This is the third and final book in the Jaipur Trilogy saga.


The first two books were set in the 1950s and 1960s, respectively. Alka Joshi shows us the gradual progression of characters in a decade in each book, and this one is fittingly set in the 1970s. I suggest the readers read the books in the order in which it was published, starting from The Henna Artist, to have the best reading experience with this book.

This trilogy is not the usual fiction, which instantly draws you to the world of characters. It will take some time for the readers to get used to the world of Lakshmi and Radha, especially if you are not so familiar with the customs and traditions followed by Indian families.

This hiccup will be only for the initial 100 pages of the first book, The Henna Artist. After that, the characters will slowly grow on you. You will become so invested in them that you might finish these books in a single sitting. I am not saying that there are no negatives in this book. But compared to how the author evolved just the characters, those negatives are negligible.

This book takes through the character of Radha in Paris. She lives in Paris with her husband and two children and is trying to build up a career as a perfumer. The allusion to the baby boy that she gave up is always reflected in her activities. She has never said anything about her son to her husband, Pierre. She is somehow able to overcome it through altruism and passion for her new career.

Just when Radha reaches India for her first big project, she discovers more about her son, who is going to Paris in search of his mother. Will Radha and her son unite together? Will the discovery of her son by her husband shatter her marital life? Will Lakshmi and others help Radha to solve her dilemma they did earlier? There are many questions these if you have already read the first two books. Alka Joshi answers all these questions convincingly in this book. In addition to that, the author does a splendid job of telling all the intricate details behind making and selecting a perfume.


What I learned from this book
1) Who should we blame if the younger generation behaves unacceptably?
The decline in values for the newer generation is a big topic of discussion these days. Many people complain that youngsters don't have the discipline and patience to behave appropriately. The author shows us who should be blamed for this behavior.

The youngsters definitely have a responsibility here. But the author is not ambivalent about telling the root cause of the problem as it can be traced to older people. They are equally culpable for the animosity and antipathy shown by the newer generation.
"None of us thought you were dumb, Radha. If anything, we all felt guilty. I failed in my duty as your older sister to teach you about sex. Kanta failed in her duty to guide you toward books and movies more appropriate to your age. Malik felt bad that he hadn't come to me sooner to tell me he'd seen you with Ravi. We failed, Radha.
You didn't. And for that, I'm profoundly sorry. We failed you. Do you understand?"

2) Do we have to adjust to the differences in opinion with our partner to protect the integrity of the family?
Family life is a mixed bag with similarities and differences in opinion. It is these differences that make it more beautiful. It is inevitable for us to get ourselves adjusted to these differences. But if the partner starts to consider the better half condescendingly and the differences are more than the similarities, then it is a different ball game.

In a simple manner, we can say that it is better to part ways if there is no mutual respect. The author discusses this complicated topic in a simple and elegant manner through the following lines.
"I've come to think that some people are meant to be in our lives for a certain length of time and not a moment more."

3) Kannauj
The author doesn't stop after crafting a beautiful story. She also shares with us the recipe of Gulkand and other dishes related to this book to give you a unique reading experience. Her description of perfume primer and master perfumer will be the icing on the cake for the readers.

She extensively researched the perfumes in India and Paris to write this book. We can see her mentioning the importance of Kannauj in the Perfume map of the world.
"Kannauj, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is considered the attar capital of India. Because they're extracted directly from a mere handful of plants, flowers, roots and other natural materials, attars are considered purer, closer to the source, by those who use them."

My favourite three lines from this book
“Attraction is one thing. Revenge is another.”

"Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across
thousands of miles and all the years you have lived. —Helen Keller”

"Why am I the one who must find the solution to a problem I didn't cause?"

What could have been better?
The narration and character arcs move a free-flowing river in this book. The author has marvelously recreated the vibe and settings of the 1970s through the characters. Still, there is one instance where the readers will feel the words of a character as a contemporary one (belonging to 2023) rather than a person from the 1970s. I felt that idea and thinking pattern of the author and the character was correct, but the words used could have been restructured to make it more natural. (I can't comment more about it here, as it would be a spoiler for those who haven't read this novel yet.)

Rating
4/5 The way the authors interact with the readers in the real and virtual world varies according to their personalities. We can categorize them into three from a reader's perspective.

Many authors take a neutral approach and post the latest information from their literary life on social media without responding much to the reader's comments and suggestions. They use social media mainly for marketing their new books.

The second category of authors is those who involve in verbal altercations with the readers by quarreling with them when they criticize their creations. This battle between the authors and the readers can turn pretty ugly sometimes. There are numerous examples of such instances in the last couple of years. My only suggestion to similar authors is to read the book, The Death of the Author by Roland Barthes and understand the concept mentioned in it before going for such a fight.

Alka Joshi belongs to the third category, where the authors interact a lot with the readers in both the virtual and real world by responding to the readers almost every time and accepting constructive criticisms in the best possible way without hurting the feelings of the readers and the author. I genuinely believe that it is the ideal way to interact with the readers in this modern era. It will be only possible if the authors have great personalities and time management skills. I believe that Alka Joshi has both of these qualities.

Her open-minded approach has helped her a lot in removing almost all the negatives that readers me have pointed out in the initial two books. The story of the Jaipur trilogy ends in 1981 in this book. The author could have easily written three or four more books in this series to take the story to the contemporary era, and the readers are ready to read all of them. Still, I appreciate the courage shown by her to conclude the series in this book. Let us hope that she will write another series with at least a few characters from the Jaipur trilogy to know the progression of the characters.

I can easily say that The Perfumist of Paris is a befitting way to end the Jaipur Trilogy, and I will recommend it to anyone who has read the other books in this series.


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is this book necessary? no. but is it a nice addition to the series? sure.

the previous book, this is a self-contained story that follows a different character introduced in ‘the henna artist.’ the thing is, radha just isnt a character i particularly care about. shes fine, but nothing about her really stands out to me.

fans of the first two books will most ly enjoy this as all of the characters arcs have now come to a full resolution, which is satisfying. i just wish this had interested me as much as the rest of the series did.

? 3 stars190 s7 comments Jayme1,296 3,157

*No Spoilers from books one and two in the Jaipur Trilogy*

In Book One, “The Henna Artist” we were introduced to the vivid sights and smells of India, as we met Lakshmi, the most requested Henna Artist in the pink city of Jaipur, and learned about her skills, including the polite but calculated negotiations that allowed her to flourish in her trade.

Book Two, “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur” the story continues 12 years later with her protégé, Malik, who has taken an apprenticeship interning at the Jaipur Palace, whose latest project is a State of the Art Cinema, which doesn’t go as planned.

And, in Book Three-the final chapter of the trilogy, “The Perfumist of Paris”the spotlight is now on Lakshmi’s younger sister, Radha, who is now thirty-two and living in 1974 Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters, Shanti and Asha.

When her friend’s grandfather offered her a job at his parfumerie, she quickly discovered that she had a gift for matching the “right” fragrance for each customer who walked through the door, sensing not only what would work with their own essence but also intuitively knowing what they wanted it for.

I enjoyed learning about the processes and it made me wonder what she would choose for me. What would be my “signature scent”?

Despite not having a chemistry degree, Radha is now a lab assistant to Delphine Silberman, a master perfumer at the House of Yves, in Paris, and rising up the ranks much to the chagrin of her husband who would prefer that she would be happy being a “stay at home” wife and mother.

She has come a long way from the lost 13 year old we met in book one, full of regrets and sorrow and the trilogy comes full circle as she tries to balance her love for her career with her love of being a mother.

She will have to hold her own against her better educated adversaries, navigate a relationship with a judgmental mother in law, and do so with only her close friend, Mathilde to lean on, as the rest of her family resides in India.

Her first major project will take her home to India searching for the perfect scent for a special client, just as a secret from her Past, will arrive in Paris, making her confront all of the things she thought could remain buried.

Once again, the VIBRANT sights and INTOXICATING smells of both Paris, and India were brought alive, by the MESMERIZING lyrical voice of narrator Sneha Mathan, in the Audible version and I toggled between listening and reading.

The author, Alki Joshi, thoughtfully provided a cast of characters in the beginning, reminding us of who everyone from each book is and how they are related, as well as a glossary of terms (and a couple of recipes!) at the book’s conclusion.

Although, this was always a planned trilogy, the story could easily continue with Radha’s children, should the author reconsider, and I would most definitely enjoy seeing where their paths would take them, but this was most definitely a WORTHY conclusion and a WONDERFUL way to conclude this journey.

5 glowing ?? stars!

Review for “The Henna Artist” : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review for “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur”: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Another buddy read with DeAnn so be sure to watch for her thoughts!

Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan of both versions!audible backlist buddy-read ...more136 s2 comments Teres126 411

In the final installment of The Jaipur Trilogy, author Alka Joshi takes us on a multi-sensory journey from the perfumer labs of France to the night markets of India.

The story comes alive as Joshi vividly describes the quintessential sights, sounds, and foods of Paris, coupled with the exotic life of Agra’s courtesans who supply the raw ingredients for seductive perfumes.

Radha Fontaine has a rare gift: the innate ability to not only detect the layers of scent that make up a distinctive perfume, but also the emotions those fragrances can evoke. 

Employed by The House of Yves, Radha is asked to create a signature scent inspired by the woman portrayed in Edouard Manet’s 1863 painting entitled “Olympia.” 

Radha loves and excels at her job, though her dedication to it is increasingly a source of conflict with her French architect husband Pierre, who wants her to be a stay-at-home mom to their two young daughters.

We are privy to Radha's near constant inner dialogue about balancing work, marriage, and motherhood — she wants to be a good wife to Pierre and an attentive mother to her daughters, but she also needs the satisfaction and creative outlet provided by her job.

What’s that old adage? The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Our story takes place in 1974, yet here we are five decades later and women the world over are still torn between motherhood and career.

The Perfumist of Paris is a satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series about family — those we are born to and those we choose.

Ultimately, The Jaipur Trilogy is about women finding themselves: finding their agency in this world, finding their power.

The Jaipur Trilogy

Book 1: The Henna Artist [currently in development at Netflix]
Book 2: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
Book 3: The Perfumist of Parishistorical-fiction100 s1 comment Kerrin 337 221

UPDATE: I got to hear Alka Joshi speak on October 22, 2023, at a fundraiser in Richardson, Texas. She is truly one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I have met. She is radiant when she speaks about her love of India, and even more so when she describes her mother who inspired these stories. As much as I have loved this trilogy, I love it even more after hearing her talk. It was exciting to hear that the Henna Artist is being made into a mini-series by Netflix. Alka Joshi deserves all the best!

I have absolutely loved Alka Joshi's Jaipur Trilogy. The first book focuses on Lakshmi, a henna artist who escaped an abusive husband and made a career for herself. The second book focuses on Lakshmi's helper, Malik, who helps her solve the mystery behind an architectural failure. This third book focuses on Radha, Lakshmi's younger sister who had a child out of wedlock at the age of 13 and is now working as a lab assistant for a major perfume company in Paris.

I think the Perfumist of Paris is my favorite of the three. The author's descriptions of smells and scents were creative, lush, and almost magical. I was quickly transported into this story that takes place in both Paris and Agra. We follow Radha as she navigates wanting to be a successful working mother in the 1970s, while still dealing with the grief of giving up her firstborn for adoption.

83 s34 comments Marilyn (recuperating from hip replacement surgery948 340

The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi was the last book in the Jaipur trilogy. What a moving and impressive endeavor this proved to be! Alka Joshi showed once again what a masterful storyteller she is. I enjoyed all three books in this trilogy but The Perfumist of Paris was my favorite by far. It took place in both Paris and India during the mid 1970’s. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by Sneha Mathan.

In The Perfumist of Paris, Radha had married, had become a mother to two young daughters and lived in Paris now. Radha loved her husband and daughters very much. Despite how joyful and fulfilled she should have been, though, Radha felt that something was missing from her life. She did not just want to be a stay at home mother and wife. When her best friend’s grandfather offered Radha an opportunity to work for him part time and learn about perfumes and their scents Radha suddenly felt more complete than she had in a long time. Then a short time later, Radha was offered an amazing opportunity. She was offered a job as a lab assistant at The House of Yves by one of the most notorious master perfumers. Radha had an innate ability and talent to distinguish between various scents within a particular perfume and to identify the emotions certain fragrances could instill. She felt so passionate about working with fragrances. Radha had finally found something that she enjoyed and was good at. Her biggest obstacle was convincing her husband to allow her to pursue her dream.

Pierre wanted Radha to be a stay at home mother. His career as an architect could support them easily. He did not want Radha to work. Pierre did not support her passion nor her dreams. Radha felt so frustrated by Pierre’s lack of support, his failure to recognize her talent, his inability to respect the dreams she had for herself and the commitment she so desperately wanted to make to pursue her passion. Radha and Pierre loved each other very much but they argued constantly about Radha working outside the house.

Radha had been working as a lab assistant for sometime when she was finally offered an opportunity she could not and would not pass up. She was presented with an opportunity that Radha had been waiting her whole life for. Radha was being asked to create a unique fragrance for a client all by herself. The fragrance was to be inspired from Edouard Manet’s painting entitled “Olympia”. Radha visited the museum where “Olympia” hung frequently and found herself standing in front of the sensual painting for long periods of time. She was very close to perfecting the fragrance but Radha knew something was missing. She was missing the liquid part of “Olympia” and she knew the only place to find the missing scent was in India.

Radha got permission from the master perfumer to travel to India. Convincing Pierre that she needed to travel was another matter. He still had not learned to share the passion Radha felt for being given this opportunity. Pierre failed to celebrate this newfound opportunity with Radha. Reluctantly, he allowed her to go, though. Radha traveled to Shimla. She was meeting Lakshmi and going to the Courtesans of Agra where Lakshmi had sought refuge all those years ago when she had run away from her abusive husband. Who better to help Radha discover what fragrance she was missing than the courtesans? Just as Radha finally discovered the missing scent she was searching for, her past came barreling toward her. Everything Radha had thought she had buried deep inside her was suddenly and painfully present once again. How will Radha handle the emergence of the secrets she has been hiding for so long? Will Radha’s talent as a Perfumist finally be recognized? How will Pierre and her daughters feel about all this?

I did not want this trilogy to end. Each book was so good in its own way. I loved the characters and enjoyed seeing them evolve and grow. The women characters, Lakshmi and Radha, were strong and independent. I admired them for those qualities. Radha’s daughters also possessed strength, determination and individuality. It was admirable how Radha’s daughters were able to assimilate both their Indian and French cultures into their lives. The Perfumist of Paris portrayed the roles men expected women to lead. It also contrasted those expected roles with emerging roles women were beginning to take despite the challenges they faced in doing so. I can’t wait to see what Alka Joshi writes next. I highly recommend this book.marilyn-s-challenge68 s7 comments TXGAL1317 45

A superb finish to this wonderful trilogy!fiction67 s6 comments Margaret18

I'm fortunate enough to work on the book, and it's the best one in the trilogy, in my opinion! 55 s Barbara1,507 5,140



3.5 stars

This is the conclusion of the trilogy whose first two books are The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur. I strongly recommend reading the books in order.

The main characters in the trilogy are two sisters named Lakshsmi and Radha, both of whom rebel against traditional Indian roles for women. In 'The Henna Artist,' set in the mid-1950s, Lakshmi runs away from an abusive husband and becomes a henna artist and an expert in the use of spices, herbs, plants, potions, and teas to heal wounds, treat illnesses, and address other concerns.



Due to a confluence of circumstances Lakshmi takes in her 13-year-old sister Radha, whose teenage behavior gets her into trouble.



The siblings' story and that of other protagonists continues in 'The Secret Keeper of Jaipur', which takes place in the late 1960s.

*****

In 'The Perfumist of Paris', which is set in 1974, Radha - who's now thirty-two - is living in France with her husband Pierre and their daughters, seven-year-old Asha and nine-year-old Shanti.





Radha has a talent for creating scents, and is the assistant to master perfumist Delphine at 'The House of Yves' in Paris.



Radha's architect husband Pierre would prefer that Radha stay home to be a full-time wife and mother, but he tolerates Radha's working without making too much fuss.



Radha's mother-in-law Florence, a difficult opinionated woman, is decidedly cool towards Radha and her Indian culture. Nevertheless Florence loves her grandchildren, and takes care of Asha and Shanti when Radha is at work.



Because Radha is so talented with scents, a client of the perfumery gives Radha the opportunity to create a fragrance inspired by Edouard Manet's painting 'Olympia.' The client plans to distribute perfumes evoked by women in famous paintings.


Edouard Manet's 'Olympia'

To create the 'Olympia' perfume Radha must take a trip to India to source scents. Radha meets her sister Lakshsmi in Jaipur, and the two women visit the courtesans of Agra, who are experts in the use of scents to attract and seduce men.



Radha finds the perfect ingredient for the 'Olympia' perfume and returns to Paris where an unexpected person - who could imperil Radha's marriage - awaits. The surprise also leads to tension between Radha and her best friend Mathilde, who's hurt by Radha's secrecy.

To add to Radha's problems, there's skullduggery afoot at 'The House of Yves', and Radha's possible promotion to master perfumist is imperiled.



For me 'The Perfumist of Paris' is the least successful book in the trilogy. The plot is too simple; the crises are resolved too easily to create much tension; and some important events are predictable and cliché. Still, I was happy to catch up with the characters from previous books, and I the glimpses of Indian customs and food, the chole (chickpea curry) prepared by Radha and her daughters. (Recipe included in the book.)


Chole

Some of my favorite parts of the novel are the descriptions of the scents. The fragrances were carefully researched by the author Alka Joshi, who was inspired by some of her childhood experiences. In an interview, Joshi observes, "The fragrances I grew up with....were the scents of my native India: the jasmine garlands by mother threaded through her braid; the rosewater betel nut paans the chaiwalla [tea sellers] chewed. They were the scents of vetiver window screens hung in the heat of a Rajasthani summer, my auntie’s favorite sandalwood snuff, the rickshaw driver’s coconut hair oil. These scents were soothing to me, a reminder of where I came from." Joshi studied scents and their uses, and became something of an expert for the book.



Though this novel wasn't quite as good as the others in the trilogy, I highly recommend the books, which have memorable characters and a compelling story line.

You can follow my at https://bybarbsaffer.blogspot.com47 s2 comments Taury708 191

The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi
The lovely last book in the Jaipur Trilogy. End of the 1970s taking place in Paris and India. Radha struggles to balance the life of wife, mother and work. Then Nikki. The confusion begins to crumble as Radha’s career takes off I enjoyed learning more what goes into making a scent.
Such a wonderful book. There are many references to other characters in her first 2 books. Be sure to read in order. Or you will be confused. It gives good background information.
I do believe The Henna Artist will remain my favorite. 202331 s Sabrina Zitniak6

I have to say I was very disappointed in this book. I fell in love with this series and almost all of the characters in it, except for Radha. In the very first book she acted nothing more than she was a thirteen year old child, I had HOPED that would change with this installment since now she’s an adult. It didn’t. She still acts the same thirteen year old child she was and probably always will be. The never ending internal questions “is she mad at me? Will I loose this project? Will he leave me?” It’s endless and maddening. Radha might be older in years but she hasn’t grown up, still prone to the same outbursts at all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons. Disliking people who are trying to help her and love her but in her mind they are trying to take everything away from her. This book was a struggle for me between the lack of character development and the constant self doubt dialogue. 28 s3 comments PorshaJo492 696

Rating 4.75

Really enjoyed the last book in the trilogy. I'm sorry to see it end. I d how each book focused on a different character and timeline, how each book flowed together....but honestly, could be read independently. The audio narration is great, a favorite narrator for me. One that will go on my favorites for the year. And I learned some stuff about perfume as well!audio challengereads challengereads-2023 ...more28 s Lisa Burgos380 23

I will now have to go back, and read books 1 & 2 as I wasn't aware this was a triology.

An excellent description and depiction of life in 1950's India. 26 s2 comments Maureen390 98

Captivating conclusion to a fascinating trilogy. Radha is a young mother with two daughters living with her husband Pierre in Paris. She is working as a lab assistant in one of the most famous perfume houses in Paris. She is given the opportunity to travel to India to find a secret ingredient to design a unique fragrance. While doing her research in India, she finds out that her beloved son is on his way to Paris to seek answers to questions he has. Radha had a son when she was only thirteen years of age and gave him up for adoption. But how does he know of her? Pierre does not even know that Niki her son exists. What will she tell him?
This is a beautifully written story, I could just feel and smell the scents of India. It is a compelling story of Radha’s journey to find her own voice and balance her career and motherhood. This book takes you from the alluring scents of India to the glamour of Paris. I hope this series continues.historical-fiction india22 s6 comments Kristine 742 202

3.5*
I enjoyed this book, but found it a little slow and for some reason I just was not pulled into the story as much as The Henna Artist. I think it may have been that the book went over many of the characters that I already knew there story, so it felt somewhat repetitious. However, I did love Radha throughout this trilogy and was nice to see how her life worked out. That she works for a fragrance company and searches for beautiful scents I really loved this part. She had given up a son when she was a teenager and he returns and wants a place in her life. This was good, but I wanted a bit more of a connection between them. Overall, glad I read this third book in the trilogy, but recommend The Henna Artist the most. The first book just grabbed me and I could not put it down. 2023-new-releases books-about-families-siblings-frien books-and-authors-interested-in-rea ...more19 s1 comment BernLuvsBooks 918 5,019

This trilogy has been everything! Each book has been a 5 star read. Alka Joshi pulls you into this world and NO doesn't let go. In their last book of the trilogy we focus on Radha. 1970's Paris & Radha's budding career as a perfumer is at odds with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past. She secretly grieves the baby boy she gave up years ago, only to be faced with him.
Can she excel as a perfumist, wife & mother and make a place in her life for the son she gave up for adoption?2023 adult-reads audiobooks ...more23 s Jaclyn270 120

Initial thoughts: a solid end to a wonderful series!

Preread thoughts:
Ahh! I’m so glad this has been released. I love this series. I originally listened to the henna artist on audio, then read the physical copy. I read the second book on my kindle as I didn’t really enjoy the narrator for it (personal preference), but I’m super excited to see that Sneha Mathan is narrating book 3! Downloading now
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