The Henna Artist – Blog Tour | Bookish Bliss and Beauty

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

MIRA Books – March 3, 2020

*Book Review copy provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

You know I love a good historical fiction novel, especially when it’s set in another country (more books set globally, please!), and I saw Alka Joshi’s book listed on NetGalley and was quite intrigued. The name dropping of Jasmin Darznik’s Song of a Captive Bird in the description caught my attention because I absolutely loved it (read my post about it here)! And as coincidence would have it Harlequin Trade Publishing reached out to me just before I was about to request it. The book gods blessed me, that’s for sure!

About the Book

After fleeing an arranged marriage as a fifteen year old to an abusive older man, Lakshmi Shastri steals away alone from her rural village to Jaipur. Here, against odds, she carves out a living for herself as a henna artist, and friend and confidante to wealthy, upper caste women. Surviving by her wits and talents, she shares her knowledge and keeps their secrets in a delicate balancing act amid the changing 1950s social mores brought about by Indian Independence. Vulnerable to opinion and innuendo, at any point her intentions might be misunderstood, and she could fall prey to a damaged reputation or worse. Still Lakshmi manages to save to build a house with the dream of bringing her aging parents here to live with her and redeem herself in their eyes. Then one day her ex-husband arrives in town seeking her out with a girl in tow, a sister she did not know she had. Her sister is both passionate and reckless by nature, and all of a sudden the caution that Lakshmi has carefully cultivated is threatened, along with her livelihood. But she perseveres, and in doing so manages to lift up the others around her with her success.

Lakshmi’s tenacity and spirit see her join the ranks of other brave women of historical fiction, such as Farough Farrokhzad in Jasmin Darznik’s Song of a Captive Bird.With gorgeous prose and urgent themes, the novel will captivate readers of Shobha Rao’s Girls Burn Brighter, and those who seek a narrative both compelling and necessary.

My Thoughts

This is a fabulous debut novel from Joshi. I found the descriptions of the newly independent India, Jaipur, and the cast of characters to be fascinating. I really appreciated the nuance that Joshi brought to the story and the particular emphasis on illustrating the lives of different women from different caste backgrounds. The writing is moving and lyrical at points, which I really appreciated and didn’t realize it was missing from my reading life.

This novel will appeal to fans of historical fiction who love to “travel” via their reads because I felt transported to a different time and place. Yet the novel always felt relevant as it addresses many of the same issues and concerns that face women today, from abusive partners, to creating a life for yourself, and being independent even when society suggests otherwise. This sense of immediacy and relevance despite the difference of time, place, and culture is what hooked me and kept me wanting more.

About the Author

Alka Joshi is a graduate of Stanford University and received her M.F.A. from the California College of the Arts. She has worked as an advertising copywriter, a marketing consultant, and an illustrator. Alka was born in India, in the state of Rajasthan. Her family came to the United States when she was nine, and she now lives on California’s Monterey Peninsula with her husband and two misbehaving pups. The Henna Artist is her first novel. Visit her website and blog at thehennaartist.com

Connect with Alka

Author Website: https://thehennaartist.com/

Insta: @thealkajoshi

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18257842.Alka_Joshi