Mehendi Tides : A Novel

Three friends. Three different lives. And an unbreakable friendship that would stand the test of time in this “engaging tale of cross-cultural bonds” (Kirkus Reviews). From the bustling bazaars of Hyderabad to the shores of the Arabian Sea, sixteen-year-old Kate McKenna explores the wondrous terrain of India and Pakistan while accompanying her childhood friends, Nasreen, a Muslim-American, and Krishna, a Hindu-American, as they visit extended family. On their journey, they join a circle of mothers, daughters, and cousins observing the rituals of an arranged marriage, Kate becomes aware of her own sensuality and feminine maturity, and her friends deal with the pressures of their families and cultures. A decade later, Kate reflects on her experiences with spiritual nostalgia as she struggles to find meaning in her life and grapples with life-changing secrets that Nasreen and Krishna harbor. As truths are revealed and hidden pains exposed, the three women’s bonds to each other are both tested and affirmed as Kate comes to understand what she truly wants for herself, in a touching, emotional “multi-cultural story of friendship, romance and personal growth” (BlueInk). In the bustling bazaars of Hyderabad and on the shores of the Arabian Sea, sixteen-year-old Kate McKenna explores the wondrous terrain of India and Pakistan in this colorful and poignant journey in which Kate is immersed in the lands history and culture as she accompanies her childhood friends, Nasreen, a Muslim-American, and Krishna, a Hindu-American, visiting extended family. Joining the circle of mothers, daughters, and cousins surrounding the rituals of an arranged marriage, Kate becomes aware of her own sensuality. A decade later, Kate reflects on her experiences with spiritual nostalgia as she struggles to find meaning in her life and grapples with life-changing secrets that Nasreen and Krishna harbor. The past and present are intertwined in Mehendi Tides like the three womens bonds to each other. Eventually, the womens friendships and tolerances lead Kate to find what she truly desires An American teen finds her identity in the Muslim community; finding love threatens friendship and faith.