Kirjahaku

"A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power…this is Alka Joshi's best book yet!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond EyeFrom the author of Reese's Book Club Pick The Henna Artist, the final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris, where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.Paris, 1974. Radha is now living in Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters. She still grieves for the baby boy she gave up years ago, when she was only a child herself, but she loves being a mother to her daughters, and she’s finally found her passion—the treasure trove of scents.She has an exciting and challenging position working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely new fragrances for clients and building her career one scent at a time. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she can’t give up this thing that drives her.Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra—women who use the power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She’s on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her—upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage.The Jaipur TrilogyBook 1: The Henna ArtistBook 2: The Secret Keeper of JaipurBook 3: The Perfumist of Paris

"A sparkling travelogue and a poignant journey of self-discovery all in one. . . . Alka Joshi is simply the best " --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Rose CodeFrom the acclaimed, bestselling author of The Henna Artist, this captivating novel follows a young Anglo-Indian nurse who embarks on a journey from her home in Bombay to uncover a mystery and prove her innocence after a famous painter dies in her care.1937. Young nurse Sona is drawn to the renowned, feisty, scandalous painter Mira Novak when they meet while the latter is recovering at a Bombay hospital, and the two women bond over their half-Indian identities. But when Mira dies suddenly and mysteriously, Sona falls under suspicion. The key to proving Sona's innocence may lie in a cryptic note and four paintings Mira left in her care, sending the young woman across a tumultuous Europe to meet Mira's former lovers and friends. As Sona travels from Bombay to Istanbul, Prague, Paris, Florence and London uncovering Mira's life story, she learns that behind the charming facade was a complicated, troubled woman with dangerous secrets. But will Sona discover them in time to clear her name?

For fans of Balli Kaur Jaswal's Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and Thrity Umrigar's The Space Between Us, Alka Josh's The Henna Artist by is lushly-rendered, emotional book club fiction set in post-Raj 1950s Jaipur about a young woman struggling to shape her own destiny in a world pivoting between the traditional and the modern. After fleeing an arranged marriage as a fifteen year old to an abusive older man, Lakshmi Shastri steals away alone from her rural village to Jaipur. Here, against odds, she carves out a living for herself as a henna artist, and friend and confidante to wealthy, upper caste women. Surviving by her wits and talents, she shares her knowledge and keeps their secrets in a delicate balancing act amid the changing 1950s social mores brought about by Indian Independence. Vulnerable to opinion and innuedo, at any point her intentions might be misunderstood, and she could fall prey to a damaged reputation or worse. Still Lakshmi manages to save to build a house with the dream of bringing her aging parents here to live with her and redeem herself in their eyes. Then one day her ex-husband arrives in town seeking her out with a girl in tow, a sister she did not know she had. Her sister is both passionate and reckless by nature, and all of a sudden the caution that Lakshmi has carefully cultivated is threatened, along with her livelihood. But she preseveres, and in doing so manages to lift up the others around her with her success. Lakshmi's tenacity and spirit see her join the ranks of other brave women of historical fiction, such as Farough Farrokhzad in Jasmin Darznik's Song of a Captive Bird.With gorgeous prose and urgent themes, the novel will captivate readers of Shobha Rao's Girls Burn Brighter, and those who seek a narrative both compelling and necessary.

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERA REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK"Captivated me from the first chapter to the final page."--Reese WitherspoonVivid 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."Eloquent and moving...Joshi masterfully balances a yearning for self-discovery with the need for familial love."--Publishers Weekly Look for The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and The Perfumist of Paris from New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi

A NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE HENNA ARTIST, A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK Good Morning America’s “27 Books for June" PopSugar’s Best Summer Reads of 2021 In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling. It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema. Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies. "Captivated me from the first chapter to the last page." —Reese Witherspoon on The Henna Artist Don’t miss THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS! The final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy!

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERA REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK"Captivated me from the first chapter to the final page."—Reese WitherspoonVivid 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.“Eloquent and moving…Joshi masterfully balances a yearning for self-discovery with the need for familial love.”—Publishers Weekly Look for The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and The Perfumist of Paris from New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi!

A NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE HENNA ARTIST, A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICKGood Morning America’s “27 Books for June" PopSugar’s Best Summer Reads of 2021 In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling.It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema.Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies."Captivated me from the first chapter to the last page." —Reese Witherspoon on The Henna ArtistDon’t miss THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS! The final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy!

"A sparkling travelogue and a poignant journey of self-discovery all in one. . . . Alka Joshi is simply the best!" —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Rose CodeFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist, this sweeping novel of identity and self-discovery takes readers from Bombay to Prague, Florence, Paris and London, to uncover the mystery behind a famous painter's death.When renowned painter Mira Novak arrives at Wadia hospital in Bombay after a miscarriage, she's expected to make a quick recovery, and her nurse, Sona, is excited to learn more about the vivacious artist who shares her half-Indian identity. Sona, yearning for a larger life, finds herself carried away by Mira's stories of her travels and exploits and is shocked by accounts of the many lovers the painter has left scattered throughout Europe. When Mira dies quite suddenly and mysteriously, Sona falls under suspicion, and her quiet life is upended. The key to proving Sona's innocence may lie in a cryptic note and four paintings Mira left in her care, sending the young woman on a mission to visit the painter's former friends and lovers across a tumultuous Europe teetering toward war. On the precipice of discovering her own identity, Sona learns that the painter's charming facade hid a far more complicated, troubled soul. In her first stand-alone novel since her bestselling debut, The Henna Artist, Alka Joshi uses the life of painter Amrita Sher-Gil, the "Frida Kahlo of India," as inspiration for the story's beginning to explore how far we'll travel to determine where we truly belong.Discover more novels from Alka Joshi:THE HENNA ARTISTTHE SECRET KEEPER OF JAIPURTHE PERFUMIST OF PARIS

"A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power…this is Alka Joshi's best book yet!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond EyeFrom the author of Reese's Book Club Pick The Henna Artist, the final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris, where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.Paris, 1974. Radha is now living in Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters. She still grieves for the baby boy she gave up years ago, when she was only a child herself, but she loves being a mother to her daughters, and she’s finally found her passion—the treasure trove of scents.She has an exciting and challenging position working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely new fragrances for clients and building her career one scent at a time. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she can’t give up this thing that drives her.Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra—women who use the power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She’s on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her—upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage.The Jaipur TrilogyBook 1: The Henna ArtistBook 2: The Secret Keeper of JaipurBook 3: The Perfumist of Paris

A NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE HENNA ARTIST, A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICKGood Morning America’s “27 Books for June" PopSugar’s Best Summer Reads of 2021 In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling.It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema.Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies."Captivated me from the first chapter to the last page." —Reese Witherspoon on The Henna ArtistDon’t miss THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS! The final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy!

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist, this sweeping novel of identity and self-discovery takes readers from Bombay to Prague, Florence, Paris and London, to uncover the mystery behind a famous painter's death. When renowned painter Mira Novak arrives at Wadia hospital in Bombay after a miscarriage, she's expected to make a quick recovery, and Sona is excited to spend time with the worldly woman who shares her half-Indian identity, even if that's where their similarities end. Sona is enraptured by Mira's stories of her travels and shocked by accounts of the many lovers she's left scattered through Europe. Over the course of a week, Mira befriends Sona, seeing in her something bigger than the small life she's living with her mother. Mira is released from the hospital just in time to attend a lavish engagement party with all of Bombay society and invites Sona along. But the next day, Mira is readmitted to the hospital in worse condition than before, and when she dies under mysterious circumstances, Sona immediately falls under suspicion. Before leaving the hospital in disgrace, Sona is given a note Mira left for her, along with her four favorite paintings. But how could she have known to leave a note if she didn't know she was going to die? The note sends Sona on a mission to deliver three of the paintings--the first to Petra, Mira's childhood friend and first love in Prague; the second to her art dealer Josephine in Paris; the third to her first painting tutor, Paolo, with whom both Mira and her mother had affairs. As Sona uncovers Mira's history, she learns that the charming facade she'd come to know was only one part of a complicated and sometimes cruel woman. But can she discover what really happened to Mira and exonerate herself? Along the way, Sona also comes to terms with her own complex history and the English father who deserted her and her mother in India so many years ago. In the end, she'll discover that we are all made up of pieces, and only by seeing the world do we learn to see ourselves."

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.Eloquent and moving...Joshi masterfully balances a yearning for self-discovery with the need for familial love. -Publishers Weekly

Zhizn, kotoruju ty kropotlivo vystraivaesh, mozhet v ljuboj moment okazatsja pod ugrozoj. Lakshmi otlichno eto znaet. Ee vydali zamuzh v pjatnadtsat let, a v semnadtsat ona sbezhala ot neljubimogo muzha i okazalas v Dzhajpure, Rozovom gorode, velichestvennom i besposchadnom. Gorode, gde mozhno ochen bystro razbogatet i tak zhe bystro vse poterjat.Lakshmi ochen nuzhno razbogatet, potomu chto ee mechta - ni ot kogo ne zaviset. Ee talanty ne znajut granits, no glavnoe - ona tselitelnitsa i khudozhnitsa i v etom dostigla sovershenstva. Ee mekhendi slavjatsja na ves gorod, znatnye damy gotovy schedro platit za ee tselebnye otvary i volshebnye uzory khnoj. Kazalos by, tsel blizka. No Dzhajpur ne proschaet oshibok.

Zhizn, kotoruju ty kropotlivo vystraivaesh, mozhet v ljuboj moment okazatsja pod ugrozoj. Lakshmi otlichno eto znaet. Ee vydali zamuzh v pjatnadtsat let, a v semnadtsat ona sbezhala ot neljubimogo muzha i okazalas v Dzhajpure, Rozovom gorode, velichestvennom i besposchadnom. Gorode, gde mozhno ochen bystro razbogatet i tak zhe bystro vse poterjat.Lakshmi ochen nuzhno razbogatet, potomu chto ee mechta - ni ot kogo ne zaviset. Ee talanty ne znajut granits, no glavnoe - ona tselitelnitsa i khudozhnitsa i v etom dostigla sovershenstva. Ee mekhendi slavjatsja na ves gorod, znatnye damy gotovy schedro platit za ee tselebnye otvary i volshebnye uzory khnoj. Kazalos by, tsel blizka. No Dzhajpur ne proschaet oshibok.

Hennapiken av Alka Joshi er et sterkt og fengende portrett av en ung kvinnes kamp for å overleve i et samfunn som svinger mellom det tradisjonelle og det moderne. Hennapiken åpner en dør inn til en verden som er både frodig og fascinerende, sterk og grusom. 17 år gamle Lakshmi flykter fra sin voldelige ektemann til det pulserende 1950-tallets Jaipur, Den rosa byen. Med tiden blir hun en etterspurt hennakunstner og vinner fortroligheten til de velstående overklassekvinner. Men selv om hun kjenner til alle deres hemmeligheter, kan hun aldri røpe sine egne ... Lakshmi er kjent både for sine spesielle hennategninger og sine kloke råd, men hun må trå forsiktig, for mange misunner henne posisjonen hun har fått. Stygge rykter kan ødelegge hennes omdømme og levebrød. Da ektemannen en dag plutselig dukker opp, står alt hun så omhyggelig har klart å bygge opp, i fare for å kollapse ... "Velformulert og rørende ...Joshi balanserer på mesterlig vis en lengsel etter frihet med behovet for familie og kjærlighet." Publishers Weekly "Rik på detaljer og skinnende på smak og struktur. Hennapiken gir oss et fantastisk innblikk i Indias kultur på 1950-tallet."Bookpage, Starred Review "Levende karakterer, stemningsfulle bilder og rikt språk skaper en sterk og uforglemmelig fortelling." Christian Science Monitor "Fenget meg fra det første kapitlet til den siste siden." Reese Witherspoon

New York Times bestseller: Hennakunstneren åbner døren til en verden, der på én og samme tid er farvestrålende og fascinerende, ubarmhjertig og grum. Syttenårige Lakshmi flygter alene fra sin landsby og et arrangeret og voldeligt ægteskab til 1950'ernes pulserende Jaipur. Her bliver hun den mest efterspurgte hennakunstner blandt byens velhavende kvinder, der deler deres hemmeligheder med hende, men Lakshmis egne hemmeligheder holder hun for sig selv. Lakshmir bliver kendt for sine originale designs og kloge råd og må træde varsomt for at undgå den sladder, der følger med succesen, og som kan ødelægge hendes ry og levebrød. Lakshmis drøm om et frit og uafhængigt liv brister imidlertid en dag, da hendes tidligere mand dukker op med en livlig ung pige på slæb, og Lakshmi må kæmpe for at beholde det liv, hun så omhyggeligt har opbygget. Til læsere af Ildefonso Falcones' romaner eller Shilpi Somaya Gowdas Den hemmelige datter. ALKA JOSHI er født i Indien, men flyttede til USA med sin familie som niårig. Hun har drevet sit eget reklame- og pr-bureau i tredive år, inden hun som 62-årig debuterede som forfatter i 2020. Bogen blev en øjeblikkelig bestseller i USA, og rettighederne er solgt til femogtyve lande. Miramax laver desuden en tv-serie med Freida Pinto i hovedrollen. Hennakunstneren er første afsluttede og uafhængige bind i en trilogi. De to næste bind udkommer i 2023 og 2024 på dansk.