Customer Reviews

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle by Olivia deBelle Byrd is an absolutely amazing book. At just over 150 pages it is an incredibly fast and funny read. The anecdotes remind my of Erma Bombeck and Lewis Grizzard all rolled into one delightfully hilarious book of Southern comfort. The image of her husband leaping out of the car to have a showdown with their son only to have his pants fall around his knees..."I'm here to tell you, your sense of authority is greatly compromised when you are standing on the side of the road with your pants in a pile around your ankles." All the way to Olivia threatening to go bonkers and embarrass her son at every opportunity that presents itself. ("'Well, all I can say,' he answered, 'is that you're well on your way.'") These are stories that I'll remember long after I've passed this book on.

But as much humor as there is--and the book is chock full--there is wisdom embedded as well. I particularly liked her explanation of self-esteem:

"You can tell children they are intelligent or beautiful or talented all you want, but that doesn't give them self-esteem. Self-esteem comes from trying and failing and finally succeeding. It comes from your own efforts and not those of your parents."

Southern humor sprinkled with Southern wisdom makes for an enticing combination that is impossible to resist. Combine that with a wonderfully accessible writing style and you have a real winner! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the South, witty anecdotes, family humor and just plain excellent writing. Four and a half stars out of five. (Amazon would only let me go with a straight four or five)

If you have read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe: A Novel or The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love , you only got a small sample of the art of the Southern Woman. This book, Miss Hidreth Wore Brown, should take away the stereotype blinders that these books have given you.

Olivia Byrd tells essays of old time Southern life that most novels glimps over. Southerns have their own view of the world, the author recants these anecdoes with a pinch of Sunday dinner and a mountain of true Southern charm. Her storytelling ability is amazing. She takes her readership to the real South.

This is the other side of Jeff Foxworthy-land. You may find a redneck here and there, but Miss Byrd puts them in their southern places. Her inner Southern Belle is real, hip and truly witty. She is a straight Shooter and gets to the heart of the matter.

When I got tp reading the chapter called "The Art of Bargaining", I counted the remaining pages. I really wondered if I should slow down since I was enjoying myself too much. As I was reading the chapter on Bargaining, I also wanted to ask the author when is her next book.

She and Bailey White tread in similar circles...But I find Miss Byrd a lot funnier,,and so will you. She is a prize that you must savor and relish over after Sunday Dinner

Bennet Pomerantz
AUDIOWORLD

MISS HILDRETH WORE BROWN: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle is a relic - and a welcome one at that! Author Olivia deBelle Byrd charmingly details moments in Southern etiquette that span memory of childhood and the manners taught for generations and then compares those with incidents she encounters today - incidents that simply do not fall under the good upbringing of Southern belles - or their children...... Her writing style is smart, to the point, and oh so intimidating as when observes behaviors or modern customs that 'won't do' or do not fit into the pattern of the gentility of the South.

This is by no means a scolding book: Bryd makes fun of her own ideas and upbringing and shares many stories that are laugh out loud funny. And she knows how to use that snide wit in more subtle ways, too. But the overall feeling after reading this short book of anecdotes is how far we have slipped in our consideration of common courtesy and proper manners - not only in the South but also across the country. Topics like not writing thank you notes will sting the readers who not only have ceased this bit of civility but also make them reflect on the training they have passed on to their own children. Byrd entertains us, yes, but she also is a fine watchdog for reminding us (in her own gentle Southern fashion) just what well-bred folks are forgetting. Emily Post would approve - and probably chuckle, too! Grady Harp, August 10

I smirked, giggled, and laughed out loud at these stories. So true and so funny!
Its a very entertaining insight to life growing up in the Old South, and raising kids in the modern south. For those of you who grew up there, this will remind you of the laughter and quirkiness you grew up with. To those of you who didn't grow up here, its a great insight to why your southern friends are the way they are. The stories are short and sweet with just a touch of sass. You can read them one at a time for short pick-me-ups, or you can read the whole book in 1 sitting. Just great.

Anecdotes of a Southern Belle
Morgan James Publishing
Available Now!
1% of book sales are being donated to Habitat For Humanity
ISBN-10: 1600377483
ISBN-13: 978-1600377488

I love the way this book came to be, as the author was repeating some of her stories for the "umpteenth" time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said,"Why don't you write this stuff down?" Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown--Anecdotes of a Southern Belle.

The anecdotes cover the "Southern Way" of handling everything from funerals, thank notes and the dreaded wearing white after Labor day, all written with the author's true Southern charm.




It is a truly adorable fast read. A perfect book to pick up if you are having a bad or stressful day because these short little stories are sure to put a smile on your face and help you "escape" from your everyday strife.

I do have to mention I was born and raised in the North, a Yankee, oh my, but a lot of the things she talks about happening in the South were part of my upbringing also, so either the etiquette traveled North or we are not as different from each other as we were led to believe. Let's face it every family has at least one "eccentric" relative.

So whether you are a woman from the North, West, East or South, you will enjoy this book. It is chock full of humor, sarcasm and wit. You may even catch yourself laughing out loud. This also is definitely one you with friends and family too.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

What a wonderful book! Since my 77 year old Aunt Olivia is also named after the author's grandmother I contacted members of our family to tell them about the book. They all purchased MISS HILDRETH WORE BROWN. My aunts said that as they read, they laughed outloud. The book brought back such good memories. We recognized characters that were in the book and Olivia certainly did a great job describing each. Her anecdotes were funny and if you are a REAL southern belle, you could say, 'I know just what you are talking about'.
I asked my mother about some of the people in the book and she told me about each. As 'Mama Byrd' got older, she would catch a ride to Enterprise on the Pepsi delivery truck......(as her family owned the Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. in Panama City). She visited close friends, including my grandmother, Mrs.Clyde Capps. They continued to stay in close contact by calling or writing each other. (I could still pick out Mrs. Byrd's distinctive handwriting.)
I hope that the author continues to write about her memories of such interesting REAL LIFE characters. We 'know just what you are talking about'!
Becky Brock Wiggins

Being a fan of Southern Authors in general, I was excited to read this debut by Olivia Byrd. One could visualize each character as she vividly describes their personalities. For those of us who live in Northwest Florida (otherwise known as LA or Lower Alabama), we can relate to the traditions that we so cherish and cling to, the pageants, dinner on the grounds, and festivals that define our area. Olivia can take all of those traditions and make us laugh with her as we celebrate our heritage. She maintains the balance of sophistication and down to earth sweetness that makes Southern woman strong and sassy, but covered with honey. Sit back and pour a tall glass of sweet tea and enjoy this book.

Author Olivia deBelle Byrd's page-turning series of anecdotes about Southern life had me chuckling from start to finish.

In the very first chapter, we discover how the book title came into being; in a chapter on Southern Grandmothers, we learn about the highlight of the day: watching "As the World Turns," and carrying on conversations with the characters on the screen; in still another chapter, we learn the importance of manners; and in another one, we learn all about hair obsessions. Every chapter delivered up something that the reader could relate to in some way, no matter where she grew up.

Each of the book's short chapters was to the point and reminded me of incidents in my own life, and I didn't even grow up in the South. But I suspect that since many of my relatives came from Missouri, there was a part of that heritage woven into the fabric of their lives, and therefore, passed down to me.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle is a funny, delightful, and unforgettable tale that reminds me of all of life's best moments, most embarrassing incidents, or favorite chats with a best friend. Five stars.

This is just a small fraction of the many die hard funny moments contained in Ms Hildreth Wore Brown. I had no idea when I started this book that I'd be rolling on the floor in stitches reading the many short anecdotes that made me smile and nod my head "Yes, I totally agree" to "Holy Smokes- I must a Southern belle too!"

My favorites are: Sassin' where you had never ever talk back to your parents; Chanel No. 5 complete with the heart attack moment when you realize a bottle of perfume is more than 5 dollars; Directionally Challenged - I'm convinced that I belong to this DNA group since I can't even take directions from my GPS without getting LOST; Colors will indulge you of your knowledge of basic rainbow patterns, you better know the tinge to a T; and Weddings - makes a valid point on how bizarre it is when couples who've lived together for years on end, wind up getting divorced 6 months after they get married - a mind boggling why?? Also DON'T wear white at the wedding if you're not the BRIDE! YES, that's right a HUGE "Faux Pas" . Just a word of advice don't wear anything that resembles white at a wedding if you're not the BRIDE!

Olivia deBelle Byrd is a Southern belle in love with New York and Robert Redford movies. She can whip your arse at Scrabble and her grown children relentlessly taunt her with the word "erg". I think it's time I set out my own Scrabble for our family game night. Our Scrabble game incorporates words in English, French and Tibetan... Yes, "duh" gets major points in our house.

I adored this book and will whip it out anytime I need a good laugh to shake me out of my doldrums. Thank you Ma'am for making my smile a permanent fixture on my face.

Weddings
`I woke up the other morning, took one look in the mirror, and went and called my children. "You have to get married. My face is falling. People are going to think I'm the grandmother of the bride/groom instead of the mother, for Pete's sake! Do you really want me walking down the aisle on a walker with oxygen attached?" The last time my son had a girlfriend and met her mother, the first words out of my mouth were, "How old does she look?" Not, is she a nice person or even is she sane? The other day a friend asked me if my son was dating anyone special. "No," I replied, "but I'm down to anyone who's not a hooker." One friend inquired about recovering hookers. I told her I'd have to get back to her on that one. But giving it some thought, people deserve a second chance, don't you think?'

This is just the beginning of Olivia deBelle Byrd's feelings on "Weddings" and just the beginning of many other Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. I've had good laughs over her feelings about Victoria's Secret, Robert Redford, Christmas Sweaters and New Neighbors, just to name a few. With both of us coming from the South, I can even relate to what she has to say about most of her topics. And if you aren't from the South then I suggest you read Miss Hildreth Wore Brown very carefully so you will acquire a real understanding for our way of thinking. This book will keep you laughing from beginning to end.

I do want to add that I'll have the pleasure of meeting Olivia deBelle Byrd at a book signing coming up in October in Charlotte, NC. I can't wait to meet this funny lady face to face.