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Summary: A must read! You'll fall in love with Patty Jane & Company.
Review: This could be one of the fastest, funnest,"I-don't-ever-want-this-book-to-end" reads you'll ever stumble across. When Patty Jane meets Thor, you know she shouldn't marry him; He's too gorgeous, too perfect. When she marries him, your stomach sinks (because the description on the back of the book tells you it should) and because you've already invested yourself in Patty Jane. But this is only a minor investment compared to how she continually makes you cheer for her. Patty Jane is sassy, fun, smart, and bold and irresistable. After Thor mysteriously vanishes, pregnant Patty Jane suffers. With the help of her equally likeable ensemble she eventually (like all good heroines do) takes control of her life and hence, creates "Patty Jane's House of Curl", a haven we could all use every once in a while. We get to experience her ideas (crazy as they may seem), thoughts, and quirks as she changes her own life, and brightens up everyone else's. To find out exactly what this place is, you'll have to read the book. It's worth every minute, and much, much more
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Summary: The "House of Curl" is home to a quirky cast of characters.
Review: Patty Jane's House of Curl is more than a place to go for a wash and set. It's part refuge, part cultural center, but mostly a place where friends and family meet to face the triumphs and tragedies of their lives. Patty Jane and her sister Harriet create a wacky world that draws in the inhabitants of their small Minnesota town. Unfortunately, the sisters have more than their fair share of heartbreak, especially in the "love department". They are a resilient pair however and manage to find happiness amid the turmoil. Landvik once worked as a comedian and uses humor to draw readers in. She brings the characters and the northern settings to life, making them seem familiar to someone who hasn't been there. I could almost smell the perm solution and I've never even had a wave
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Summary: Entertaining and quick read
Review: I have read several of Landvik's books ~~ my favorite being Angry Housewives ~~ and this is a good debut novel, entertaining and a quick read. I took it on vacation and was glad to have something light-hearted to read. I am also glad to see that Landvik has improved her writing talents since this book too. =0) Patty Jane gets deserted by her handsome husband just before her daughter was born ~~ and if it wasn't for her mother-in-law's support and her sister, Harriet's support ~~ Patty Jane didn't know what she would do. These three women struggle with issues of life ~~ love, laughter, death, romance and friendship ~~ together with their newfound friends in a beauty salon that Patty and Harriet started up together. This is not your typical salon either ~~ where else in Minneapolis would you find delectable Norwegian desserts and listen to harp music being played while your hair is being done? It is a cute book ~~ a light-hearted read and fun ~~ it's absolutely perfect for a beach read if you need something to read while sunning on the beach. 6-26-04
Rating:
Summary: Leisurely Reading
Review: For a nice leisurely read this was a great book. I read it in a few days and was a bit disappointed becasue this was my second book by Landvik. Angry Housewives has it all over this one. I guess it's unfair to compare because they have nothing to do with one another. It was a nice read though.
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Summary: Southern Hospitality Alive and Well in Minnesota!
Review: 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.
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Summary: Good story
Review: An interesting story about love lost and the bond between women. A fair amount of heartbreak goes with this story.
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Summary: Wonderful Book About Sisters and Relationships! A+++!
Review: I loved this book all the way through, and read it almost straight through without laying it down.
It is about the lives of Patty Jane and Harriet, two sisters who are very close. Patty Jane married a gentleman, Thor at the beginning of the book, and got pregnant soon after. Thor, not ready at all for fatherhood, soon disappears from Patty's life,never to be seen again for years. His reappearnce years down the road, brings forth a shock in more ways then one.
Harriet,the other sister meets a man Avel with whom it's love at first sight. Avel is very very rich as he is heir to a grain fortune. The two plan to marry until Avel is killed in a plane crash instantly, and poor Harriet is so grief-stricken, she turns to drinking. Later on in the story, she falls in love again with Reese, a former alcoholic who helps her to recover.
Patty Jane opens a beauty parlor in her home, namely the House of Curls. This is where people find a support group, and also a school where people can give workshops at night. It becomes a place where people can laugh and cry together.
Nora, Patty Jane's daughter is also one of the story's highlights. When her dad Thor reappears in the story, Nora will learn to cope with his serious handicap and is the one that is of the most help to her dad. When her Aunt Harriet comes down with lung cancer, Nora and her mother as well, have to learn to cope again.
This is a book that is hard to forget.
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Summary: Heartwarming, predictable....and kind of unpredictable
Review: I'm glad I read PJHOC - it was an easy read with heart. In some ways too much was crammed into one story. The alcoholism seemed to be dealt with and put away a little too neatly and unrealistically. Thor's outcome was borderline ridiculous and frustrating. But the description of Nora's relationship with him was very poignant. A little too much tragedy between the two sisters, although the author has a nice ability to bring the reader to tears (at least this reader) at an unexpected moment.
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Summary: I wanted so much more....
Review: So here we have another women's survival story. Landvik starts with a good idea, a young bride whose sexual appetite and pregnancy scare off her too-handsome husband (whose story isn't resolved until almost the end of the book). Patty Jane, her sister, Harriet, and her mother in law, Ione, make an interesting combination, focusing on generational interaction and bonding. The book traverses their lives for about 40 years, mixing joy and adversity.
But, I was hopeful that the characters would come alive, jump off the page and grab me. But they didn't. The characters were almost believable but just not real. They were one dimensional, and lacked depth. The multigenerational storyline is familiar, the troubles almost predictable. There were a few plot twists but on the whole, they felt contrived.
The only true wisdom of the book is toward the end where Patty Jane decides to "pretend" that she can handle all that life has dealt her. Even though she belives she is "pretending," she exhibits strength and perserverence. At least, that's what I hope the author has intended.
This is a quick bedtime or beach read, but nothing that will change your life.
Rating:
Summary: Leisurely Reading
Review: For a nice leisurely read this was a great book. I read it in a few days and was a bit disappointed becasue this was my second book by Landvik. Angry Housewives has it all over this one. I guess it's unfair to compare because they have nothing to do with one another. It was a nice read though.
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