The Perfumist of Paris


 
 
 
 Praise for The Perfumist of Paris
 “[A] sensory reading experience… Complex, intelligent, and emotionally charged.”
 —Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary
 “An absolutely luscious and unforgettable read.”
 —Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris
 “The Perfumist of Paris blends sparkling scenes, new and well-loved characters, and fascinating insights into the scent industry to create a deeply satisfying story of a woman coming into her own.”
 —Erica Bauermeister, New York Times bestselling author of The Scent Keeper
 “Powerful and evocative as the attars from Radha’s perfume lab, evoking India and France with equal beauty, this is Alka Joshi’s best book yet!” 
 —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye
 “Lush, insightful, captivating… The Perfumist of Paris has all the rich, satisfying elements of a meal overlooking the Seine.”
 —Zibby Owens, author of Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature
 “A lush, spell-binding story that feeds the senses and charms the soul.”
 —Jennifer Rosner, award-winning author of The Yellow Bird Sings
 “Alka Joshi once again weaves her glittering magic…heartrending, thrilling, and inspiring.” 
 —Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of Ashton Hall and winner of the National Jewish Book Award
 “An immersive, emotional cocktail of passion, turmoil, betrayal, love and the ties that bind.”
 —Bisi Adjapon, author of The Teller of Secrets
 
 
 Alka Joshi was born in India and raised in the US since the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of the Arts. The Perfumist of Paris is her third novel.
 AlkaJoshi.com
 
 
 The Perfumist of Paris
 Alka Joshi
 
 
 
 For my brothers, Madhup and Piyush Joshi,who persuaded me to go furtherthan I could have dreamed.
 And for anyone who thinks they can’t:You can.
 
 
 Contents
 CHARACTERS WHO APPEAR
 PROLOGUE
 PART ONE
 CHAPTER 1
 CHAPTER 2
 CHAPTER 3
 PART TWO
 CHAPTER 4
 PART THREE
 CHAPTER 5
 PART FOUR
 CHAPTER 6
 CHAPTER 7
 CHAPTER 8
 CHAPTER 9
 EPILOGUE
 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 CHICKPEA CURRY (CHOLE)
 ROSE PETAL JAM (GULKAND)
 A PERFUME PRIMER
 THE MASTER PERFUMER
 
 
 Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived.
 —Helen Keller
 The beauty of fragrance is that it speaks to your heart and hopefully someone else’s.
 —Elizabeth Taylor
 
 
 Characters Who Appear
 In Paris
 Radha Fontaine: 32, mother of daughters Asha and Shanti; lab assistant at House of Yves, a boutique fragrance firm in Paris
 Pierre Fontaine: 42, Radha’s husband; father of Asha and Shanti; architect working on the Pompidou Center in Paris
 Florence Fontaine: 67, mother of Pierre; from a prosperous Parisian 
 Prologue
 “Imagine running amid a field of lavender bushes with your friends. Playing hide-and-seek between rows of jasmine vines.” Antoine closed his eyes. “Your friend tickles your nose with a blade of grass and, just from its scent, you know it’s from the farm down the hill, not the one up the rise. Imagine