The Henna Artist
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The Henna Artist
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Narrated by:
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Sneha Mathan
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By:
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Alka Joshi
About this listen
A New York Times Best Seller
A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick
"Captivated me from the first chapter to the final page." (Reese Witherspoon)
Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.
Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist - and confidante - to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own....
Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow - a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.
“Eloquent and moving…Joshi masterfully balances a yearning for self-discovery with the need for familial love.” (Publishers Weekly)
Look for The Secret Keeper of Jaipur from New York Times best-selling author Alka Joshi!
©2020 Alka Joshi (P)2020 HarperAudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Henna Artist
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kaila L. Pettigrove
- 01-10-21
Exquisite
This book dealt with difficult topics, but it was far from difficult to listen to. The characters and plot are as intricately designed as the Henna patterns described in the book. Sneha Mathan's voice is as smooth and rich as caramel. I want to go back and savour the whole story again.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jen
- 19-11-20
Enchanting, Colourful, Absorbing
A delightful book. Beautifully written, well considered & authentic. Superb narration.
If you enjoy fiction about India, I wholeheartedly recommend that you listen to this. It has a healthy balance of grit, hardship, softness & success.
Convincing characters & a creative storyline leaves you wanting more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 25-10-21
Such beautiful writing
A beautifully written book, careful but rich language, and a very believable and absorbing story. The reading is spectacularly good, which made this the perfect listen. Cannot recommend enough.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SarahO
- 25-07-23
Loved it, sorry when it came to an end.
Great narration, interesting story, really engaging and will be recommending to friends and to Book Club.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 21-09-23
Interesting informative and well read
Learnt loads, a little predictable in part but I didn’t mind really. A good illustration of the very different ways we all behave, and why. Curious enough to buy the next in the series? Not sure .. probably tho.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Judimaxx
- 19-05-20
nostalgic of a time india
if you have ever been to india this book will revive all your memories again. a bit predictable but so beautifully written you will be happy to go along for the ride.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wenchy
- 30-06-21
Loved every moment! 😁
Exquisite writing. Story line. Performance. Brilliant. Emotive. Educational. Captivating. It was just a beautiful book!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Shepa
- 01-12-21
Beautifully described
What I loved about this book is the beautiful descriptions and scene setting. Sneha Mathan narrates beautifully as all the various characters and really helps to imagine the story being played out. I’m conflicted about the various twists and turns of the story and didn’t find them too surprising and was a little disappointed there wasn’t the happy ending I was expecting. I felt there wasn’t an appropriate moral conclusion to the story, simply the character uprooted herself and moved away. I would have like to have seen Laxmi keep her house and revive her reputation in Jaipur and Radha keep her baby and have a respectful life where she resides.
Nonetheless, a wonderful story, beautifully described and narrated.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Yellow
- 15-04-22
A beautiful story of India and womanhood
A story that captures the complexity and diversity of being a woman in post colonial India across age, class, caste, status and power. Told in the vein of a classic English novel of Bronte and Austen, Joshi traverses the cultural and physical landscape of India- its smells, sounds, foods, spices, herbs and lyricism of the languages. Lakshmi’s journey of escaping an abusive marriage mirrors that of India’s liberating itself from the oppressive grasp of colonial Britain. The young sister’s rebellious nature reflects that of newly Independent India challenging the centuries of tradition that holds a people together and guide their path for the future. The old and new finding space to co-exist and chart a new future - just like the characters’ lives in the book. Loved this book. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zita S.
- 25-02-23
Wonderful
Absolutely beautiful story and lovely narration, I had to leave a review! Give it a go!
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