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The Henna Artist
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Lakshmi Shastri has spent years carving out a life for herself as a henna artist after fleeing her abusive husband and backward rural village for the Rajasthan capital. Well-versed in apothecary and the miraculous properties of herbs, her services (the effects of which are far more than just aesthetic) are highly sought after by upper-caste women, and Lakshmi’s success bri
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Expected publication:
March 10th 2020
by Mira
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The Henna Artist: A Novel
by
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Release
date: Mar 10, 2020
Enter to win 1 of 50 Advanced Reader Copies of The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi!
Escaping from an arranged and abusive marriage, seventeen-ye ...more
Escaping from an arranged and abusive marriage, seventeen-ye ...more
Format: Print book
Giveaway ends in:
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Availability: 50 copies available, 1041 people requesting
Giveaway dates: Nov 01 - Nov 30, 2019
Countries available: U.S.
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I confess that I know the author, and that I wholeheartedly love books set in the subcontinent, especially books set in the past (1955-1956, in this case) and that if it’s a book set in India in 1955 and the narrator spends her days drawing with a henna reed and grinding cardamom seeds and rose petals I am half-seduced already, but all of these things could make me hard to please, too, and I found this book delicious. There is something elemental and mythic about Lakshmi and her knowledge of spi
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I loved the story of Lakshmi, an Indian woman in 1950’s India, trying o make her way independently. After causing shame to her parents by leaving her abusive husband, after being married at 15, Lakshmi makes her way o Jaipur and becomes a healer as well as a henna artist. Radha finds out she has a sister, since she was born after Lakshmi fled, and comes to find her after their parents die. Radha’s naïveté leads to some challenges. Highly recommend this book. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.
I CAN’T TELL YOU THE LAST TIME I FINISHED A BOOK IN TWO DAYS!!! And it felt brilliant. It’s been such a long time since I’ve been so engrossed in a novel, not just because of the plot and emotional pull for the characters, but learning about a different culture—during a time that wasn’t that long ago—made this a simply beautiful novel.
For a debut novel, the author does an excellent job convincing you otherwise. There are a few “saw that coming” moments as you read, but that’s expected for any a ...more
For a debut novel, the author does an excellent job convincing you otherwise. There are a few “saw that coming” moments as you read, but that’s expected for any a ...more
Excellent story!
Beautiful prose!
Eager for next book.
Beautiful prose!
Eager for next book.
I found this DEBUT in-depth look at India after partition to be fascinating: the customs, the food, the opportunities, or lack thereof, for women.
I read this EARC courtesy of Edelweiss and Harper Collins, pub date 03/10/2020
I read this EARC courtesy of Edelweiss and Harper Collins, pub date 03/10/2020
The Henna Artist is a beautifully realized and evocative novel set in mid-century India after independence.
The heroine, Lakshmi, flees her small village, and an abusive marriage to create a new life for herself in the larger city of Jaipur. A henna artist, healer, and cunning businesswoman, she finds her first clients among Jaipur's prostitutes. Just as she begins to gain success and make her reputation in the houses of the wealthier, and more discerning, Jaipur women, her plans are inter ...more
The heroine, Lakshmi, flees her small village, and an abusive marriage to create a new life for herself in the larger city of Jaipur. A henna artist, healer, and cunning businesswoman, she finds her first clients among Jaipur's prostitutes. Just as she begins to gain success and make her reputation in the houses of the wealthier, and more discerning, Jaipur women, her plans are inter ...more
Thank you Harlequin Mira for the eARC.
Lakshmi fled her abusive husband and her village for Jaipur, the Pink City, where she carves out a living by painting henna on the bodies of rich women. She's saving for her own house and is on her way to succeeding when a sister she didn't know she had ends up on her doorstep. The 13-year old changes Lakshmi's life; she now has to look after someone other than herself and it's a struggle. Her sister had a mind of her own and ends up in trouble. Palahn ...more
Lakshmi fled her abusive husband and her village for Jaipur, the Pink City, where she carves out a living by painting henna on the bodies of rich women. She's saving for her own house and is on her way to succeeding when a sister she didn't know she had ends up on her doorstep. The 13-year old changes Lakshmi's life; she now has to look after someone other than herself and it's a struggle. Her sister had a mind of her own and ends up in trouble. Palahn ...more
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There comes a point in every daughter's life when she begins seeing her mother as a person separate from her family, someone who has an identity outside of motherhood. That was the moment I began re-imagining my mother's life, and that re-imagining became THE HENNA ARTIST. I was born in Rajasthan, India, and moved with my family to the U.S. when I was nine. Even after graduating from Stanford Univ
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