Elise asked Alka Joshi:

Hello! Thank you for writing The Henna Artist! I really appreciate the way you tackle the themes of responsibility and 'the heart'. These themes are very important to young women, and my question is: at what age do you think it would be appropriate for a young woman to read the book? Is seventeen too young? I'm thinking of recommending it to someone, but can't be sure whether she's too young. Thank you!

Alka Joshi What a great question! Teenagers are very savvy nowadays and seem to grow up so much faster than I did at their age. I would feel comfortable gifting it to a teen because of the themes that resonate so soundly with readers around the world of all ages and that mean so much to me personally: who gets to make choices over our bodies? is what we think we want really what we need? are the attractions in our lives really distractions from our higher purpose? Teens have written to me letting me know that they grasp much more than I thought they would and what it means to the shape of their lives going forward.

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