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Henna House
Henna House: A Novel | Nomi Eve
14 posts | 16 read | 1 reading | 9 to read
A touching coming-of-age story (Publishers Weekly) in the tradition of Anita Diamants The Red Tent, about a young woman, her family, their community and the customs that bind them, from a storyteller of uncommon energy and poise (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times). This vivid saga begins in Yemen in 1920. Adela Damaris parents health is failing as they desperately seek a future husband for their young daughter, who is in danger of becoming adopted by the local Muslim community if she is orphaned. With no likely marriage prospects, Adelas situation looks direuntil she meets two cousins from faraway cities: a boy with whom she shares her most treasured secret, and a girl who introduces her to the powerful rituals of henna. Ultimately, Adelas life journey brings her old and new loves, her true calling, and a new life as she is transported to Israel as part of Operation On Wings of Eagles. Rich, evocative, and enthralling, Henna House is an intimate family portrait interwoven with the traditions of the Yemenite Jews and the history of the Holocaust and Israel. This sensuous tale of love, loss, betrayal, forgivenessand the dyes that adorn the skin and pierce the heartwill captivate readers until the very last page.
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review
Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

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

Librarybelle Looks good! 3y
BarbaraBB A Jewish girl in Yemen, that must be exceptional! 3y
55 likes1 stack add2 comments
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hissingpotatoes
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Mehso-so

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.

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hissingpotatoes
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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.

Crazeedi Very beautiful 4y
8 likes1 comment
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hissingpotatoes
This post contains spoilers
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#NSFW !!!

I can't breathe from this VERY NSFW story a character is telling about a scribe who pleasures his bride by using “his tongue like a quill to write the names of Elohim *down there*.“ O_O XD

SpiderGoddess Yesssss! 4y
2 likes1 stack add1 comment
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hissingpotatoes
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[...]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.

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airen
Pickpick

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.

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reciprokate
Pickpick

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.

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JenReadsAlot
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Mehso-so

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

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BennettBookworm
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Pickpick

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!

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razmanda
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Mehso-so

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!

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

itsbrb I'm always playing catch up I swear! 8y
31 likes1 comment
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razmanda
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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?

Megabooks 👎🏻👎🏻 8y
aeeklund ME! ME! 8y
23 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Marla
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Pickpick

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

12 likes4 stack adds