Join us for a virtual book club event presented by PBC Guru with author Alka Joshi as she discusses U of T Virtual Alumni Book Club selection, The Henna Artist.

Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Time: 2:00pm EDT

This event is open to all U of T alumni - even if you aren't a member of our book club, we encourage you to attend! Visit our online portal to learn more about the University's Alumni Virtual Book Club.

Learn more about where you can purchase The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi.

Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.

Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own…

Known for her original designs and sage advice, 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 these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.

Author - Alka Joshi was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, Alka Joshi has lived in the U.S. since the age of nine. Her debut novel, The Henna Artist, became a NYT bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Bookclub pick, an LA Times bestseller, a USA Today bestseller, Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a top 10 Goodreads book of 2020, and is being developed for an episodic TV series starring Freida Pinto.