Hiranmaya

As a result of a (self-imposed) cap on books I would buy per month, I had waited weeks to get this book at the library; I can confirm that the wait was worth it. Anytime I read a book by a South Asian author, I feel that there is an unspoken secret between the two of us – one that only a lifetime of South Asian culture can bring to light. 

Alka Joshi’s The Henna Artist paints a portrait of 1950’s India, freshly independent. Lakshmi Shastri left her husband and her home thirteen years ago and has since moved to Jaipur where she has a booming henna business, serving the city’s elite women. When she is not attending to the rich and royal, she makes use of her mother-in-law’s training in herbal remedies, providing treatments ranging from skin remedies to pregnancy medications. Her dream was to build her own house and live by her own rules. However, her younger sister, Radha, appears at her doorstep, having travelled hundreds of miles from their village. Unaware of even having a sister, The Henna Artist tells the story of balancing relationships and ambition, all while providing insight on casteism, elitism, and life after British imperialism. 

Often, South Asian works are disproportionately only read by other South Asians, without major recognition among non-SA readers. 

What makes this book so appealing to a wider audience is that Lakshmi essentially represents the self-made American dream. While enriched with Indian culture and social commentary, her story is the rags-to-riches character arc we have come to idolize. 

Joshi’s descriptions are wonderfully real, making me ache to go back to India the second it is safe to do so to take in the colorful sights of bright saris, sip some chai, and eat all the food. I say this not as criticism, but rather, applauding how far we’ve come in the book community: Joshi uses Hindi terminology frequently, rarely spending the time to explain the meaning or go into fine detail of a certain cultural practice. While there is a glossary in the back, it forced me to consider just how American-centric our books have been. The majority of international best-sellers are written by American authors; if they do not have to define or explain terminology and cultural phenomena, is it not a reasonable expectation for readers to also learn and know basics in other languages and cultures? 

If you enjoy vivid writings, learning about different cultures, or just want to read the story of a strong female lead, The Henna Artist might just be the next read for you.