The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

 I'm getting the hang of alternating reading and listening to a book which was perfect for Alka Joshi's The Secret Keeper of Jaipur. I loved listening to her earlier novel, The Henna Artist, so wanted that pleasure. But knew I didn't have the time to finish listening to this one within the library loan time. It's an old enough book that I was able to get both the e-book and the audiobook out of the library at the same time. I'm glad I did it this way, too. The Henna Artist was one of the best audiobooks I listened to and I would have been disappointed if I couldn't listen to The Secret Keeper of Jaipur. I didn't love the readers of this second in the series so was happy to be have heard enough to know I was okay with "just" reading the e-book.

Both those books are part of a trilogy. The third book is The Perfumist of Paris which has been added to be "to be read" list. I'll probably try to listen to that one, too. We are introduced to all the characters in The Henna Artist. Lakshmi and Malik from the first novel are the main characters of this second installment. It's 12 years later. Lakshmi is more established in Shimla, married to Dr. Jay. At 20-years old, Malik has finished private school and is ready to find his place in the world. He's started a relationship with a young widow, a tribal woman from the Himalayan mountains, and her 2 very young children, but Lakshmi, his guardian, thinks it's time for him to return to Jaipur and to learn the construction business. Off he goes. We learn about the multiple secrets that are being closely guarded.

The project that Malik works on, a big huge fancy movie theater, suffers a partial collapse on opening day. What could have caused this? And how is the tragedy related to what is going on back in Shimla? What's the connection?

Joshi does an excellent job of reminding you of the relationships between the characters in The Henna Artist in a way that's weaved into the storytelling. The only characters you need to have a better sense of - which would have come from reading the first book - were the maharanis. Knowing those characters from before made their actions in this novel make perfect sense.

I've heard The Perfumist of Paris, which tells the story of Radha, Lakshmi's younger sister, is the perfect wrap up to the series and I look forward to reading that one.

The Henna Artist

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi was another homerun when it comes to choosing an audiobook. What a wonderful listen. The story was wonderful and then narrator really added to the story.

Taking place in mid-1950's India, it's the story of Lakshmi, a 30-year old woman who escaped from an abusive marriage, moved from the countryside to the city, making her own way in Jaipur. She was advanced for her time, pursuing an independent life. She saves for an builds a house of her own.

Lakshmi had two means of income. She becomes the most sought after henna artist for Jaipur's elite. Her position gives her entrée into the finer homes of Jaipur, including the maharani's palace. She becomes a confidante to her "ladies" while never letting her secrets be known.

Her other business is one of her secrets. She provides herbal remedies to another part of Jaipur society, brokered by her friend Samir.

For years, Lakshmi had been sending money to her estranged parents back in her village, hoping they would eventually come to Jaipur, be proud of what she's accomplished and live with her in her new house. Instead, Lakshmi's estranged husband tracks her down with a sister she never even knew that she had, born after she'd run away. Having a 13-year old sister for whom she is responsible adds to the burdens of Lakshmi's life.
 
I'm not sure how true-to-life this book is. It is a fairly typical women's story set in a different locale. The arc was fairly predictable. That didn't diminish from what an enjoyable listen it was. I highly recommend.

The Perfumist of Paris

I needed an audiobook and I didn't want to wait. The Perfumist of Paris, the third novel in The Jaipur Trilogy by Alka Joshi was available so I grabbed it. What's ironic, though, is that I ended up only getting halfway thru the audiobook when an audiobook with a lot of library patrons waiting came available so it was quicker to finish up by reading the ebook. 

The first in the series is The Henna Artist. The second installment was The Secret Keeper of Jaipur. Of the three, The Perfumist was my least favorite. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoyed it. A lot. I guess that says more about how much I enjoyed the first two books.

In this one, we meet up again with Radha, younger sister of Lakshmi, who had followed a young man that she thought as her future to Paris. Like many other books that I have read lately, it was about women's roles and women figuring out their places in the world. 

In Radha's early Paris days, a relative of a classmate from India hires her to work in his perfume shop. She realizes that she's grown up with scents and that this is something she could be really good at. It's something she can make a career of. Radha's husband, though, Pierre, considers it a job that keeps her busy. Radha and Pierre struggle over how to balance Radha's work with the care and upbringing of their two daughters. 

Because I'm not going to include any spoilers here, the secret of the previous two books comes into focus in this novel as well.

I highly recommend the series.