The Henna Artist
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-07 04:51:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alka Joshi
- ISBN：1867231921
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK
‘This vivid story is so rich and complex。。。reading about Lakshmi's journey from escaping an abusive marriage to becoming one of the most sought-after henna artists in Jaipur captivated me from the first chapter to the final page。’ Reese Witherspoon
Escaping from an abusive marriage， seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur。 There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist-and confidante-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。
Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern， The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating， stark and cruel。
‘This vivid story is so rich and complex。。。reading about Lakshmi's journey from escaping an abusive marriage to becoming one of the most sought-after henna artists in Jaipur captivated me from the first chapter to the final page。’ Reese Witherspoon
Escaping from an abusive marriage， seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur。 There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist-and confidante-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。
Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern， The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating， stark and cruel。
Reviews
Jodi
，
3/5。 I really liked the writing in this book and its rich descriptions of Indian culture。 It was really interesting to learn more about henna and the meaning and culture behind the designs and process。 However， I didn't feel drawn to any of the characters or the challenges they were facing。 Although the events in the book were meant to be emotional and heart-wrenching， I felt a bit removed from everything that was happening to them。 The relationships between the characters also didn't feel prope 3/5。 I really liked the writing in this book and its rich descriptions of Indian culture。 It was really interesting to learn more about henna and the meaning and culture behind the designs and process。 However， I didn't feel drawn to any of the characters or the challenges they were facing。 Although the events in the book were meant to be emotional and heart-wrenching， I felt a bit removed from everything that was happening to them。 The relationships between the characters also didn't feel properly formed - e。g。 Lakshmi and her sister Radha meet for the first time in the beginning of the book and immediately seemed to have a fully-formed relationship （without any proper development）。 IMO too many things going on in the book， not enough character development。 。。。more
Emma
，
This book was really good！！！ It was definitely a change from what I normally read， but I really enjoyed it。 That ending though！ Next book here I come！ :））
Theorizing Reader
，
Lakshmi Shastri gets married at the age of 15 but runs away from her abusive marriage to make a life for herself。 She is 'The Henna Artist' and the favorite of her 'Ladies' to whom she offers her service。 She works hard and earns as much as she can so that she could own her own house and be independent。 All was well and normal until her younger sister enters her life and becomes her responsibility。 My favorite character is undoubtedly Lakshmi。 She is such a fine example of a self-made individual Lakshmi Shastri gets married at the age of 15 but runs away from her abusive marriage to make a life for herself。 She is 'The Henna Artist' and the favorite of her 'Ladies' to whom she offers her service。 She works hard and earns as much as she can so that she could own her own house and be independent。 All was well and normal until her younger sister enters her life and becomes her responsibility。 My favorite character is undoubtedly Lakshmi。 She is such a fine example of a self-made individual。 And then there's Radha， Lakshmi's sister， the character I hated the most， who pissed me off to the very end。 She was known as the 'bad luck girl' in her village。 And I know I may sound very insensitive but I thought at some point that she really was a 'bad luck girl'。 She is that 'typical teenager' who would be in her dream world and do not listen to anybody else than hers。Apart from all these， this book shows us the behavior of our society towards a single woman。 The change in attitude when there's a downfall in a person's life。 And how difficult is to withstand all odds of life by oneself。 I also got to know about different occasions where Henna designs play an important role and benefits of various herbs。 The second half of the book was faster compared to the 1st half in my opinion。 Language is smooth and simple。 The book is interesting， engaging and one of the fine reads of fiction。 It has a perfect ending which is not actually an ending。 So， I'll be hopping into its sequel 'The Secret Keeper of Jaipur' right now。 By the time I recommend you give 'The Henna Artist' a try。 。。。more
Alissa Legacy
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I thought I would like this but found it boring。
Anoop Bhat
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This is a decent book and a very short read。 It took me about 5 hours on audible and a very easy read。 The storyline isn't anything amazing， nor are there any major twists and turns。 Its generally a fun read and kind of feels like you are watching a old hindi movie。 The narrative was crisp and fun to listen to。 I would have preferred a different ending or even some climax but obviously this is a book and not a movie！ This is a decent book and a very short read。 It took me about 5 hours on audible and a very easy read。 The storyline isn't anything amazing， nor are there any major twists and turns。 Its generally a fun read and kind of feels like you are watching a old hindi movie。 The narrative was crisp and fun to listen to。 I would have preferred a different ending or even some climax but obviously this is a book and not a movie！ 。。。more
Nicki
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This book will stick with me for a while。 These characters strength and realities leave an impression not forgotten。
Kelly Power
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The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi is set in 1950s India and tells the story of a young woman escaping an abusive arranged marriage and making a life of her own as a henna artist serving the rich and wealthy。 The novel provides a look into India's caste system and a culture shifting from traditional to modern。A good read。 The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi is set in 1950s India and tells the story of a young woman escaping an abusive arranged marriage and making a life of her own as a henna artist serving the rich and wealthy。 The novel provides a look into India's caste system and a culture shifting from traditional to modern。A good read。 。。。more
Rebekah
，
Rounded up
Maria Zieno Aebi
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An insight into the way Indian culture worked in the 50's。 I learned about henna， which I have always found fascinating。 I was intimidated by the lengthy list of characters at the front of the book but it was not difficult to keep them apart， once I began reading。 I appreciated the glossary of Indian words and phrases in the back。 The book made me want to learn more about how the British rule came about there and so I went on to find out more。 It also helped me to better understand the idiosyncr An insight into the way Indian culture worked in the 50's。 I learned about henna， which I have always found fascinating。 I was intimidated by the lengthy list of characters at the front of the book but it was not difficult to keep them apart， once I began reading。 I appreciated the glossary of Indian words and phrases in the back。 The book made me want to learn more about how the British rule came about there and so I went on to find out more。 It also helped me to better understand the idiosyncrasies of the culture， which is distinct and in the past has confused me。 All in all I found myself wanting to spend time in this place with these people and the descriptions of the colors， the sights， the foods and the mannerisms made me feel like I was there。 。。。more
Sonali Misra
，
Compulsively readable， got me out of my reading funk！ Beautifully written with a tapestry of words that creates a picture as detailed as the Henna Artists designs。
Sue
，
I loved this story， the characters， such a great book！ Then， to realize the second book just came out this year - I'll be picking it up from my local Indie bookstore today。 Really enjoyed reading about the culture of India （1950's）: transformations， surprises， deceit and atonement。 Even better， Alka Joshi included definitions of the terms used in the story， a beautiful acknowledgement of the reason she wrote the book as well as recipes for some key topics in the book。 Easy 5 stars。 I loved this story， the characters， such a great book！ Then， to realize the second book just came out this year - I'll be picking it up from my local Indie bookstore today。 Really enjoyed reading about the culture of India （1950's）: transformations， surprises， deceit and atonement。 Even better， Alka Joshi included definitions of the terms used in the story， a beautiful acknowledgement of the reason she wrote the book as well as recipes for some key topics in the book。 Easy 5 stars。 。。。more
Jmgrn
，
A wonderful introduction and description of life in India in the 50s。 Well written。 Well developed characters。 Good story。。。I learned so much about India。 I especially liked the definitions and descriptions at the end of the book。
Melody
，
A wonderful book about surviving in a cut-throat， judgmental culture！！
Mary
，
I would have a difficult time navigating Indian culture。 Lots of specific rules。 Very interesting book。
Natbert
，
Tender， beautiful and and effortlessly written。
Mia
，
Apsolutno sam uživala čitati ovaj roman， slobodno mogu reći da je za mene ovo roman ljeta （ako niti jedna druga knjiga koju ću pročitati do kraja ne nadmaši njega， onda i roman godine）。 ♥️Roman koji odiše život， ljudsku psihu i životni tijek。 Pokazao mi je što ti sve život može servirati i kako uvijek iz svake situacije postoji izlaz。 🙌🏽Indija i njezino stanovništvo 50-ih godina prošlog stoljeća oživljeni su na realističan i vjeran način。 Stvarno sam zajedno s likovima proživljavala njihov život Apsolutno sam uživala čitati ovaj roman， slobodno mogu reći da je za mene ovo roman ljeta （ako niti jedna druga knjiga koju ću pročitati do kraja ne nadmaši njega， onda i roman godine）。 ♥️Roman koji odiše život， ljudsku psihu i životni tijek。 Pokazao mi je što ti sve život može servirati i kako uvijek iz svake situacije postoji izlaz。 🙌🏽Indija i njezino stanovništvo 50-ih godina prošlog stoljeća oživljeni su na realističan i vjeran način。 Stvarno sam zajedno s likovima proživljavala njihov život。 Životna sudbina jake i neovisne žene Lakshmi pokazala mi je sve za što smo mi žene sposobne i koliko smo snalažljive kada imamo ambiciju i cilj prema kojem idemo。 Život njezine sestre Radhe i njezin lik su prozor u svijet zapadne kulture， njezina sudbina je drugačija， ali je priča njezinog lika prekrasna。 Najviše me oduševilo kod ovog romana to što prikazuje životni tijek， priča žensku životnu sudbinu te to što mi je pokazao ulogu i značaj promjene。 💫 。。。more
Gauri Parab
，
This is a book that truly makes you travel。 Travel through time and place， culture and society， art and personal journeys。 Add to that a gripping story and interesting characters。 I went through this book really really fast。 😊
Rudrashree Makwana
，
The gripping， compelling and evocative tale has been set in Jaipur， 1955。 It will take you back to the pink city， post independence。 It’s a fine portrayal of a woman’s struggle， stuck between her past and present and it will open the realm of your soul to royal secrets， tale of Indian households， influential people of that time and it will take you deep in the character of the Lakshmi and Radha。 After escaping from her toxic husband， seventeen years old Lakshmi venture towards her journey and be The gripping， compelling and evocative tale has been set in Jaipur， 1955。 It will take you back to the pink city， post independence。 It’s a fine portrayal of a woman’s struggle， stuck between her past and present and it will open the realm of your soul to royal secrets， tale of Indian households， influential people of that time and it will take you deep in the character of the Lakshmi and Radha。 After escaping from her toxic husband， seventeen years old Lakshmi venture towards her journey and becomes a Henna Artist from ordinary woman to a woman of power。 But one day， she was startled deep out of reverie， when she gets to know about her thirteen years old sister。 。。。more
Kelsi Schmidt
，
A beautiful story about family， self-fulfillment， tough decisions， and societal pressure。 So glad I finally read it！
Pollie
，
Really beautiful story。 Lakshmi is a an independent woman in India in the 1950s。 henna artist。 Healer。 Protector of long lost younger Sister Radha。
Neha
，
This book was so interesting！ Hearing about a time period and reality from a woman’s perspective in India was really cool， and the portrayal of really complex topics is really well done！
Liz
，
I can never tell if my ongoing abiding interest in books set in South and East Asia is some kind of weird cultural tourism thing or about a deep and abiding interest in a culture that has so many touchstones in common with my religion。。。mutatis mutandis。Also the food。 Wow， this book made me hungry。Reading this in the middle （God forbid it be just the beginning） of what's going on in Texas was。。。an experience。 The reminder that， for more of history， women could and did end pregnancies that would I can never tell if my ongoing abiding interest in books set in South and East Asia is some kind of weird cultural tourism thing or about a deep and abiding interest in a culture that has so many touchstones in common with my religion。。。mutatis mutandis。Also the food。 Wow， this book made me hungry。Reading this in the middle （God forbid it be just the beginning） of what's going on in Texas was。。。an experience。 The reminder that， for more of history， women could and did end pregnancies that would have put them in some kind of danger was particularly stark。 The contrast of all of these women—those who sought abortions， those who refused them， and those who desperately wanted to conceive was elegantly done and， honestly， emphasized the role that power and choice played in what constitutes the right thing。I have such a soft spot for "woman stops being at the mercy of others and finds herself" stories。 This was a really good one and the audio version was lovely。 （The worst part of reading audiobooks is that it multiplies my "Oh， oh， NO， the character is going to do something THAT IS A MISTAKE" by like ten and the visceral embarrassment is a MOOD。 So if that's a thing for you。。。maybe print or just put those 15 minutes on like 2x speed。） 。。。more
Beth Arocha
，
fantastic！！
Elena
，
Imi plac romanele care aduc si altceva pe langa sentimentele personajelor si anume obiceiuri， retete， informatii despre locuri si istorii ale locurilor si un pic de adevar。 Cartea mi-a trezit curiozitatea despre India si despre medicina ayurvedica。
Michelle Sneathen
，
I would really give 3。5 stars。 I am not sure why but I found some of this good irritating。 The author laid it all out to clearly and it seemed obvious to me where it was going although the main character seemed to struggle making some obvious choices。 I liked the main story and some of the history from that time although I’m not sure how authentic it is。 I didn’t find myself wanting to pick the book up to see what was next。 It didn’t pull me in。 I felt like the potential is there but the author I would really give 3。5 stars。 I am not sure why but I found some of this good irritating。 The author laid it all out to clearly and it seemed obvious to me where it was going although the main character seemed to struggle making some obvious choices。 I liked the main story and some of the history from that time although I’m not sure how authentic it is。 I didn’t find myself wanting to pick the book up to see what was next。 It didn’t pull me in。 I felt like the potential is there but the author fell a little short。 Glad I read it though。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
While it always bothers me to read about abuses and the ownership of women with India's caste system， this was an enjoyable read。 Predictable to be sure， but still satisfying。 While it always bothers me to read about abuses and the ownership of women with India's caste system， this was an enjoyable read。 Predictable to be sure， but still satisfying。 。。。more
Tricia
，
3。25。 Very predictable。 Story of Lakshmi， a woman who worked her way up to henna artist of the wealthy women in Jaipur。
Shannon
，
I found the writing to be beautiful and rich in its imagery。 Some of the themes were jarring to my 2021 world view but thinking about when it is set helped assuage that a bit。 All in all， a good read and I will read the next in the series。
Marsha Dommel
，
Spectacular！！
Choco Panda
，
This was a such wonderful book。 I am so glad to have been able to read it。 Beautiful， but definitely a deep read。 I couldn't put it down。 This was a such wonderful book。 I am so glad to have been able to read it。 Beautiful， but definitely a deep read。 I couldn't put it down。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Henna Artist
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Henna Artist&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Henna Artist&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0