The Secret Keeper of Jaipur: A novel from the bestselling author of The Henna Artist (The Jaipur Trilogy, 2)
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. This novel builds on the characters seen in THE HENNA ARTIST, a Reese’s book club pick!
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Community Reviews
3.5 stars. The story line about the gold was a little too forced. The book was still very enjoyable. I had fun revisiting the characters from the first book.
If you’re looking for something thrilling, this isn’t it. But it’s enjoyable and not super fast paced. A good follow up to the second, but not necessary to read the first because it explains all the major points from the first one in the second. I enjoyed it
Another wonderful book from this author. While not as provocative as her first, this book still delighted me in its intertwining stories.
References the first book but doesn't continue the story so much as pick up another beginning.
With connections across India and multiple povs this time it was so much more gripping.
With connections across India and multiple povs this time it was so much more gripping.
There's a piece of wisdom that says that an author's sophomore effort is always a disappointment. I'm pleased to say that I've found the exception that proves that rule on more than one occassion. Joshi's sequel to The Henna Artist is another exception, making me think that perhaps we ought to stop making generalizations about sophomore efforts.
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur picks up 12 years after the events in The Henna Artist. Lakshmi has married Dr. Jay, and they are settled into their lives at the hospital, clinic, and healing garden. Malik is a young man of 20, who feels enormous fondness and not a little bit of indebtedness to Lakshmi, or "Auntie Boss". When she asks him to go back to Jaipur to apprentice in the building trade with their old friend, Manu, he of course agrees, even though he's just at the beginning of a promising relationship with Nimmi, a young widow with two children who left her tribe to try to make a life in Shimla after her husband died. In Jaipur, Malik is impressed with the Manu's biggest project, the Royal Palace Theater, and learns all he can. In Shimla, Nimmi finds out that her brother has been involved with gold smugglers. The intersection of those two plots is the driving force behind the book, but Joshi fills it out with beautiful language describing Malik and Nimmi's path toward each other and Lakshmi's road to come to peace with her path, as a catastrophe forces her to return to Jaipur for the first time in twelve years.
Anyone who enjoyed The Henna Artist will get immense satisfaction from reading this second installment. Anyone who hasn't, but is looking for a well-written story about found families, with some intrigue and royalty thrown in will like this as well. It's not strictly necessary to read The Henna Artist first, but it will be easier to understand some of the action in the sequel if you do. I'm hearing rumors that this is meant to be a trilogy, and I'm excited for the third.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for the publisher in exchange for this review.
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur picks up 12 years after the events in The Henna Artist. Lakshmi has married Dr. Jay, and they are settled into their lives at the hospital, clinic, and healing garden. Malik is a young man of 20, who feels enormous fondness and not a little bit of indebtedness to Lakshmi, or "Auntie Boss". When she asks him to go back to Jaipur to apprentice in the building trade with their old friend, Manu, he of course agrees, even though he's just at the beginning of a promising relationship with Nimmi, a young widow with two children who left her tribe to try to make a life in Shimla after her husband died. In Jaipur, Malik is impressed with the Manu's biggest project, the Royal Palace Theater, and learns all he can. In Shimla, Nimmi finds out that her brother has been involved with gold smugglers. The intersection of those two plots is the driving force behind the book, but Joshi fills it out with beautiful language describing Malik and Nimmi's path toward each other and Lakshmi's road to come to peace with her path, as a catastrophe forces her to return to Jaipur for the first time in twelve years.
Anyone who enjoyed The Henna Artist will get immense satisfaction from reading this second installment. Anyone who hasn't, but is looking for a well-written story about found families, with some intrigue and royalty thrown in will like this as well. It's not strictly necessary to read The Henna Artist first, but it will be easier to understand some of the action in the sequel if you do. I'm hearing rumors that this is meant to be a trilogy, and I'm excited for the third.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for the publisher in exchange for this review.
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