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 land’s 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 women’s bonds to each other. Eventually, the women’s friendships and tolerances lead Kate to find what she truly desires…