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The Henna Artist


The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating,...
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Do you relate to Lakshmi?

Created: 04/03/20

Replies: 13

Posted Apr. 03, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sheyc

Join Date: 02/17/20

Posts: 5

Do you relate to Lakshmi?

As a small business owner, living in a small town I could definitely relate to Lakshmi. My reputation is everything and I have definitely had to bite my tongue a time or two. In what was did you relate to Lakshmi?


Posted Apr. 04, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
scgirl

Join Date: 06/05/18

Posts: 245

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

I did find her relatable. While also a small business owner, it wasn't in that context, but rather dealing with the lack of respect from my ex-husband while we were married and I was putting him through law school. After we separated and divorced I never had the luxury of quitting a bad job because I was supporting our daughter and myself. I was determined to succeed and I did, eventually making more money in a corporate environment than he ever did as an attorney.


Posted Apr. 04, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
darylb

Join Date: 06/23/13

Posts: 142

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

Not as far as having endured an abusive marriage, but having worked in a small family owned business most of my career, yes. I can definitely relate to the shmoozing of upset clients. Always trying to be helpful and a friend even when they are unreasonable.


Posted Apr. 04, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
paulak

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 264

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

I think most women can relate to certain aspects of Lakshmi, especially her work to forge her own path independent of what her family and society expected. I related to her work ethic and her ability to interact with people to achieve good outcomes.


Posted Apr. 04, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
melanieb

Join Date: 08/30/14

Posts: 265

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

Yes. She reminds me of contemporary career women who work hard and penny pinch oftentimes without the help of a partner. She’s saving money to send home to help family/taking in a family member, saving to purchase a home, and she’s having to deal with questionable business practices to maintain customer loyalty. Some things never change.


Posted Apr. 08, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lynne z

Join Date: 01/06/18

Posts: 58

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

As a woman, I definitely related to Lakshmi in many ways. She was a complex character with strengths and weaknesses - certainly not one-dimensional. She seemed very real to me.


Posted Apr. 08, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ColoradoGirl

Join Date: 05/16/16

Posts: 149

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

Yes, I agree especially with melanieb -- she does seem like a contemporary career woman working towards independence. 1950s India is a lot like today for women trying to forge their way in the world. Now we have social media for all the gossipers!


Posted Apr. 09, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
evelyng

Join Date: 02/07/18

Posts: 49

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

I can easily relate to Lakshmi as I have had to carve out a life for myself, without the help and/or interference of others and that is a difficult, ever evolving way to live. Flexibility and control of emotional toll must be consistently taken into consideration and Lakshimi certainly demonstrates these as the story unfolds. For me, she is a kind, warm and very brave woman who faces each day squarely and walks through through and around the potholes in her road.


Posted Apr. 09, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorothyh

Join Date: 01/23/15

Posts: 225

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

Yes, she is a caring person, works hard for those that depend on her. She tries her best to do the right thing


Posted Apr. 09, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
PinkLady

Join Date: 01/22/18

Posts: 187

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

I do relate to her in the sense of her desire to be strong and independent and do what she needs to save herself but I can't relate to her circumstances having lived such a different life.


Posted Apr. 09, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
TaraM

Join Date: 07/17/19

Posts: 54

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

So true! These comments are spot on. There are many parallels between modern working women today and Lakshmi, especially when it comes to learning to navigate society and family expectations against her own dreams and desires.


Posted Apr. 12, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
beverlyj

Join Date: 12/22/11

Posts: 138

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

While reading the book, I did not find myself thinking/relating to Lakshmi because I was immersed in her story, her situations and I understood why she made the decisions that she did.

But, as an afterthought, I could relate to Lakshmi as I grew up in a time when women, if they were too independent was considered a maverick and often times to was other women who were the most vocal if a women's behavior was outside of the what was considered the "norm" (acceptable behavior).


Posted Apr. 25, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
beckys

Join Date: 08/12/16

Posts: 233

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

I related to Lakshmi in that she was a woman and she was strong and stubborn, but I have not endured anything like she had endured. Being a white, middle class, educated woman in the US, I don't feel like I have ever really had the disadvantages that many women in other cultures have had. I personally have never been in an abusive relationship or felt discriminated against because of my gender. As bad as we think we have it sometimes, we have so many opportunities in this country that other people can only dream of.


Posted May. 12, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
thereser

Join Date: 01/25/20

Posts: 13

RE: Do you relate to Lakshmi?

Yes. Lakshmi left her abusive husband. I did the same, albeit with four children in tow. She eventually set herself up as a henna artist. I had several iterations in eight years, taking advantage of opportunities as they came along, incorporating what I had learned in a previous experience into the next one, and so on. I took these skills with me on a diplomatic posting in Africa, using them to advance the cause of women, recognizing that without literacy they could not integrate themselves into their society, and had to rely on husband or others to be their go-betweens.


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