Mehendi Tides

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).