By Megan Amato
Content warning: Domestic abuse, abortion
Richly detailed, thoughtfully plotted, and bustling with history, Alka Joshi’s debut historical novel The Henna Artist transports readers from their homes to post-colonial India in the 1950s. In addition to the stunning prose, it also doesn’t shy away from topics like contraception, abortion, and the caste system’s intricacies.
After escaping an abusive marriage, Lakshmi runs away to the bustling city of Jaipur and makes a name for herself as an herbalist and henna artist for the privileged and rich. Lakshmi dreams of financial independence and sees a quick way to make money by matching the son and daughter of two privileged families. When her estranged husband turns up with a sister she didn’t know existed in tow, Lakshmi takes her in and attempts to acclimatize her to a new life. Things are not easy between the sisters as Radha comes with her own traumas and questions Lakshmi’s choices. Soon Lakshmi’s plans to gain true independence are threatened as the consequences of both sisters’ choices begin to unravel all her hard work.
The tension of each of their choices drives the plot, but the depth and vitality of the characters make this story stand out. Joshi allows her characters to be flawed, to make mistakes and learn from them and grow. Lakshmi cares for the women who purchase her services, but her own goals often lead her to make unsavoury decisions based more on financial gain than loyalty. However, when Radha shows up, their strained relationship forces her to revaluate her choices and what is truly important to her. Radha enters her sister’s life as an angry young woman dubbed “Bad Luck Girl” in her village and begins to grow as she follows her heart, gets it broken, and ends up paying deeply for it. The side characters are just as developed, even the antagonists, showcasing humans in all their messiness.
It calls to mind one of the best pieces of writing advice I have received, which was given to me second-hand by a friend: write through all five senses. Joshi has mastered this. The prose is beautifully written and interwoven with detail after detail that feel natural and flow from the page like the scent of jasmine, the taste of mango, the feel of one’s skin against another’s, and the stunning views and sounds of the Pink City. The research done to write a novel so intricate in detail must have been enormous.
I tend to read a lot more genre fiction and normally shy away from more literary works as they can be exploitative of other cultures and needlessly depressing (I just like a happy ending!). According to the author’s note in this book, the events are inspired her mother’s life and even if her mother took creative licence in telling her own story, I put trust in the author to tell it. It’s a beautifully written and often poignant story, and I would recommend it to those looking for an immersive story full of heartbreak and hope.