Henna House - by Nomi Eve (Paperback)

About the Book

"In Yemen in 1920 ... Adela Damari's parents desperately seek a future husband for their young daughter. After passage of the Orphan's Decree, any unbetrothed Jewish child left orphaned will be instantly adopted by the local Muslim community. With her parents' health failing, and no spousal prospects in sight, Adela's situation looks dire until her uncle arrives from a faraway city, bringing with him a cousin and aunt who introduce Adela to the powerful rituals of henna tattooing"--Amazon.com.

Book Synopsis

"A touching coming-of-age story" (Publishers Weekly) in the tradition of Anita Diamant's 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 Damari's 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, Adela's situation looks dire--until 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, Adela's 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, forgiveness--and the dyes that adorn the skin and pierce the heart--will captivate readers until the very last page.

Review Quotes

"[Eve] is a storyteller of uncommon energy and poise."--Michiko Kakutani "New York Times"

"A captivating and evocative novel, at once intensely intimate and sweeping in scope. Nomi Eve is a wonderful writer--compassionate, intelligent, assured--and her deeply felt, richly imagined book will stay with me for a long time."--Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans

"A welcome glimpse into this historical moment and little-known culture."-- "Booklist"

"Nomi Eve's novel is a heady mixof henna, history, and the power of words written on skin, sand, andpaper. An engrossing, surprising, compelling read."--Indira Ganesan, author of As Sweet as Honey

"This was a book I had to read twice: the first time to rush through quickly to find out what will ultimately happento the characters, and the second time to slowly savor the descriptions ofthese marvelous, exotic people and locales. Nomi Eve captivated me."--Maggie Anton, author of Rashi's Daughters and Rav Hisda's Daughter