The initial description of the book is misleading. There really wasn’t a step-by-step guide on creating intricate henna designs. I appreciated the concept of adding personal stories and cultural relevance. However, there was a disconnect between the description and then, the “lack” of tutorials.

I believe the vision of the book came across as confused—would have been best presented as a two-book series: one simply for the stunning photography and then the other being a guide.

This book just didn’t hit the mark.

Thank you, NetGalley for access to the ARC of this book.

I began reading The Henna Archives with a sense of anticipation of the generous review I would leave after receiving an ARC of this book, but was disappointed.

My disappointment began in the Introduction, where author, Azra Khamissa, described her upset at her inability to copywrite her original designs and how easily they were replicated by other artists or shared on social media. The overall tone was one of bitterness and it affected my enjoyment of the book, despite my personal interest in the subject.

As it was, however, the original designs depicted in The Henna Archives were not particularly inspired and had the look of doodles drawn in mud.

The traditional designs were lackluster, at best; designs the author relayed being told were "Grandma designs." Apparently, unlike the highly detailed Bollywood designs that are so popular, "Grandma designs" are the henna version of a blackout tattoo. Do we really need step-by-step instructions on how to paint a large circle with a henna cone?

STILL. I am nothing, if not traditional, and a women's history buff, to boot. I was completely invested in learning about the history and meaning behind the cultural elements of design.

To quote the author:

"The internet unfortunately doesn't have as much information as I wish it had on traditional designs, so a lot of what I know is actually from my followers educating me about the designs origins!" (The Henna Archive, page 43)

Completely avoiding the poor writing, there is a definite lack of credibility in the author's exchange of research for anecdotes.

I really want to be able to say something positive about The Henna Archive, but I just can't.

Fairly clear mixing instructions are given, but are devoid of pertinent details. Why is sugar added? What is the purpose of adding essential oils? Are all essential oils the same? Readers are told to make a cone to hold the henna paste, but how? I guess we'll never know.

Added to the list of things we'll never know, are the methods of using henna for healing. In this, once again, the author looks to her Followers to answer the question:

"How have you and your family used henna for healing?"

In list format, she shares her Followers' responses, which unfortunately, are worthless without instructions.

Ultimately, this book was less informative than a random Google search and had the appearance of copy and pasting social media content into a scrapbook.

Save your money and buy a coffee.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me.

This is an interesting book. It talks a bit about the role and historical context of henna and when it's used. The book has 30 designs which are a mix of traditional-looking designs and more modern, Westernized designs. There's instructions on how to make the designs and helpful pictures throughout. It's a helpful book, but I was hoping for something more in depth.

I received this e-book ARC through Net Galley from Chronicle Books in exchange for a truthful review.

I was intrigued by both the use of the word "archive" in the title and the simple designs on the cover which I had never seen before.
While I wouldn't consider just 30 designs an "archive", I enjoyed reading about this artist's techniques in re-creating these 30 designs, both traditional and modern, and the background information for each. Safety information about henna was also appreciated.
I personally did enjoy seeing the traditional designs - very minimalist, pretty and unique to me.
My favorite design featured: the traditional Mauritanian design.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the opportunity to read and review! From reading this I definitely think this would be a nice little coffee table book, which already gave me the vibes from the cover alone. I loved the initial blurbs about the use of Henna from different cultures and the historical value of it. But the book lost me once the "modern" designs started which I just thought looked juvenile and catered more to a Western audience with the heart hands and lines, I just felt there could've been more of a show of a variety of designs used throughout various countries in the modern day especially what styles are trending now a day. So the first quarter was great but everything else was just lost on me.

Beautiful photography paired with beautiful words about the practices and history surrounding henna. I love how this book touches on traditional, medicinal, historical, and modern uses and incorporates individual family histories and memories from fans and friends as well as the authors own experiences.