Alka Joshi Books In Order

Publication Order of Henna Artist Books

About Alka Joshi
As an American author, Alka Joshi is world renowned thanks to her compelling and engaging literary fiction that readers from all over have taken to. Setting herself apart with her unique and exciting style of storytelling, she really knows how to ensure that her audience is fully invested in the narrative. With strong characters coupled alongside an equally interesting and robust story, she brings a lot of weight to the medium. This has ensured that she has become a household name for many, as her stories retain a universal truth to each of them.

Previously working in advertising and marketing, Joshi is well versed with communicating with a large audience. This is a skill that’s developed throughout the years, as she’s evolved as a writer, establishing her own unique style in the process. Drawing from her own life and family, she’s been inspired by a whole wealth of material, bringing a diverse range of subjects into her work. Setting herself apart from her many contemporaries with her idiosyncratic voice, she’s a wholly original writer with something different to say.

It’s also her characters that really ring true, with their well developed and fully fleshed out personalities that come to life on the page. Her passion definitely comes across through her writing, speaking in a manner that is wholly real and believable for the reader. This goes some way towards explaining her huge rise in popularity around the world, with readers appreciating her books regardless of where they’re from. With plenty more titles planned for the future, she’s a writer who’s growing from strength-to-strength, which isn’t stopping any time soon.

Early and Personal Life:
Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in India, the future author to be Alka Joshi would nurture a keen interest in literature from an early age. Living in the United States from the age of nine, she’d develop this passion for writing through the years, evolving her voice and style. Attending Stanford University, she’d go on to graduate with a BA, before going on to receive an MFA from the California College of Arts.

This would all allow her to find the inspiration she needed, as she would then go on to work in advertising and marketing. Creating her own agency, she’d communicate with large audiences, something which would translate well into her writing. Previously living in both Italy and France, she now lives in Pacific Grove in California with her husband, as she continues to write to this day.

Writing Career:
In 2020, Alka Joshi would bring out her first novel titled ‘The Henna Artist,’ and it would be a period piece set in the 1950s. She’d later follow this up the following year, with its sequel ‘The Royal Jewel Cinema,’ releasing it in 2021 just one year later. Finding an audience fast, Joshi would see her first book being featured in the Reese Witherspoon book club, as she’d soon become a household name.

Conducting over ten years of research in the run-up to her debut novel, she would stop at nothing to ensure it was as authentic as possible. Drawing from her own history, much of the book would be inspired by her own experiences, creating a story that was unique to her. Winning awards for her work, it would fast become recognized as a singular piece, as she continues gaining acclaim from critics and the general public alike.

The Henna Artist
Initially released through ‘Mira Books’ in 2020 on the 3rd of March, this would be the first to fictional book to come from Alka Joshi as an author. Working entirely as a stand-alone, it manages to establish both her style and her tone, debuting a highly idiosyncratic voice. A historical novel, it uses realistic events to help portray a time and era, conveying a range of different themes and ideas.

It’s an interesting look at a culture and society from inside, studying the various social issues and mores of the time. Interesting and compelling, Joshi deals with these with tact and care, crafting a unique story that definitely does engage on multiple levels. The world as well as the characters are perfectly balanced, as Joshi handles them both with expert precision throughout.

Set in the 1950s, this follows young seventeen year old Lakshmi as she breaks away from her abusive marriage, in order to seek a new life in the bustling city Jaipur. Here she becomes a henna artist, working with the high-society there, as she’s highly sought after as both an artist and confidante. Attempting to keep her own past a secret, she’s one day found by her husband, as he now has a new wife, Lakshmi’s unknown sister, as he threatens to unravel the life she has carefully created. Will she be able to ever truly escape his clutches and live in peace? Can she overcome the obstacles of the time? What will become of the henna artist?

The Royal Jewel Cinema
Originally published in 2021 on the 22nd of June, this second title would come out through ‘Mira Books’ once again. Following up her last book as a sequel, this is another self-contained historical novel from Alka Joshi, as she delivers another strong story. Featuring equally strong characters as well, it manages to convey the tone and style of the original, delivering the same high quality that readers have now come to expect from her as an author.

With this being the sequel to her last book, Alka Joshi once again makes the most the premise, conveying a range of different ideas on society. Articulating herself clearly and with great confidence, it manages to fully get the message across, saying exactly what it is that she wants to say. The world it inhabits is brilliantly drawn too, building upon the first book, while also taking it in a new and interesting direction.

Following on twelve years after the previous book, ‘The Henna Artist,’ this looks at the life of Malik; the character that was first found helping Lakshmi. Sent by Lakshmi to work in Jaipur Palace as an apprentice, it is here that he meets the wealthy Singhs once again. He also ends up getting himself involved in a scheme that could threaten his job, the love of his life and, ultimately, his own life. Will he be able to get out of it in one piece? Where will the scheme take him? What will happen at The Royal Jewel Cinema?

2 Responses to “Alka Joshi”

1. Ruth Aptacker: 2 years ago

   Love your writing and have recommended your book to two book clubs. Both have enjoyed discussing your books.

   Reply
2. Barbara Switzer: 3 years ago

   I loved both of your books; and learned a lot about India, henna, and the class system that was supposedly abolished. When can your readers expect the third book in this trilogy?
   Devoted reader,
   Barbara Switzer

   Reply