Books Set in Asia: Jaipur, India

The Henna Artist, by Alka Joshi (2020)

 

At age 17, Lakshmi Shastri left her abusive husband and set off to fend for herself.  She had been forced into an arranged marriage at age 15.  As was the custom, she moved into her husband’s home.  She had a loving relationship with her mother-in-law who taught her traditional herbal medicine.  Her husband, however, beat her often, thus, she felt she had to leave him to save her life.

 

Thirteen years later, she was living in Jaipur, a city in northern India, where she was a successful henna artist.  Life was good.  She cast herself as a young widow and set up business as a henna artist.  She had learned the trade while living in Agra with “pleasure” women.  In Jaipur, she had many high-caste clients and was earning enough money to build herself a home.  Her intricate designs provided her with top dollar fees.  She had visions of contacting her parents and having them live with her.

 

The husband of one of her clients had many mistresses.  Lakshmi supplemented her income selling him and others herbal sachets that would make babies disappear.

 

One day, out of the blue, her estranged husband appeared at her doorstep with a young girl in tow.  Shortly after Lakshmi left her husband, her parents had another child, Radha.  Lakshmi had no idea that she had a younger sister, who had been deemed the Bad Luck Girl in her hometown.  These unexpected visitors have the potential to turn Laskhmi’s life upside down.

 

I enjoyed this book.  It showed a small slice of life in India in the 1950s and the struggles a woman had while trying to live on her own.  The novel’s ending, however, was a bit too pat.  Everything was all resolved in an amicable way.

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I first read this book in 2021.  I re-read it in August 2024 after going to a talk by the author, Alka Joshi.  The author was very gracious and gave us insight in life in India post-independence.  The author's mother was in an arranged marriage and had no say in how her life would be.  Lakshmi, main character of this book, had choices.  The novel was deliberately set in 1955 because that was the first year that women could legally obtain a divorce.  I re-read this book with fresh eyes.  I liked it as much the second time as I did the first time.

 

Read:  February 6, 2021

Read: August 27, 2024

 

4 Stars