The Henna Artist

I really enjoy books set in India, especially historical ones. This was just such a pleasure to read, it completely transported me to the time and setting with all the descriptions used. There were a few slightly awkward moments in the writing which detracted a bit but overall I really liked it and will read the others in the series.

“If I had learned anything from them, it was that only a fool lives in water and remains an enemy of the crocodile.”

Lakshmi and Radha are sisters, one older and a well-established henna artist in Jaipur, the other much younger and in need of a home after their parents passed away. Big city Lakshmi takes country girl Radha under her wing, but the two of them are stubborn and clash more than they act as sisters. Radha stumbles her way into rich family drama, and the two have to overcome differences in upbringing and strong personalities to make peace between them.

I had such high hopes for this book in the first half! The detail is rich, the characters interesting, and the idea of following a henna painter around the rich families of Jaipur was super intriguing. Lakshmi had built quite a following amongst the elite of Jaipur, and I was interested in reading about family drama or caste problems or something of that nature. The author delivered in spades initially!

Where it ended up losing me a bit was the focus on Radha and (SPOILERS HERE) getting pregnant and the emphasis on baby drama in the last half. I thought the story of the sisters was a great one, I just wish there had been another way to insert drama between them than the way chosen by the author. I've got nothing against it, I just can't relate.

Still, the detail and writing style were both fantastic, and it was a fun read regardless.

I enjoyed this story. I'm interested to find out about the others in this trilogy.

Beautiful and heartbreaking! But it also taught me so much about Henna symbolism, herbal medicine, castes, and Rajasthan. Love this book.

Book-club read [UoG]:
A beautiful, eye-opening experience. The pictures painted by Joshi were as colourful as the mandalas the protagonist creates. The stories as intricate as her henna designs.
I didn't want this to end, I was happy to dwell within the pages and follow Lakshmi and those around her as they lived and learnt. I look forward to the next novel and hope with all my heart it doesn't disappoint.
I cared deeply for Lakshmi as soon as I met her on these pages. I instantly felt understanding for her and her choices. For an author to create this bond with a reader who has little prior knowledge of the time and place shows great talent.

Can I just take a moment to silent applaud the author #alkajoshi .... WOW!
I don't know why I waited so long to crack this 5 star read open!
I just reviewed the henna artist by Alka Joshi
The Henna Artist follows the lives of 2 sisters, Lakshmi who had no idea she had a 13 year old sister Radha, until she turns up out of the blue one day with Lakshmi's abusive husband, a man she fled from many years ago.
The book centers on Lakshmi trying to navigate the loss of her parents and the unexpected arrival of her sister while keeping her flourishing henna business alive.
Lakshmi has many talents which eventually sees her working at the palace. Her dreams of having her home made the way she wants it, soon to be realized but her sister, not raised in the ways of their conventional home of Jaipur, India, gets herself into the kind of trouble only Lakshmi can get her out of.
The story is delicious. I loved every word, every moment of this book.
Watching the struggles both these sisters go through while trying to find a way to be a family..... breathtaking.
The story flowed and the pace was so precise, the author is a master with the written word.
I loved the character development. Everyone had this charm about them which can't help but drag you into 1950s india and have you wishes you could feel the summer heat on your face and the sand under your toes.
I felt nothing was left unanswered and although I wouldn't say no to a sequel.
This was the very best historical fiction read I have read this year. Might even be in my top 10.
If you love a good historical fiction with a great pace, that nails the very epitome of women's fiction, then this is the book for you.
5 stars! I cannot wait to get my hands on more from this author!
If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend ordering a copy right now

3.7 - very good story... I listened to this for something different. I hadn't read something like this before but it was very enjoyable.

The Henna Artist takes you back to a post-colonised India, fresh from the gashes left by the British to the youthful vigour of a newly independent country.
Through the protagonist, Lakshmi Shastri, we see the life of a woman who has achieved her independency after years of hard work, coming to a point where the brutality of her past doesn't haunt her as much anymore.

A beautifully portrayed character who shows strength and power, while establishing familial love despite the hardships and hurdles faced.

A character with whom empathising was as easy as it could get, getting so absorbed that we perceive everything as was perceived through the character's eyes

A wonderful read, a definite recommendation from me.

3.5/5 stars

This was a fantastic book. A really fascinating historical fiction novel that focuses on feminism and hardships associated with society's views of who you are versus who you know you are. Set in 1940-1950s India, the nation has just broken free from British rule and it has left the country divided on a lot of counts. There is a national identity crisis going on and it plays a large part in the novel. The main character struggles with her identity after fleeing an abusive marriage to make a life for herself undefined by no man - only to be defined secondhand by her ungrateful, naiive sister who escapes their village and finds her in a large city. The identity crisis also merges with class issues. Identity and entitlement of the rich versus the suffering and injustice done to the poor. Double standards of men and women, especially in a country such as India where the family roots run deep. Shame can easily be brough upon families for silly things that stain the reputation for decades to come. This book touches upon these and teeters the delicate balance of all.


Honestly this book was STRESSFUL (because of above reasonings). I loved it though. I thought it was a beautiful work that handled all topics very skillfully. I have not read any books set in this historical setting and I enjoyed it 110%. I can also see why it made Reese's Bookclub, because the main character is a feminist icon who has to deal with all of the societal bullshit of the patriarchy and “traditions” that favor only men. It was a hard read though, there were several elements that I really wish didn't happen. For examples, although I think it is important that the book ended the way it did to really hit home the plot of inequality and hardship but I really would have loved if this book was like 800 pages long and you could “chose your own adventure”. I loved learning about the main character but I honestly hated her sister, who played such a big part. I wanted to know and read more about the royal ladies that she served and their lives and how she rose to be such a skilled Henna Artist. I mean the author does give a good amount of background so you are not guessing. But in the 13 years that she fleed her abusive marriage and her sister found her in the city is a lot of time to make up for. I just really wish the sister wasn't part of it. For someone who grew up with so little and was given so much when she found her sister, she was so mouthy, entitled and honestly ungrateful. Everytime she talked I was like “dude please shut up”. There were also a few parts where I was like ‘just leave your sister you barely know her', but I understand the sister was the main character's cultural karma for disgracing her family. Again, a lot of things happening and lots to consider. It was such a fast read. I would NOT be mad about it if the author decided to write more about this time period and setting (just sayin').

Interesting plot, poor delivery. When I think about the storyline, the customs, and the culture itself, I can appreciate it, but the clinical writing style made it a slog to get through. The extra pages in this book were exactly that. Extra. Character index, glossary, explanation of the caste system, history of henna, recipes. It was a lot. I had to put a post-it on the first page of the glossary just so I could flip to it when necessary. It felt more like a textbook on Indian culture than a novel. I‘m not a fan of books that have an unlikable main character, but great support characters. Lakshmi was either completely unfeeling or simply too dense to understand the people around her, yet she was able to strategize and climb her way up the good graces of the ladies above her caste placement. It seemed disjointed. Malik and the Maharani Indira we're my favorite characters. I would love to read this book through Malik's perspective.