A review by mesal
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

Only a fool lives in water and remains an enemy of the crocodile.

This was easily one of my favorite 2022 reads. Reminiscent of Sea of Poppies in both genre and level of detail, The Henna Artist delved deep into issues of class, caste, and gender in 1950s Jaipur. Plot and character went hand in hand, creating a story both interesting in its content and engaging with respect to the personalities involved. (I absolutely adored Malik.) I would a) recommend this to everyone I know, and b) reread it for sure.