Lakshmi escapes an abusive marriage at seventeen and reinvents herself in 1950s Jaipur as the city’s most sought-after henna artist and discreet confidante to the wealthy elite. Her skill, independence, and guarded poise earn her power—but also enemies.
When a man from her past appears, bringing with him a spirited young girl claiming to be her sister, Lakshmi’s carefully curated world begins to fracture. Secrets she’s buried threaten to rise, and the life she’s fought so hard to build could unravel.
Set against the lush, intoxicating backdrop of post-independence India, The Henna Artist is a story of self-discovery, resilience, and the delicate balance between freedom and tradition.
A New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, this is historical fiction at its most intimate and evocative.
