Patty Jane's House of Curl

Since I am a retired hairdresser the book caught my attention.It actually took about three chapters to capture my attention,but then I was hooked.I loved the relationships between the characters,and even though Patty Jane is supposed to be the main character I found myself most interested in the sister.I was sad to finish the book,but glad to say it all came about as it should have.However I was happy to discover that there is a sequel.Am looking forward to see what happens in these characters lives.

Being a true Southern belle, I search for Southern authors that write of Southern tales however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Southern is indeed a state of mind that has crossed the Mason Dixon Line! This story of two Minnesota sisters and their loves, losses and lives. The strength of the characters is a strong as a cup of Chicory made by Frenchie Boudreaux in the bayou. The Norwegian mother in law with the heart of gold and the gift of a dessert baker - the crazy patrons of Patty Jane's House of Curl - each one jumps out of the pages with sights and smells. This novel will make you grab for the tissues and have you laughing out loud like an idiot. You won't want to leave these women.

If you liked Steel Magnolias, this book is a must! Yes, some of the plot is predictable - with the way the sisters' luck runs, you just know something bad is going to happen whenever things seem to be going so good - you just don't know what. The twists in the plot are surprising and makes the predictability bearable You very quickly and so completely get caught up in the lives of Patty Jane and Harriet that you have to keep reading. Its not just the 2 sisters that draw you in - characters like Clyde Chuka and Ioane(sp?) and Avel make you hate to put the book down. The characters are vivid and colorful - I could easily see this becoming as large a hit as Steel Magnolias if it ever made it to Broadway or Hollywood.

Patty Jane's House of Curl is the story of two Minnesota sisters, Patty Jane and Harriet and their struggles with love, loss and adversity in the 1950's and 60's. The story begins as Patty Jane marries the best looking man in town, Thor Rolvaag. Within the year, Thor disappears leaving Patty Jane pregnant, miserable and penniless. With the help of her sister, Harriet, Patty Jane goes to beauty school and opens the House of Curl, an amazing beauty parlor with live harp music, Norwegian pastries and the love and support of good friends and clients. This is a novel that draws you into the lives of remarkable people and keeps you rooting for them to the very last page. Ms Landvik's writing is crisp and witty with a wonderful ear for dialogue and her scenes vivid and true to life. A novel about life at its best and worst, written with insight, wisdom and humor, Patty Jane's House of Curl will make you laugh and cry and appreciate the strong bonds of family and friends.

I love books about quirky women and this book told funny anecdotes and sad stories about 2 sisters and their circle of friends. It reminded me of sitting in Truvy's Beauty Shop in Steel Magnolias. I would like to meet her characters and eat some of the Norwegian pastries that Patty Jane's served. I ordered her next book today and can not wait to read it.

I kept seeing this book at the bookstore. I would read the back and think I might like it, but I would never actually buy it. My sister brought it with her for a visit and insisted I read it. I went through it overnight. I really did laugh and cry at it. (as trite as it sounds!)I think its a touching story, and funny particularly if you are a Scandinavian in the Midwest, or just know some! Even if you aren't or don't, it is a pleasant but not heavy book that takes you through a range of emotions and experiences, in the sincere and light hearted spirit of the character's conversations. I enjoyed the story, and saw many of my own experiences, friends, and relatives in it.