The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
An honest book review ★★★☆☆
You, dear reader, you need to read this book. Not because it is the best story you will ever read or something but because it will introduce you to a world of culture and tradition.
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi is the story of Lakshmi Shastri — a smart, independent woman living in the clutches of the Indian caste system. The story is set in the early years of independence and brings together rich culture and characters.
My favourite character is undoubtedly Lakshmi’s Saas, I’d love for Alka to write a book about her.
I think more often than not, what we look for satisfaction — in the books we read. When you bring a book home, with you — it makes you a promise. A promise to tell you a certain kind of story, and when a book follows through with that promise — you cherish it.
The setting of the story was well chosen, I cannot think of a better era to tell this story. I loved everything about it, the Henna, the Ayurveda, the loyalty, the royalty, the portrayal of India’s caste system —
How it made me feel:
‘It transported me to the pink city. Even though I couldn’t visualise Laxmi’s house with the intricate floor patterns, I knew the exact kind of saree Lakshmi would be wearing on a particular…
