Bibliographic Information:
Title: The Henna Wars
Author: Adiba Jaigirdar
ISBN: 978-1-62414-9689
Publisher: Page Street
Copyright Date: 2020
Genre: Realistic fiction, romance
Format: Print book
Awards or Honors: Included on YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults 2021 list.
Reading Level/Interest Level: 13+
Plot Summary: Nishat is a Bangladeshi living in Dublin, which is enough to make her feel like an outsider. But when she comes out to her parents and they can’t even look her in the eye, things get even worse. Still, there’s a new girl at school, and Nishat really likes her… and maybe Flavia likes her back? But when a school business competition turns ugly, Nishat doesn’t know what to think. She learned how to paint mehndi henna tattoos from her grandmother, and feels a strong artistic and cultural connection to it. So why is Flavia, who’s Brazilian and Irish, starting a mehndi business, too? Can they work things out? Or is Flavia not who Nishat thought she was?
Author Background: Adiba Jairgirdar was born in Bangladesh, but moved to Ireland at the age of ten. She has a masters in postcolonial studies from the University of Kent, and has written several critically acclaimed and bestselling YA novels. She hates colonialism, and loves lipstick, video games, tea, and Janelle Monae (Jaigirdar, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation: The Henna Wars is both universal and specific; informed by her own experiences of growing up Muslim in Ireland, Jaigirdar writes a love letter to her community as well as shines a light on young, queer love. Coming from two cultures with a deep love of literature has left its mark (Rogerson, 2020). She doesn’t shy away from topics like colonialism and cultural appropriation, but the explanations feel natural coming from Nishat’s mouth. Romantic, funny, and thoughtful, this book is, as the dedication says, “for all the queer brown girls.” The pacing is smooth, and the drama is all intimate and realistic: school bullies, parents using silence as punishment, sisters and friends who care but don’t always do the right thing. The characters, even the bullies, are nuanced and fully fleshed, and the ending feels ebullient and hard-won.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Find a local mehndi artist to come and teach a henna tattoo workshop. Participants can have professional tattoos painted as well as learn how to design and apply them themselves.
Speed-Round Book: When Nishat’s crush steals her idea and starts a rival henna tattoo business, Nishat is devastated. Mehndi is special to her, but for Flavia, it’s just making pretty drawings. There’s more at stake in the Henna Wars than just a class competition.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: While this depiction of queer love could certainly be flagged by challengers who want to remove all LGBTQ literature from the library, this is worth fighting for. It’s a relatively rare intersectional romance as well as a window into Bangladeshi (and Irish) culture.
Reason for Inclusion: Well-written, nuanced, and totally romantic, this fills a gap in many collections. Not to mention, I love a happy ending, and this one feels both joyful and realistic.
Want More? Jaigirdar put together a Spotify playlist of songs she listened to while writing!
References
Jaigirdar, A. (n.d.). Media kit. Retrieved from https://adibajaigirdar.com/mediakit
Kirkus (March 1, 2020). The henna wars [review]. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/adiba-jaigirdar/the-henna-wars/
Rogerson, K. (May 28, 2020). Adiba Jaigirdar’s The Henna Wars was inspired by a trip to Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://diversebooks.org/adiba-jaigirdars-the-henna-wars-was-inspired-by-a-trip-to-bangladesh/
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