“Just then, my mother’s words echoed in my head: stretch your legs only as far as your bed. I was getting too far ahead of myself.”
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi is the first book I read this year, and I can conclude that it has indeed started off the new reading year on a bright note.
The novel follows Lakshmi Shastri, a thirty year-old woman working as a henna artist in Jaipur, in a newly independent India, where she navigates maintaining her independence as a single woman in a patriarchal society, and her various encounters with the women of Jaipur's elite circles, whose mehendi and secrets she is entrusted with. However, when her thirteen year-old sister, Radha, unbeknownst to her, turns up at her doorstep seeking refuge from her life of despondency in the village that Lakshmi had once also run away from, a series of events ensue that threaten to decimate Lakshmi's self-sufficient life.
To start with, I read the entire book in a span of a day, and I don't only owe that to its short length, but also to its rich and flavorful writing, such as the descriptions of the immaculate henna designs that Lakshmi prints onto the hands of her clientele. From the grinding of the paste to its application on the body, to the plump fig trees Lakshmi weaves into existence with her henna-cone in hand to the use of specific powders and sprays that ensure the henna a long life-span, the book delves deep into Lakshmi's profession. I must, however, confess that these seemingly unending, winding passages of tedious details about henna art were unnerving at times to read, especially when they were repeated every chapter with a different client. However, I don't think the novel could have done without it, because henna is depicted not only as a complex form of art, but also as means of financial independence to our main character.
The people that populate the novel are the story's most important facet, and I think the author did a splendid job in their characterization. From characters such as Mallik, a young and cheerful Muslim boy who is the back-bone of Lakshmi's success as a henna artist, to Radha, whose lack of experience in the city and wistful nature lead to her foraying into problematic ventures, each and every personage introduced in the book, no matter how minor, were imbued with details and specificities so precise that brought them alive and made them more than just words on a page.
My only qualm with this book is that it only picks up around the quarter-way mark, thus the exposition was painfully slow, rife with description but with a threadbare plot. However, once the book reached the halfway point, the story found its feet and was immensely entertaining, so if you're looking for a read which explores the intricacies of human nature against the backdrop of northern Indian culture, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Henna Artist.
Credit for the thumbnail photo: https://dribbble.com/shots/2911010-Hawa-Mahal-Pink-city
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