The Henna Artist Novel by Alka Joshi

Set in 1950s Jaipur, India, The Henna Artist follows Lakshmi Shastri, a woman who has fled her abusive arranged marriage and built a new, independent life for herself. She becomes a sought-after henna artist for the city’s wealthy, high-caste women, and also uses her skills as an herbal healer to assist them with various ailments. Lakshmi carefully keeps her past a secret to protect her hard-won reputation and to save enough money to buy her own house.