PorshaJo's Reviews > The Henna Artist

Honestly, I saw the book cover, the title, and I was sold. I love to read anything that takes place in India or dives into Indian culture. I was on the longest wait from my library (always a good sign) and then I happened to find the audio on Hoopla so I jumped right in.

The story takes place in 1950's India in Jaipur. Lakshmi works as a henna artist, one that is highly sought after by the wealthy ladies of Jaipur. She's alone and working very hard for a new home that she is building. And one day, her 13 year old sister shows up on her door step. This would be a sister she did not know existed. Lakshmi was married to an abusive man who she ran away from ending up in Jaipur. Her family were outcasts due to the shame and her sister was shun (she was bad luck so said the gossip eaters). After the parents pass, Radha goes to find her sister Lakshmi and the story takes off. Lakshmi is a strong woman who has been on her own for some time, taking care of herself, doing what she must to survive. And her sister can throw that all away for her actions.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked hearing about the culture during the 50's, hearing about a 'single' woman working to support herself, the herbs and teas that Lakshmi used to help people, and the stress brought on by an arrival of a sister she didn't know existed. You can say this was a character study of one woman. The audio narration was great! I laughed each time the narrator voiced the 'bird' that was owned by of the ladies that Lakshmi served. I see there is a follow-on book coming next year picking up where this one left off and I can't wait. I'm very glad I read this and look forward to more from this author.