Alka Joshi wrote The Henna Artist, a novel that takes place in Jaipur. Jaipur is a city in northern India that is the capital of the region and has a royal palace. Lakshmi is the henna artist. She grew up in a poor family and was forced into marriage at age 15. She moved into her husband's house and lived with her mother-in-law who taught her how to use herbs to heal people. After a few years of being beaten by her husband she left her marriage and moved to Jaipur where she made a living giving henna tattoos and herbal concoctions. In her work she becomes a confidant to the wealthy and powerful women in town. She must be very careful to protect her reputation and livelihood. Lakshmi is an artist who makes beautiful artistic designs. She hires an 7 year old orphan, Malik, to help her in her work. Malik calls her "Auntie Boss" and is extremely helpful in making sure Lakshmi is safe in the streets. Malik has street smarts and he can wheel and deal like a pro. I loved being transported to India while reading this book. The struggles Lakshmi endures are many and her strength of character is inspiring. At the end of the book is a list of characters, a recipe for making henna, and recipes for other foods that are eaten in the story.
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