Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
I have done this again. Not really fallen for a book that everyone seems to be raving about. But see - I am from South India. We don’t really go around applying henna for fun, on occasions, to get pregnant or arouse desire in our spouses. The art of henna itself is far removed from my life. That’s not why I struggled with this book. Instead of Lakshmi's parents, her estranged husband Hari shows up, with a thirteen-year-old girl called Radha. Escaping from an arranged and abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone from her 1950s rural village to the vibrant pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the henna artist—and confidante—most in demand to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own… Malik is twenty years old…( having graduated from a prestigious Bishop Cotton School for Boys), is a new apprentice in the facility offices of the Jaipur Royal Palace. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway. —MOTHER TERESA”
We can see Lakshmi telling about the three types of karma in life that Saasuji once mentioned to her.Blame is placed where it’s convenient-on those without the money or influence to defend themself-but Malik is determined to expose the truth. Lakshmi is strong and ambitious and the conversations she has with her clients show how clever she and the other women all are, as they carefully negotiate for what they desire… Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies. Apparently I got this book as an ARC. I thought I had reviewed it because I remember vaguely reading and liking it before, but for whatever reason, I didn't post my review to Goodreads. Sorry about that. What independence had changed was our people. You could see it in the way they stood, chests puffed, as if they could finally allow themselves to breathe. You saw it in the way they walked—purposefully, pridefully—to their temples. The way they haggled—more boldly than before—with the vendors in the bazaar.”
NOTE…. Personally it took me a few minutes to feel committed to the audio-format, (I came close to switching to the ebook)…but then suddenly….I was hooked …enchanted with the voice-readers reaching into my soul reading Alka’s words. In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace inthis tale rich in character, atmosphere and lavish storytelling. It is true that there is still poverty and corruption in India. But portraying India just as a land of poverty, corruption, and other unethical activities is unacceptable. We can argue that the author opted for a time period adjacent to that chosen by V.S. Naipaul in An Area of Darkness and is not mentioning contemporary India. Still, I felt sad to see such a portrayal of India in a novel written by an author of Indian ethnicity. Characters: I loved the return of main character, Lakshmi, her assistant, Malik (now a 20-year old apprentice) and newcomer, Nimmi, a 23-year old tribal widow with two young children from the Himalayan region to the north. Other characters from The Henna Artist return as well, including my favorite, the feisty Dowager Maharani Indira; Malik calls Lakshmi 'Auntie Boss' and skillfully maneuvers and manipulates (in a good way) to help himself and his employer. With an education, Malik could probably be Prime Minister of India.Lakshmi has worked very hard for the past decade, and used her earnings to build her dream house, bit by bit. The home is almost complete now, and Lakshmi looks forward to moving in and planting a large garden with medicinal plants and herbs. I think people who enjoy historical fiction like IN THE COMPANY OF THE COURTESAN, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, SNOWFLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN, and THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL will love this, because it does that thing where the author just lets the characters tell their own stories without trying to convey some sort of heavy-handed morality tale and lets the characters be a bunch of bitches if they feel like it (and boy do they). Lakshmi, the heroine, does things that benefit others-- and she has a mostly kind heart-- but she's also in it for herself, and sometimes this makes her cruel, and sometimes this makes her selfish. Her protégé, Malik, has completed his private school education, and has fallen for the young widow named Nimmi, who sells them the best flowers from her stall at the Shimla Mall. He reluctantly leaves her and her two small children behind, when Lakshmi arranges for him to intern at the Jaipur Palace, whose latest project is a state of the Art Cinema. Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including:
Great Deal 
New Comment