Racing To Read: The Wisdom of Hair Blog Tour

Hi everyone! I am thrilled to have a stop on The Wisdom of Hair blog tour. I have a review of the book and a giveaway for you all!

Synopsis:

Life can be beautiful, but it takes a little work...

“The problem with cutting your own hair is that once you start, you just keep cutting, trying to fix it, and the truth is, some things can never be fixed. The day of my daddy’s funeral, I cut my bangs until they were the length of those little paintbrushes that come with dime-store watercolor sets. I was nine years old. People asked me why I did it, but I was too young then to know I was changing my hair because I wanted to change my life.”

In 1983, on her nineteenth birthday, Zora Adams finally says goodbye to her alcoholic mother and their tiny town in the mountains of South Carolina. Living with a woman who dresses like Judy Garland and brings home a different man each night is not a pretty existence, and Zora is ready for life to be beautiful.

With the help of a beloved teacher, she moves to a coastal town and enrolls in the Davenport School of Beauty. Under the tutelage of Mrs. Cathcart, she learns the art of fixing hair, and becomes fast friends with the lively Sara Jane Farquhar, a natural hair stylist. She also falls hard for handsome young widower Winston Sawyer, who is drowning his grief in bourbon. She couldn’t save Mama, but maybe she can save him.

As Zora practices finger waves, updos, and spit curls, she also comes to learn that few things are permanent in this life—except real love, lasting friendship, and, ultimately… forgiveness.

My Review

Zora lost her dad at a young age and has to deal with an alcoholic mother who dresses like Judy Garland. When she turns 19 she finally has enough and leaves her mountain home to go to a beauty school. In the school along with learning how to do hair she makes the best friend she has ever. Sara Jane is different from Zora in many ways but they become more like sisters than friends. Zora has a problem tho she is in love with Winston a handsome widower who seems to be an alcoholic. Zora soon learns life has many twist and turns and you never know we're you will find your true family.

Zora is a sweet girl who you like instantly. She really tries her best to do what is right. You see she is a wonderful friend and is very caring for people. She woke hard to accomplish her goals. Like a lot of people she thinks she can save someone she loves. I highly enjoyed her story. Sara Jane is the best friend a girl can have. She isn't book smart but in many ways she is very smart in the way or real life. There is tons of other fascinating characters to get to know in this book. I will say another favorite for me was Sara Jane's parents. At first I wasn't sure what o think of them but by the end I just wanted to hug these fictional characters myself.

I was so excited to get the chance yo read this book. I loved the sound of it from the blurb. What pulled me in was the time 1983, and the whole plot. I remember going to a beauty school with my grandmother in the 80's and this book brought back so many fond memories. You get to see Zora really grow up and realize many things about her past in this book. This is one girl's journey from childhood and into her future. Thais book with it's wonderful range of characters to not knowing what will go on next kept me wanting more. I did get a few laughs out of this book especially a scene in a Wafflehouse. The author did a great job writing about the beauty school, the time period and the characters. It all seemed very believable and was like reading about a real person life unfolding. You get love, friendship and true family all wrapped up in a wonderful book. Who would I recommend this to? That's easy everyone!

I adore this cover! It's perfect for the book.

5 out of 5 Stars

Author Bio

I was born in Augusta, Georgia, but raised in South Carolina in a home with two girly sisters and great parents. So when you read my stuff if there is ever some deranged mama or daddy terrorizing the protagonist, I want to make it clear, it’s not them.

I had a happy, boring childhood, which sucks if you’re a writer because you have to create your own crazy. PLUS after you’re published and you’re being interviewed, for some reason, it’s very appealing that the author actually lived in Crazy Town or somewhere in the general vicinity.

What I did have going for me was two things. One, my grandfather, Bryan Standridge, was an amazing storyteller. He held court under an old mimosa tree on the side of his yard, and people used to come by in droves just to hear him tell stories. He told tales about growing up in rural Georgia and shared his unique take on the world. As a child, I was enthralled, but when I started to write, really write, I realized what a master teacher of pacing and sensory detail he was.

The other major influence on my writing is my ADHDness. Of course when I was a kid, nobody knew what that was. Compared to my older sisters, I knew something was “wrong” with me, so I learned to multitask like crazy and excel at things I did well to make up for things I couldn’t do like math and sitting still.

Today, I’m an empty nester of two kids with a husband, three dogs, and 126 rose bushes. I write stories about strong southern women because that’s what I know. I’m an accomplished public speaker, which basically means I’m good at talking.

If this doesn’t tell you what you want to know, check out my blog for a few laughs and some good stuff on writing, gardening, food, and, of course, hair.

SOCIAL MEDIA