The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
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- Create Date：2021-06-19 10:50:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Alka Joshi
- ISBN：0778311457
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Summary
In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi's new novel， henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé， Malik， to intern at the Jaipur palace in a tale rich in character， atmosphere， intrigue and lavish storytelling。
It's the spring of 1969， and Lakshmi， now married to Dr。 Jay Kumar， is working at the Shimla community clinic。 Malik has finished his private school education。 At twenty， he has just met a young tribal woman， Nimmi， when he leaves to begin an apprenticeship at the palace facilities in Jaipur。 The royals' latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema。
Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood。 Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class， and favors flow from Jaipur's royal palace， but only if certain secrets remain buried。 When the cinema's balcony tragically collapses on opening night， blame is placed where it is convenient。 Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth。 As a young street urchin， he always knew to keep his own counsel; it's a lesson that still serves him well。 But it is only when Lakshmi， the real keeper of Jaipur's secrets， intervenes that things can truly right themselves。
It's the spring of 1969， and Lakshmi， now married to Dr。 Jay Kumar， is working at the Shimla community clinic。 Malik has finished his private school education。 At twenty， he has just met a young tribal woman， Nimmi， when he leaves to begin an apprenticeship at the palace facilities in Jaipur。 The royals' latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema。
Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood。 Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class， and favors flow from Jaipur's royal palace， but only if certain secrets remain buried。 When the cinema's balcony tragically collapses on opening night， blame is placed where it is convenient。 Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth。 As a young street urchin， he always knew to keep his own counsel; it's a lesson that still serves him well。 But it is only when Lakshmi， the real keeper of Jaipur's secrets， intervenes that things can truly right themselves。
Reviews
Laura Fenwick
，
This is a sequel to The Henna Artist which， regrettably， I haven’t yet read - however， for me， it didn’t prevent me from following and absolutely loving this book （and I will now most definitely be getting The Henna Artist！）Joshi’s writing is incredible， and I love her ease at describing the beautiful imagery to the reader of the colourful extravagance of the wealthy class of Jaipur， from the architecture， to the clothes and jewellery- it’s a perfectly balanced with the traditional natural lives This is a sequel to The Henna Artist which， regrettably， I haven’t yet read - however， for me， it didn’t prevent me from following and absolutely loving this book （and I will now most definitely be getting The Henna Artist！）Joshi’s writing is incredible， and I love her ease at describing the beautiful imagery to the reader of the colourful extravagance of the wealthy class of Jaipur， from the architecture， to the clothes and jewellery- it’s a perfectly balanced with the traditional natural lives in Shimla， which is portrayed equally as beautiful。 The story focuses on Malik’s navigation of the corruption and deception of the wealthy， but， to me， was a beautiful story of friendship and loyalty， with characters full of love and compassion and integrity。I loved that Lakshmi and Malik’s past in Jaipur was woven so well （I assume we learn most of this in The Henna Artist） into this story and in building the relationships Malik developed with the wealthy in Jaipur， with only a few knowing him as the street child he was in his youth and being so pleased to see him doing so well for himself。 I loved the Lakshmi’s strength and courage and her devotion to the people she cared for， how carefully she chose her words and actions and was looked up to by those around her， who trusted in her abilities to do the right thing。 She was kind and thoughtful and caring， and all with a gentle grace。 Malik takes after Lakshmi with his devotion and loyalty to those he cares for。 I loved how easily he fell in love with Nimmi and her children， and that， even hundreds of miles away， he stayed faithful and loving towards her。 He had an air of the young and carefree， but was focused， vigilant and mindful of his actions。 Nimmi is such a strong woman， to have lost her husband so tragically and so young， and to chose to leave her tribe and the life she knew to start over with her children somewhere new， and to be open enough to accept， and reciprocate， Malik’s love and affection。 She was such an inspiring character， to follow her struggles and witness her overcoming her fears！I honestly don’t have a bad thing to say about this book， it was so wonderful！ I wholeheartedly recommend it！ 。。。more
Melanie Stewart
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I listened to this book in one day。 I really enjoyed it。 The narrators were great！ I loved being back with such familiars loved characters❤️ I’m so glad I just finished The Henna Artist so everything was still fresh in my mind。 Another beautiful story！ This one publishes Monday June 21！
Lindsey
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Fell a little short of my expectations， but I still liked it。 I LOVED The Henna Artist。 I loved the characters and the writing and the setting and everything about it。 I had high expectations for the sequel， and it just wasn’t all I wanted it to be。 Things I liked: intrigue， I liked the mystery of what or who causes the cinema to collapse。 I like seeing Malik and Lakshmi work together to solve that mystery。 I really like the relationships amongst the characters。 I like the sprinkling in of forei Fell a little short of my expectations， but I still liked it。 I LOVED The Henna Artist。 I loved the characters and the writing and the setting and everything about it。 I had high expectations for the sequel， and it just wasn’t all I wanted it to be。 Things I liked: intrigue， I liked the mystery of what or who causes the cinema to collapse。 I like seeing Malik and Lakshmi work together to solve that mystery。 I really like the relationships amongst the characters。 I like the sprinkling in of foreign words and phrases and foods and places。 Things I didn’t like: I…。I don’t know。 I didn’t love Nimmi。 And I didn’t love the way the story changed voices between Nimmi， Lakshmi， and Malik。 Normally that’s a writing style I enjoy， but in this case it was a bit confusing， the various characters didn’t have distinctive voices。 I also feel like it was harder to connect with all of them。 Most of the warmth I feel toward the characters is nostalgia from the first book， I think if I had read this by itself I wouldn’t have been as impressed with them。 （Don’t， btw， read it without reading the first。 Any important information is revisited， but I think you’ll be missing out if you skip the first and read the second）。 I don’t know。 I was excited to have a whole book about Malik， but I just expected more from this book and was a little disappointed。 That being said， I would still read a third in the series if another book is written， because I do like the writing style and I love being transported to India。 。。。more
Holly （bibliophiles_bookstagram）
，
If you liked the Henna Artist， then you’ll love this sequel！ Although the story follows Malik， the youth that Lakshmi took under her wing to raise， she comes into the story once again！ Malik has now finished school and fallen for Nimmi， a twenty year old widowed mother of two！ He has to leaves for Jaipur to work for his uncle。 Their project？ A state of the art cinema。 When the cinema balcony suddenly collapses， blame is placed where it shouldn’t be， and Malik starts to investigate what went wron If you liked the Henna Artist， then you’ll love this sequel！ Although the story follows Malik， the youth that Lakshmi took under her wing to raise， she comes into the story once again！ Malik has now finished school and fallen for Nimmi， a twenty year old widowed mother of two！ He has to leaves for Jaipur to work for his uncle。 Their project？ A state of the art cinema。 When the cinema balcony suddenly collapses， blame is placed where it shouldn’t be， and Malik starts to investigate what went wrong。The writing is absolutely beautiful， and this story is told with such grace。 I just loved it！ 。。。more
Jayanti Pandey
，
#TheSecretKeeperofJaipur#AlkaJoshiNamaste！ Bonjour！ Welcome！The second in the trilogy， the first of which was #TheHennaArtist published in 2020， it was good to revisit familiar characters of Lakshmi and Malik; and to make new acquaintances。It is 1969。 Thirteen years have elapsed。 Lakshmi， the henna artist of Book 1， is now married and settled in Simla。 She works， along with her husband Dr Jay Kumar， running The Healing Garden。 Malik， her young helper， is now a twenty -year old， having secured a #TheSecretKeeperofJaipur#AlkaJoshiNamaste！ Bonjour！ Welcome！The second in the trilogy， the first of which was #TheHennaArtist published in 2020， it was good to revisit familiar characters of Lakshmi and Malik; and to make new acquaintances。It is 1969。 Thirteen years have elapsed。 Lakshmi， the henna artist of Book 1， is now married and settled in Simla。 She works， along with her husband Dr Jay Kumar， running The Healing Garden。 Malik， her young helper， is now a twenty -year old， having secured a good private education， and is ever thankful to Lakshmi， his Aunty-Boss。 He has struck up a romantic friendship with a young woman， Nimmi， in Simla when he has to leave for Jaipur to apprentice with the Jaipur Royal Palace in their latest project: a state of the art cinema。 Nothing much has changed， Malik discovers。 Power and money call the shots and bury secrets。 When the cinema’s balcony collapses on the day of the grand inauguration， blame is placed on a convenient head。 Malik however， is not satisfied and sets out to unravel the truth。 As a street child he has learnt the important of keeping his senses alert but to keep counsel to himself; a temperament which will stand him in good stead as moves into the quagmire of deceit。 A parallel story - of gold smuggling - is emerging in Simla。 Is there any way this and the incident at Jaipur are related？Alka Joshi has a way with words and keeps you enthralled from the word go。 It’s like an Insta-reel which unfolds quickly and moves from scene to scene not letting the reader sit back for a single second。 From the lanes of Jaipur to the large bungalows to the Maharani’s palace; to the Babudom and colonial hangover in clerical offices; intermingled with the Himalayan hill ranges and the life of the nomadic shepherd community， The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is a visual delight。 The sounds and smells of India are equally evoked and true to Novel 1 recipes and a glossary are appended at the end of the book。 The tension in this read is a couple of notches higher than in The Henna Artist。 Book 1 had laid down the foundation with more of a historical context。 Book 2 is high on intrigue and emotion justifying its faster pace。 Sequels are hard to live up to especially if the first was a runaway success。 But it seems Book 2 has taken flight successfully。 Pre-order now for this read which will be published June 22， 2021。 Thank you Harper Collins， Mira Press and Alka Joshi for making a digital e-ARC available。 I wish the book much success and look forward to Part 3。Note: Book 2 can be easily read as a stand-alone but it would be good for the reader to enjoy Book 1， The Henna Artist， as well， to fully enjoy the references and the characters。 。。。more
DJ
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What an incredible follow up to The Henna Artist！ Review to come。
jordana alford
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4 1/2 stars - the henna artist was one of my favorites 。 This was fun to revisit the characters
Ceylan （CeyGo）
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read The Secret Keeper of Jaipur Although this story follows some of favourite characters from The Henna Artist， it was so different than the Henna Artist in so many ways that it didn’t really feel like a sequel。 Much of what I enjoyed in The Henna Artist - the history， the art， the complex family relationships - are not what this books is about （ well there are some different types of complex family relationships ） It’s more of a co Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read The Secret Keeper of Jaipur Although this story follows some of favourite characters from The Henna Artist， it was so different than the Henna Artist in so many ways that it didn’t really feel like a sequel。 Much of what I enjoyed in The Henna Artist - the history， the art， the complex family relationships - are not what this books is about （ well there are some different types of complex family relationships ） It’s more of a cozy mystery almost - with drug trafficking and collapsed buildings and a “who done it” factor。 The story is told from the perspective of three individuals:✔️I loved Nimmi - her strength ， her stubbornness ， her love of her children and Malik - I was sad that she really didn’t feature much in the second half of the book。 I loved learning about the nomadic lifestyle of Nimmi and her family。✔️Lakshmi is back - and more or less the same as in the first book - a strong woman always fixing others problems and thinking she knows best 。 I loved that we saw a bit softer， insecure side of her in this book。 ✔️And Malik - little Malik was one of my favourite characters in The Henna Artist - he grows up to be a smart， resourceful and loyal young man。 。。。more
Andrea Wenger
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Twenty-year-old Malik is an apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace when their latest construction project， a movie theater， collapses on opening night。 He immediately suspects the use of subpar construction materials。 But it soon becomes clear that a cover-up is going on。 Can he protect himself and his family from the powerful players in the conspiracy？This sequel to THE HENNA ARTIST can stand on its own。 But I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first bo Twenty-year-old Malik is an apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace when their latest construction project， a movie theater， collapses on opening night。 He immediately suspects the use of subpar construction materials。 But it soon becomes clear that a cover-up is going on。 Can he protect himself and his family from the powerful players in the conspiracy？This sequel to THE HENNA ARTIST can stand on its own。 But I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book in the series first。 The relationships are complicated。 Fortunately， the author provided a cast of characters at the beginning of the book， which helped。 The plot was compelling once I got my bearings， and the storytelling beautiful。 I enjoyed the characters and the setting。 It's a sweeping story of a particular time and place， told through important moments in the lives of the key characters。Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Lizanne Johnson
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I might have liked this even better than The Henna Artist！ I hope there are more books to come in this series。
Lalaa #ThisBlackGirlReads
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 What a beautiful ride and a lovely story filled with culture and intrigue。 I really like this book and it kept me fascinated and turning the page。 I never read the Henna Artist， and I only begin by saying that because I felt that if I did I would have most likely felt more connected and familiar with the characters and scenarios that happened， and I feel that's the only aspect of the book that I didn't like。 But now I'll surely go back and read the Henna Artist。 In this story， Lakshmi arranges f What a beautiful ride and a lovely story filled with culture and intrigue。 I really like this book and it kept me fascinated and turning the page。 I never read the Henna Artist， and I only begin by saying that because I felt that if I did I would have most likely felt more connected and familiar with the characters and scenarios that happened， and I feel that's the only aspect of the book that I didn't like。 But now I'll surely go back and read the Henna Artist。 In this story， Lakshmi arranges for her protégé， Malik， to intern at the Jaipur Palace to keep him occupied and give him direction。 It’s the spring of 1969， and Lakshmi， now married to Dr。 Jay Kumar， directs the Healing Garden in Shimla。 Malik has finished his private school education。 At twenty， he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace。 Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema。When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night， blame is placed where it is convenient。 But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth。 Malik soon finds out that the upper-class is plagued with secrets and lies but he sticks to his instincts to uncover what is really going on。 Definitely a thrilling and worthy read。Thanks to Libro FM for providing me with an advanced audio copy for my review。 。。。more
Jennifer
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This picks up where the Henna Artist left off。 It's now 12 years later， and Lakshmi and Dr Jay are married。 Malik is just finished with school， and Lakshmi has gotten him and internship with Manu in Jaipur。 When the Palace's new theatre collapses on opening night， the palace must blame someone。 Malik realizes that something is not right with the construction， and unless he can prove what was done， the palace is going to put the blame on Manu。Received free through NetGalley。 This picks up where the Henna Artist left off。 It's now 12 years later， and Lakshmi and Dr Jay are married。 Malik is just finished with school， and Lakshmi has gotten him and internship with Manu in Jaipur。 When the Palace's new theatre collapses on opening night， the palace must blame someone。 Malik realizes that something is not right with the construction， and unless he can prove what was done， the palace is going to put the blame on Manu。Received free through NetGalley。 。。。more
Vera
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Secret Keeper of Jaipur！This book is amazing！ I absolutely loved The Henna Artist， and I was super excited to read The Secret Keeper of Jaipur as well。 It absolutely does not disappoint， and I thought it was the perfect continuation to the story that was started in The Henna Artist。 I loved finding out what is happening in Lakshmi's life so many years later， and I especially loved seeing Malik as a grown Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Secret Keeper of Jaipur！This book is amazing！ I absolutely loved The Henna Artist， and I was super excited to read The Secret Keeper of Jaipur as well。 It absolutely does not disappoint， and I thought it was the perfect continuation to the story that was started in The Henna Artist。 I loved finding out what is happening in Lakshmi's life so many years later， and I especially loved seeing Malik as a grown man making his own way in the world。 There are also some new characters introduced in this one that I very much enjoyed getting to know。 I love that the story is told from multiple perspectives so that we get to hear the inner thoughts of several different characters and watch the events in the story unfold from a variety of angles。 Joshi's world-building continues to be beautiful， and I felt like I could really imagine myself in India alongside the characters as the story unfolded。 The plot is exciting and a bit more fast-paced than in The Henna Artist， and I absolutely could not put it down （I finished it in one day！）。 Highly recommend！！ 。。。more
Nicole
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Our honeysuckle has a bird’s nest on it！ I’m really curious to see if the bird built it for eggs or not。 This weekend I finished listening to the audiobook for The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi。 It’s the sequel to The Henna Artist， which was released last year。 I was so happy when I saw it available through the @librofm ALC program。 Since it’s a sequel I don’t want to say too much about the plot。 I will say this historical fiction novel takes place in India and takes place about a decade Our honeysuckle has a bird’s nest on it！ I’m really curious to see if the bird built it for eggs or not。 This weekend I finished listening to the audiobook for The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi。 It’s the sequel to The Henna Artist， which was released last year。 I was so happy when I saw it available through the @librofm ALC program。 Since it’s a sequel I don’t want to say too much about the plot。 I will say this historical fiction novel takes place in India and takes place about a decade after The Henna Artist。 We continue to follow Lakshmi and Malik。 ❤️Review❤️I wasn’t sure what to expect from a sequel because the Henna Artist wrapped up in a way I didn’t see a sequel coming。 I liked how time had passed and it wasn’t an immediate sequel。 I do however recommend you read the Henna Artist。 This book did rely on you remembering and knowing previous events and relationships。 I also liked how this one had a mystery element。 It helped to keep me engaged and wanting to know more。 I also loved how the story really brought the culture to life by including multiple aspects including food， medicine， practices， architecture， just to name a few elements。 I liked the voice actors for the audiobook and that each perspective had its own voice。 I think I liked The Henna Artist better， but this was still a really solid read。 If you are looking for historical fiction books that take place in India， this series is for you！ 4 stars！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️#AudioBooks #LibroFm #Bookstagram #HistoricalFiction #NewBookReleases #BookSeries #BooksBooksBooks #JuneReleases #BookReview #BookLover #BookCommunity 。。。more
Alexis （hookedtobooks）
，
Thank you Harelquin Books for the copy of this book。-Read if you like: family sagas， historical mysteries。-Taking place twelve years after the Henna Artist， we follow three characters as they navigate life and change in an independent India。 I loved Lakshmi in the first book， and this one was no different。 She helps run a healing center and just wants to protect her family。-My favourite was Nimmi's section。 I loved learning about life and traditions in her nomadic tribe， and how hard she had to Thank you Harelquin Books for the copy of this book。-Read if you like: family sagas， historical mysteries。-Taking place twelve years after the Henna Artist， we follow three characters as they navigate life and change in an independent India。 I loved Lakshmi in the first book， and this one was no different。 She helps run a healing center and just wants to protect her family。-My favourite was Nimmi's section。 I loved learning about life and traditions in her nomadic tribe， and how hard she had to work when she decides to leave her tribe and settle in Shimla。-CW: violence， murder， death of a loved one， minor sexual content。 。。。more
Amyn
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I'm not sure this is interesting as a standalone， you need to read the first book， The Henna Artist I'm not sure this is interesting as a standalone， you need to read the first book， The Henna Artist 。。。more
Bookoholiccafe
，
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur was the one I was waiting for months to read since I loved The Hana Artist， and it was my 2020 top 10 books。 I simply could not relate to the story。 At the same time， I cant wait to read the third one。I have to add the narrators were amazing， however， I was not able to connect with the characters as much as I did in the first book。
Meagan
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Review to come
Kathy Boehm
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Twelve storyline years have passed since the ending of Alka Joshi‘s wonderful debut novel， The Henna Artist。 This book picks up at that time， with Lakshmi still working in Shimla， now as the Director of the Lady Reading Healing Garden。 She is now married to Dr。 Jay Kumar， physician at the Lady Reading Hospital and Director of the Community Clinic。 Her sister Radha has married her husband Pierre and moved to Paris。 Her assistant Malik has graduated the prestigious Bishop Cotton School for Boys an Twelve storyline years have passed since the ending of Alka Joshi‘s wonderful debut novel， The Henna Artist。 This book picks up at that time， with Lakshmi still working in Shimla， now as the Director of the Lady Reading Healing Garden。 She is now married to Dr。 Jay Kumar， physician at the Lady Reading Hospital and Director of the Community Clinic。 Her sister Radha has married her husband Pierre and moved to Paris。 Her assistant Malik has graduated the prestigious Bishop Cotton School for Boys and is now an apprentice with Singh-Sharma Construction， headed by Samir Singh。The book opens with the catastrophic collapse of the balcony on opening night at the Royal Jewel Cinema in Jaipur， constructed by Malik’s employers。 An investigation is launched and Malik plays a key role in determining who is responsible。 Lakshmi， supportive as always， travels 11 hours by train to Jaipur to assist Malik and ply her royal connections to help save the job and reputation of Manu Agarwal， her dear friend Kanta’s husband， who also works there。A significant storyline is the smuggling of gold after the restrictive Gold Act is enacted in India。 Malik‘s love interest， Nimmi， a recent widow with two young children， figures prominently in this storyline。 Returning with significant roles are Ravi Singh and his mother Parvati， and Maharani Latika and the dowager Maharani Indira。 Several new characters are also introduced。As with The Henna Artist， this book gives the reader an informed look at the culture of India， this time including much more about Shimla which is in the Himalayas。 A delightful read， full of color， fragrance， atmosphere， and suspense。 The conclusion is a satisfying one。It is not necessary to have read The Henna Artist prior to this， the second in a series of three books， because the author does an excellent job of filling in the backstory。 However， reading the first book will give a more fitting introduction。 Looking forward to the third book， due in 2022， which will center on Radha and her life in Paris。 Highly recommended！ Thank you to the author and publisher for an advance reader’s copy。 （Publication date: June 22， 2021）。 。。。more
Teresa Skidmore
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Let me start by saying I loved The Henna Artist and was so excited for this book。 I think I held it to a different standard because this one just didn’t work for me。 I think I may have been expecting too much！ It’s a different story and one that I couldn’t really engage with。 I did listen on audio so that could have been some of it。 But I was overall disappointed。
Meagan
，
I have really enjoyed both Alka Joshi's books。 I like how they are deeply rooted in Indian culture and as a history teacher， I love learning the stories of everyday people in different places and different times。 I like how their are different voices to each chapter。 Love how they blended in bits of the 1st book so you could remember what happened but you did not need to read the 1st book to enjoy the 2nd。 Review for NetGalley。 I have really enjoyed both Alka Joshi's books。 I like how they are deeply rooted in Indian culture and as a history teacher， I love learning the stories of everyday people in different places and different times。 I like how their are different voices to each chapter。 Love how they blended in bits of the 1st book so you could remember what happened but you did not need to read the 1st book to enjoy the 2nd。 Review for NetGalley。 。。。more
Marialyce （absltmom， yaya）
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This was a fine continuation to the author's The Henna Artist。 In it we meet once again， Lakshimi， the natural healer who is now married to Dr Jay Kumar。 Lakshimi's protege， Malik has finished his private school education and is ready to embark on a career。 He meets and falls in love with a mountain girl， Nimmi， who is a widow with two young children， who can't read or write。 Lakshimi is somewhat disappointed in his choice， but comes to realize Malik is his own person。Meanwhile， there is a trage This was a fine continuation to the author's The Henna Artist。 In it we meet once again， Lakshimi， the natural healer who is now married to Dr Jay Kumar。 Lakshimi's protege， Malik has finished his private school education and is ready to embark on a career。 He meets and falls in love with a mountain girl， Nimmi， who is a widow with two young children， who can't read or write。 Lakshimi is somewhat disappointed in his choice， but comes to realize Malik is his own person。Meanwhile， there is a tragedy as the balcony of the new constructed Royal Jewel Theater flls to the ground and people are injured and killed。 Malik had been hired at the Facilities Department， a part of the Royal Palace， so he is sent to assess the damages。 He discovers something amiss， something he believes caused the tragic collapse of the balcony。 He and his family are placed in danger as his discovery has several hidden agendas that involve the illegal transportation of gold， a much sought after commodity in India， and perhaps a very wealthy family in Jaipur。 Will the guilty be punished or will all of this be swept away because of power and money？Once again， Alka Joshi has filled her story with vivid scenes of India， ones that encompass the beauty of the country as well as ones who show the poverty and class structure that seems to still be in effect。 Her words transport the reader into the sounds and smells of the Indian culture and even includes some recipes at the end for the Indian foods she incorporates into the book。I very much enjoyed this second book in The Henna Artist series， and hope to read more of this family and its love and care for one another。 A definite recommendation for this one。 Thank you to Alka Joshi， Mira Books， and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out June 22， 2021。 。。。more
Bookclubbish
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CategoriesCultural Heritage， Women's Fiction， Literary Fiction， Historical Fiction CategoriesCultural Heritage， Women's Fiction， Literary Fiction， Historical Fiction 。。。more
Susan Ballard
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4。5 I loved The Henna Artist， with its rich and savory details， and now Joshi takes us back into the heart of India。Twelve years have passed since Lakshmi was forced to leave Jaipur。 Lakshmi and her husband， Dr。 Jay， have made a life for themselves in rural Simla。 Lakshmi assists her husband and tends to her healing garden。 Malik， the orphan who Lakshmi took under her wing， now twenty， has returned to Jaipur as a builder’s apprentice。 When a tragic accident occurs at the new cinema during a prem 4。5 I loved The Henna Artist， with its rich and savory details， and now Joshi takes us back into the heart of India。Twelve years have passed since Lakshmi was forced to leave Jaipur。 Lakshmi and her husband， Dr。 Jay， have made a life for themselves in rural Simla。 Lakshmi assists her husband and tends to her healing garden。 Malik， the orphan who Lakshmi took under her wing， now twenty， has returned to Jaipur as a builder’s apprentice。 When a tragic accident occurs at the new cinema during a premier event， it brings shame to the palace。 Malik is convinced there is a scandal， and he digs to unbury the truth。 Lakshmi is drawn back into the world of secrets and deception， so she uses her connections to help protect those she loves。Although this may be more of Malik’s story， as he is now older， has a love interest， and is investigating the scandal; honestly， I just love Lakshmi！ Alka Joshi is one of the best descriptive writers。 You will be immersed in the sights， the sounds， and the smells of India。 This can be read as a standalone， but I suggest you take in the beauty of The Henna Artist first。 Thank you to @librofm and @harlequin。audio for this #ALC 。。。more
Ashley
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Wow！ This book is incredible！ It is engaging， intriguing， enthralling， gripping， rich in detail， and so much more！ Whenever I picked up “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur”， I was whisked back in time to the late 1960s， and went on such an emotional journey with this story。 This is the second book I have read by Alka Joshi， the first being “The Henna Artist”！ Many characters and their stories from “The Henna Artist” continue in “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur”。 However， I also believe this book can be rea Wow！ This book is incredible！ It is engaging， intriguing， enthralling， gripping， rich in detail， and so much more！ Whenever I picked up “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur”， I was whisked back in time to the late 1960s， and went on such an emotional journey with this story。 This is the second book I have read by Alka Joshi， the first being “The Henna Artist”！ Many characters and their stories from “The Henna Artist” continue in “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur”。 However， I also believe this book can be read as a stand-alone as well。 Ms。 Joshi’s writing style is incredibly visceral; each and every word and moment truly springs to life right off of the page。 I truly felt like I was right there in India; the sights and sounds of each scene came to life right before my eyes。 I feel like I learned so much about different cultures， ways of life， and much more。 Furthermore， Ms。 Joshi brilliantly connects and intertwines plot lines。 Featured in this book are quite a few stories， all weaving with each other in one way or another。When a tragedy occurs as the new cinema theatre in Jaipur collapses， there are both those who will do anything to seek the truth， and those who wish to keep what really happened hidden。 In another part of India， Nimmi， a widow with two children， has fallen in love with Malik， a young man who has traveled to Jaipur to be an apprentice。 Nimmi is taken under the wing of Lakshmi and her husband， Dr。 Jay Kumar， and they all soon find themselves unwillingly involved in dangerous activity。 This book explores both class and caste structures， wealth and / or lack of it， expectations， gender， and all of this， as well as so much more。 All of this truly makes this book very hard to put down。。If you enjoy historical fiction， I highly recommend this book！ It had me turning the pages to see what would happen next， and I can’t wait to read what Ms。 Joshi writes next。 Thank you so much to MIRA （Harper Collins） and Edelweiss + for the ARC of this book， it is incredible！ All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Stacy
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I listened to the audio of The Henna Artist last year and fell in love with Lakshmi， she was easily one of my favorite fierce leading ladies of 2020。 I was excited to have the opportunity to listen to the second book in the series， The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。Author Alka Joshi does a great job setting up a dramatic first chapter--I was instantly hooked！ She then catches you up with the cast of characters as this book takes place about 12 years later。 Since this book centers a bit more around Mal I listened to the audio of The Henna Artist last year and fell in love with Lakshmi， she was easily one of my favorite fierce leading ladies of 2020。 I was excited to have the opportunity to listen to the second book in the series， The Secret Keeper of Jaipur。Author Alka Joshi does a great job setting up a dramatic first chapter--I was instantly hooked！ She then catches you up with the cast of characters as this book takes place about 12 years later。 Since this book centers a bit more around Malik， the narration was shared by Sneha Mathan， Ariyan Kassam and Deepa Samuel。 The multi-narrator approach works so well for a book with a deep cast that you're trying to keep straight。I think this book builds nicely upon the last one， I loved the characters， storyline and setting， it is transformative！ Thank you to Harper Audio for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sarah R | BiblioBonorum
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Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for the early copy！
Raquel
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Thank you Mira books， Net Gallery and Alka Joshi for a chance to get an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 I was SO excited when I saw I was approved for this。 I actually cried a little bit。 Spoiler alert: It did not disappoint。 If you haven’t read The Henna Artist yet， I would advise you to pick that one up first before reading this， as this one is the sequel and we continue on Lakshmi’s journey。 The collapse of a theatre in Jaipur weaves multiple stories together whe Thank you Mira books， Net Gallery and Alka Joshi for a chance to get an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 I was SO excited when I saw I was approved for this。 I actually cried a little bit。 Spoiler alert: It did not disappoint。 If you haven’t read The Henna Artist yet， I would advise you to pick that one up first before reading this， as this one is the sequel and we continue on Lakshmi’s journey。 The collapse of a theatre in Jaipur weaves multiple stories together when trying to uncover what went wrong in this tragedy。 I almost don’t want to say too much about this as I’m afraid to spoil it but we revisit other characters that I loved in the first novel as well as having the chance to be introduced to new characters。 The novel is writing from multiple POVs， which ties together perfectly。 This book makes you want to travel though。 Alka writes so vividly and beautiful that you honestly feel like you are in India tasting and smelling the food that she talks about or seeing the henna and clothes on the woman。 I loved it， it’s a 4。5 for me！ However definitely read The Henna Artist first if you plan to pick up this one。 。。。more
Jaisyn Allyn
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3。5** - Full review to come soon buuttttttt， without reading the first book there's definitely details that would be more clear， and this one isn't written in the same Alka Joshi style that fans might be used to。 3。5** - Full review to come soon buuttttttt， without reading the first book there's definitely details that would be more clear， and this one isn't written in the same Alka Joshi style that fans might be used to。 。。。more
DaAnne Smith
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