The Perfumist of Paris: A Novel from the Bestselling Author of the Henna Artist (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
The third book in the Jaipur trilogy which began with The Henna Artist, this picks up in 1970s Paris, where Lakshmi's younger sister Radha lives with her husband and two young daughters. Radha is employed by a master perfumer, helping to design new fragrances for clients. It is a career she loves, but a source of ongoing conflict with her husband, who feels she should spend more time at home and with their children. When Radha lands her first major project, she travels back to India and enlists the help of her sister and the courtesans of Agra to discover the perfect scent. While in India, Radha receives word that a son she gave up for adoption many years prior (and never told her husband about) has traveled to Paris and is about to arrive on her doorstep.
— JeanDescription
"A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power...this is Alka Joshi's best book yet " --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye
From the author of Reese's Book Club Pick The Henna Artist, the final chapter in Alka Joshi's New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris, where Radha's budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.
Paris, 1974. Radha is now living in Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters. She still grieves for the baby boy she gave up years ago, when she was only a child herself, but she loves being a mother to her daughters, and she's finally found her passion--the treasure trove of scents.
She has an exciting and challenging position working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely new fragrances for clients and building her career one scent at a time. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she can't give up this thing that drives her.
Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra--women who use the power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She's on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her--upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage.
The Jaipur Trilogy
Book 1: The Henna Artist
Book 2: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
Book 3: The Perfumist of Paris