Welcome to Litsy!

A fascinating coming of age story about a young Jewish girl in Yemen. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this book. #ReadingAsia2021

3/5⭐ This book is great if you want to dive into a particular character's life and meander through her childhood alongside her. We see her as an adult at the very end of the book when several decades are suddenly fast-forwarded through.

Eve's lyrical prose and historical details are what got me through the book, because there really isn't much by way of dimensional, memorable characters or plot. I did enjoy the motifs of henna and the alphabet.

The interpretation of Hebrew letters as shapes the characters can relate to is really gorgeous. I've loved the consistent undercurrent throughout the book of how deeply important letters/words are.

[...]Soon, I would grow to believe that I myself was an actual text, and that my skin without henna was like a holy book without words—a shameful, almost blasphemous, thing. Without henna, I wouldn't know how to read myself. With henna, I was as sacred as a sanctified Torah. With henna, I was the carrier of ancient tales—a living girl-scroll replete with tales of sorrow, joy, and salvation.

Riveted from the first moment, I'm blissfully delving into the raw pages of this nakedly #intimate tale of yesteryear. By candlelight or by cell phone light, I'm going to cover-to-cover #HennaHouse through power outages or between calls. Hoping its last pages are as infused with soulful inspiration as the first dozens. More incandescent than hit you over the head from the outside, it's the deep roots in the story that so entwine you in Nomi's gem.

Pairs well with: "Monsoon Wedding" soundtrack, girls night in, red wine, fountain pens

Regrettable cover, unforgettable storyline. One author review said she read once through quickly, to find out what happens, then again to savor the rich descriptions. I agree.
I purchased this book after reading so that I could highlight sections that would transport me back to a time and place where women gathered to share ancient traditions.

I was expecting to enjoy this book more. Really boring for most of it.

I really enjoyed this book. Eve has a unique, poetic style of prose. I learned a lot about Yemenite Jewish culture and got majorly sucked into the characters' drama. Sometimes it was hard to read, either for content or for just following the plot line, but I would still recommend it if you like historical fiction!

I really wanted to love this one, and as much as I liked it, I was ultimately frustrated that it took 250 pages to build the world and only left 50 pages for the mystery/love triangle to be addressed. But the information on Jewish henna was fascinating and makes me want to go get my feet done!

#bookanddrink, lunch-time edition. I need to knock this one out before book club on Thursday. Whoops!

Anyone else get absurdly disappointed when their library book comes naked, without the gorgeous book jacket? Especially when it was supposed to be so pretty?

I REALLY enjoyed this book! It was well worth the read. Definitely put this on your to read list. You won't be disappointed.