Sarah Willmann
asked
Alka Joshi:
Hi alka josh I My name is Sarah and I'm a big fan of yours, what I wanted to ask you is where did you get your ideas for books? What inspired you? From Sarah
Alka Joshi
Inspiration for the first book came from my mother; I wanted to create a life for her through the character of Lakshmi, who leads a far more independent life than my mother had the opportunity to. She had a conventional Indian upbringing: arranged marriage, 3 children by 22, no chance of a career. But she was a feminist and gave me complete freedom to make all my own choices--as Lakshmi did. My parents were young marrieds in 1950s, and my father was an engineer responsible for building roads, dams, and bridges in the newly independent India. That's why in the sequel, I explore the exuberance of South Asians reinventing themselves post-colonization, construction flaws, and issues of what it means to be independent in a patriarchal society. The story is set in Jaipur and Shimla because we lived and summered in those areas when I was a kid. Does that help with then answer? :-)
More Answered Questions
Sunita Mathur
asked
Alka Joshi:
Hi Alka! I was delighted to read The Henna Artist a few days ago, read it cover to cover in one day. It was poignant and stirred up many memories of Jaipur life where I'm originally from. You've drawn the characters so well that I felt that I personally knew all the characters in the book. I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the sequel now; will your other 2 books also portray Indian life?
Brenna Blanchard
asked
Alka Joshi:
Hello Alka! What a wonderfully beautiful story! You might not remember me, but until November of last year I worked at your local library. I really wish I had read The Henna Artist before I moved away, as I would have loved to complement your work in person, but this will have to do. I can't wait to read the sequel. Hope you are doing well! I can't post this without a question mark, so ? :)
April
asked
Alka Joshi:
I just finished listening to the book Alka! First, thank you so much! You made me feel like I had traveled to India. Which I would love to do some day. :) Lakshmi is such a richly, detailed character. I felt for her and everything she went through. You truly brought her to life. I will definitely be recommending this to all of my library guests. When will your next title debut? Be well, April
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