The Henna Artist

In 1950s Jaipur, India, Lakshmi has escaped an abusive marriage to become the most sought-after henna artist among the city's elite. She decorates the hands of wealthy women with beautiful, intricate designs while also secretly providing them with herbal remedies—some that help with conception, others that prevent it. She dreams of saving enough money to build her own home and gain true independence. But her carefully constructed life is disrupted when her younger sister Radha arrives unexpectedly, fleeing their village and their parents' plans for her arranged marriage. Radha's impulsive nature threatens everything Lakshmi has built. Meanwhile, Lakshmi becomes entangled with a wealthy family whose secrets pull her into dangerous territory. Set against the backdrop of a newly independent India grappling with tradition and modernity, the novel explores female independence, sisterhood, and the price of freedom.

Alka Joshi was born in India and moved to the United States as a child. She worked in advertising for decades before writing her debut novel, The Henna Artist, which became a New York Times bestseller and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. She has written two sequels continuing the story.