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. (Description via goodreads)
I liked the first few chapters of this book and was interested in the setting, as well as the henna and healing aspect. That interest disappeared at around the 30% mark. I didn’t really want to pick the book up, and thought that it was a bit dull. Then, it turned into a soap opera and I was not about that.
I really wanted to like this book, but I did not. It was too over-the-top for me, and the characters were difficult to empathize with. They weren’t written with much depth, and instead of relating to and understanding their obviously poor decisions, I was irritated by them.
I saw online that this is going to be a TV show, which I probably will not watch.
- Was the book interesting? .5
- Was it easy to finish (even if I didn’t like it)? 1
- Was it emotionally engaging? 0
- Was it memorable? .5
- Would I read it again? 0
