discrimination

the Henna Artist

Linda J

Married at 15, with an abusive husband and no-one to turn to, Lakshmi flees her rural village to seek an independent life. As her life evolves in the city of Jaipur, she becomes a renowned henna artist for the upper class. Her skills sought after, she is able to work towards her dream of a better life.

Alka Joshi’s debut novel pays homage to her parents’ Indian background – an arranged marriage and a desire for a better life. As her parents moved from India to America, theirs is not a traditional Indian lifestyle – though her mother had limited choices herself, she had greater aspirations for her daughter.

Naturally, Alka tributes her own freedom to her mother’s efforts, enabling her to live a life of choice that her mother never experienced. She sees ‘the Henna Artist’ as a reimagining of her mother’s traditional life in India of the 1950s – a girl making a life of her own.

Set in India in the mid-1950s, ‘the Henna Artist’ provides an authentic insight into some of the restrictions faced by young women/girls within Indian society. Themes include discrimination through the caste system, male vs female rights, wealth vs poverty, and the implications of all these for young girls.

As stated before, Lakshmi escapes an abusive marriage and is able to determine some of her life choices once she is in Jaipur. She operates her own business, employs a young but savvy local boy, and her henna work (and other skills) is in demand by upper-class ladies. However, the favours and relationships she has established to improve her status in life begin to unravel when her past catches up with her.

Life, with its class-related pitfalls, seems so unfair in this novel. There is both hope and despair, with no clear outcome for Lakshmi and those around her, except for the importance of family ties. But whose family ties will be significant?

This is a challenging #ownstorytelling, as Alka Joshi aims to:

“…understand that what my mother wanted was a life for me that she was denied. She wanted me to experience the freedom of choice…. Lakshmi embodies the alternative life (I) imagined for my mother.”

Including a glossary to explain the many Indian terms, a list to introduce the characters, and some relevant explanations/recipes ‘the Henna Artist’ reveals a world of struggle, love and pain with intriguing characters.

Vibrant personalities, colourful locations, and even threatening situations presented are easy to imagine. Cultural and social conflicts are frustratingly real and angst-ridden. Lakshmi’s future isn’t simple, but there is hope that she will rise above all that fate places in her path – but at what cost?

# Will this, a debut novel be a standalone, or the first of several stories from Alka Joshi? Is there more to tell about Lakshmi, Malik, Hari, Radha and Nikhil?

Ghost Bird

Linda J

It’s a mystery – Laney is missing and Stacey doesn’t believe the story told by Laney’s boyfriend, Troy.

The police don’t seem to be doing much about looking for her, though her family mob are searching where they can. The divide between black and white in the outback community is pretty clear:

“Everyone knows that some parts of the town are ‘white’ territory and others are ‘black’. Even the pub has a whitefulla and a blackfulla side.”

As Laney’s twin, Stacey feels it is up to her to follow her own instincts to find her, despite repeated commands from her mother to stay put. Her nightmares continue and though respectful of her family, she must do something – including speaking with Mad May Miller.

There are many tensions within the community – between black and white, poor and wealthy, current and past landowners.  Thus, Lisa Fuller brings together elements of racism, family loyalty, past conflicts and tradition into this intriguing debut novel.

While covering only a week in a divided community, there are many questions to be answered along the way:

  • What really happened to Laney? Can she be found alive?
  • What was/is it like to live in a divided community?
  • Should Stacey follow her instincts?
  • When is it time to get over old grievances?
  • Can the solution come from the past?

The characters of Stacey and her cousin Rhi are real and relatable, as are her family members and Mad May Miller. This would be a great class novel, but read it before it becomes one to enjoy the language and situations it introduces. A worthy nomination for this year’s CBCA shortlist!

# In this interview, Lisa Fuller responds to the comment: ‘One of the loveliest aspects of Ghost Bird is the infusion of your culture with a strong emphasis on family.’ and more.

EDIT: Ghost Bird is an Honour Book in this year’s CBCA Awards. Congrats!

Changing Perspectives – Pennies for Hitler

Linda J

For Georg, life in Germany is just fine – with 2 loving parents and a settled homelife. As an 11 year old, he believes all that his teacher, Herr Doktor Schöner, tells him about Adolf Hitler and the differences between races – even if his (English) father’s views were not quite as adoring.

Things change rapidly when there is a demonstration at a university graduation ceremony that his family attends – an uprising against Jews, and his professor father is caught in the crossfire. Georg and his mother flee the scene, and he is literally ‘packed off’ to live with an English relative, without knowing his father’s fate.

Since his grandmother has Jewish blood, Georg’s mother fears for his safety. In England, of course, it is his German heritage that could put him at great risk, so for a long time he has little to do with anyone other that his aunt and the local librarian.

Life is lonely for Georg, who must now be known as George.  To try to develop an English accent, he spends time reading and listening to the radio. His aunt is kept busy, spending long days away from the apartment supporting the war effort. In fact, life is not normal for many in London, as the war makes food scarce and, for their own safety, many children are sent to the countryside. When the bombing of London increases, his aunt’s workplace also has to be relocated, but Georg cannot go with her.

Once again he is packed off – this time on a ship to Australia to live with a foster family. For a while, he develops new friendships with other children on the journey, responsible as an older child for several others. Soon he finds that these friendships are to be taken away by the relocation exercise, and wonders if he will ever be able to maintain any family ties or friendships.

Sadly, many of Georg’s experiences were very real (and worse) for children who grew up in the war years.

Jackie French has again provided a story that is both well-researched and realistic. Using Georg’s perspective in changing situations, she makes us ponder how men define and create enemies, and how the truth can be manipulated by propaganda. It also helps us think about the many impacts of war on families, and how we decide who we love and hate.

Through it all, Georg is unsure of whether his parents are still alive. Hiding his German/Jewish heritage becomes crucial, as he settles in several different situations. Will he finally with a loving foster family in Australia, find happiness within himself and among the country community?

For a sneak preview of the book, here’s a link to the first chapter.