artists producing a deep vibrant dye, which will last longer on the skin, usually one to two weeks.
At 17 years of age, Lakshmi escaped an abusive marriage and fled with just her drawing ability and the healing skills she learned from her Saas (mother in law) and worked hard to become the most requested henna artist among the wealthy-keeping their secrets along with her own.
But her independent life will be threatened when her husbands tracks her down and introduces her to thirteen year old Radha-the sister she didn’t even know had been born after she fled.
Lakshmi is strong and ambitious and the conversations she has with her clients show how clever she and the other women all are, as they carefully negotiate for what they desire…
The descriptions of their traditions, rich in detail.
The prose is lyrical, and the Audible narration by Sneha Mathan was masterful-she even had to be the voice of a talking parakeet named Madho Singh. 🦜
I enjoyed listening and reading simultaneously as the book provided a list of the characters who appear, the story of Henna, an explanation of the Caste system in India and recipes, making the experience of reading the book one that was not only engaging but educational as well.
The author, Alka Joshi, wrote this book for her mother, who had an arranged marriage at age eighteen and three children by age 22-never having the opportunity to choose or not choose these things for herself and reimagined her life-as if she had.
It is book one of a three book series which will jump in time 12 years and 18 years respectively and I cannot wait to continue the journey! Book two was just released on June 22, 2021 and is titled “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur”.
A wonderful debut which I am so glad to have finally made time for! ❤️
Rating: really liked it
This book took my soul captive and drag it to a marvelous journey taking place in Pink city, a unique place in Rajasthan named Jaipur… During your read, you smell all those herbs, visualize all those vivid colors, touch those exotic handcrafts, art pieces, jewelry and feel the soul of the city literally calling you! I felt like I was in an eccentric time travel!
It’s 50’s India: where the arranged marriages are forced for being a proper couple, abusive relationship patterns are considered as normal.
The story centered on 17 years old Lakshimi who is another victim of domestic violence,leaving her old life behind by moving to Jaipur, becoming an aspiring Henna artist. She works too hard to gain a respectful place, earning her customers full trust with her talented work, saving every penny to own the house of her own in near future.
But her husband’s sudden appearance along with her thirteen years old sister Radha changes everything. She’s so close to lose everything she’s worked so hard!
I have to say: don’t get intimidated by the list of long characters at the beginning of the book. When you read the chapters, you easily absorb their names, motives and traits easily.
This is absolutely so heartwarming story about dysfunctional marriage, dreams, sisterhood, friendship, customs, traditions and self discovery.
I actually berated myself a lot for skipping this book for a long time. I’m so happy to give it a chance. I’m still dabbing my eyes, checking my swollen face in the mirror! I did again! I became the winner of ugliest crier and most tear jerking person contest!
I highly recommend this who is open to take a realistic, sentimental, meaningful, heartwarming, intense journey to enjoy a great written women’s fiction!
Rating: really liked it
I absolutely loved reading this book. I got completely immersed in Lakshmi's world and felt that Alka Joshi appealed to all of my senses through her lyrical smooth writing. Lakshmi was a strong female protagonist who is brave and smart and admirable but also fallible and relatable. I loved how all of the characters wound together and enjoyed seeing different sides of their personalities through their relationships with others. I would highly recommend this book as a must read.
There is a character list and a glossary of Indian words and some recipes and I confess that I started out with the list open in front of me on the laptop while I read so that I would be able to keep track and was a bit nervous that there would be too many characters and I would be pulled out of the story trying to sort everyone out. That was not the case. Not long into the book, I closed my laptop and let the story tell itself.
1950's India and it's caste system are showed to us through Lakshmi and her sister and each of their journey's, from poverty to building an independent life. Lakshmi is a Henna artist and a herbalist and although seaming to float gracefully through many different castes, we see that her every action is quite calculated and careful to preserve her income and way of life.
The supporting characters are fully developed and as with all people, are all motivated differently, giving the book a depth that really stands out.
The imagery is so stunning and yet fluid to the story that it doesn't force itself on you, it envelops you.
I cheered for Lakshmi through trials and celebrations and when the story finished, I felt like I closed the door on a new friend that I would miss. Go read this book!!!!
Rating: really liked it
This story was so vivid and lush. 😍 It captures your attention from the get-go, as you follow this woman doing henna for high society women in 1950’s India. The colors and designs are described and sound simply beautiful. ❤️ The struggle of women in that time and that country was certainly difficult. The “gossipers” could make or break your reputation, business and livelihood. 😔 Its a great story of strong willed women, sisterhood and survival.
Rating: really liked it
A journey to Jaipur, India.Lakshmi becomes a henna artist to the elite women in the city, painting their bodies with intricate patterns and rubbing away aches with lavender and clove oils. They trust her and her ways. Word gets around and her appointment book fills up.
One day something happens, rumors start, she begins to panic as her appointments cancel. She will need to come up with a plan or lose everything she has worked for.
Lakshmi wasn't a likable character for me (not sure if she was meant to be). She did several things that were questionable and shallow. Malik was my favorite, but wasn't a big part of the story. One of her clients was also intriguing and I wish I knew more about her. There is a big cast of characters to keep up with, many with minor roles.
A vivid setting with the background of India, enormous palaces, royalty, lush gardens, and much more. It was easy to visualize the women wearing their pastel colored sari's, and traveling in the rickshaws.
An enjoyable and fairly quick read for me. Recommend if you enjoy a family drama set in an exotic place.
Library loan / Read in August 2021
Rating: really liked it
The Henna Artist follows Lakshmi, a 30 year old woman who fled her abusive marriage years ago to start over in Jaipur. She’s worked hard to become the most sought after henna artist there, with many wealthy clients. They trust her, as she keeps their secrets, but she’s also smart with an entrepreneurial mindset and working toward owning her own home.
Lakshmi is surprised when her younger sister, Radha, shows up unexpectedly — She’s been away from her former life so long, she didn’t realize she even had a sister. Lakshmi’s carefully crafted plans start becoming disrupted as Radha doesn’t always listen to her older sister.
I really liked Lakshmi and found it easy to root for her throughout the book. I enjoyed learning more about India during the 1950s and had no problem envisioning this story. So glad I finally read this one, I loved it!
