The Secret Keeper of Jaipur: A novel from the bestselling author of The Henna Artist (The Jaipur Trilogy, 2)

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We can see Lakshmi telling about the three types of karma in life that Saasuji once mentioned to her. its a tale of perseverance, history, self-worth, forgiveness, womanhood, and family. lakshmi is also a character worth reading about. i adored her hard work ethic and her determination to create the life she knows she deserves. she made is very easy for me to root for her the entire way. Alka Joshi is the internationally bestselling author of the Jaipur Trilogy: The Henna Artist, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and

Books contain magic, they say. If we so much as stepped on a book or on a piece of paper, we were punished. I trace the letters with my finger, and mouth out the words in the book, just as Lakshmi taught us to do. She spends an hour reading with Rekha and me every afternoon. ” I love it when a book introduces me to something new and teaches me something. I had never given any thought to the people who create the elaborate henna drawings on the hands and feet of an Indian woman for ceremonial occasions. This book is set in 1950s India and introduced me to Lakshmi who was a henna artist. Lakshmi had been forced to marry when she was 15. Her mother in law was a healer and she taught Lakshmi about folk cures and the properties of various herbs. After Lakshmi left her husband she established herself as a henna artist for wealthy women. The job included much more than painting, she was also part therapist/part masseuse and she provided herbal remedies including one that caused abortions. She was an independent woman who managed to save enough money to build her own house, until her younger sister appeared on her doorstep and changed both of their lives.I thought this book was pretty good. It does a great job portraying the nuances of social politics and the concept of saving face. I also liked how all of the characters, including the "bad" ones, were portrayed as complex people with good and bad sides to them. Lakshmi wasn't always likable but you could see how circumstances hardened her and made her willing to do whatever it took to survive. Radha was less likable, and I found her very frustrating towards the end of the book, but she was also a very young character and lived in a fantasy land where she was desperate to be loved, and I could see how the dissonance between her own life and what she wanted could cause problems. This book is set in the mid-1950s in Jaipur so it was also cool to see all the '50s pop-culture references and Western influences juxtaposed against a country recovering from the trauma of British colonization. Instead of Lakshmi's parents, her estranged husband Hari shows up, with a thirteen-year-old girl called Radha. Everything a great novel needs is here: The protagonist balancing impossible burdens with her bountiful talents; the many other characters, each so colorful and complex, each necessary to the intricate and delicate plot, Such a satisfying novel !"—Sandra Scofield, author of The Last Draft Samir's sponsorship helped Lakshmi become the henna artist for high-caste women in Jaipur, including his wife Parvati. There is family…mystery…and even a little glorious romance. And of course it goes without saying it’s sensual in every sense-of-the-word….

I very much enjoyed this second book in The Henna Artist series, and hope to read more of this family and its love and care for one another. A definite recommendation for this one. A: Lakshmi is a former henna artist and herbalist from Jaipur, now living in Shimla, in the foothills of the Himalayas. She has been Malik’s guardian since he was eight, when he was living on the streets of Jaipur. Now a polished young man of 20, Malik has received a tony boarding school education and becomes involved with a nomadic tribal woman, Nimmi — a mother of two young children. But, Lakshmi has guided his life for so many years that she finds it difficult to stop and sends him to Jaipur, where he is to apprentice at the Jaipur Palace. Her protégé, Malik, has completed his private school education, and has fallen for the young widow named Nimmi, who sells them the best flowers from her stall at the Shimla Mall. He reluctantly leaves her and her two small children behind, when Lakshmi arranges for him to intern at the Jaipur Palace, whose latest project is a state of the Art Cinema. This novel is set in mid-1950s India, a few years after the sub-continent gained its independence from Great Britain. The main character, Lakshmi Shastri, is a twentysomething woman who fled from her arranged marriage thirteen years ago. Malik calls Lakshmi 'Auntie Boss' and skillfully maneuvers and manipulates (in a good way) to help himself and his employer. With an education, Malik could probably be Prime Minister of India.The author, Alka Joshi, wrote this book for her mother, who had an arranged marriage at age eighteen and three children by age 22-never having the opportunity to choose or not choose these things for herself and reimagined her life-as if she had. Alka Joshi brings 1950s India to life with her lush and vivid writing. If you are someone like me who enjoys learning about other cultures and traveling to places you might never go, this is a can’t miss. The interesting well drawn characters and the captivating storytelling completely drew me into this clever tale. Sneha Mathan masterfully narrated this audiobook, really bringing a voice and an additional layer to this incredible story. With a book like this it is nice to have the audiobook because then you know how things are pronounced, however you don’t always know how things are spelled. There is a PDF that accompanies the audiobook that includes a list of the characters and a glossary. This made me a little nervous that there needed to be a character list, but I have to say I never needed to refer to it I never was confused. At any rate, this story's setting is in India in the 1950s, right after the Raj has given up main control of the country. We meet a wonderfully endearing woman, who is strong and resilient. Lakshmi, was seventeen when she left her village determined to escape from an abusive husband and make her way in the world. She is goal oriented, success and money drive her forward. She, with the help of influential and wealthy Indian man, build a career that brings her into the homes and the confidences of the entitled and rich women of India. She learns their secrets but holds her own close to her heart.