Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s Jaipur, where she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of Jaipur’s upper class. 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 many years later, with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the life that she has carefully cultivated is threatened, and her secrets are threatened to be revealed. 

This book was such an emotional and moving story, and I loved it! I’ve had this in my TBR for a while and @libby.app came through with the audiobook, and the performance was excellent. This story had me hooked and I wanted to know what would happen next. Lakshmi was such a multifaceted character, and I couldn’t help fall in love with her, flaws and all. She was so hardworking and brave, and I loved how she struck out her own path. Her journey illustrated the role that caste and gender play into the options that people who lived in this time had available for their lives. All of the secondary characters were also strong and well written. This book also taught me a lot about life in India in the 1950s. Definitely recommend!