Customer Reviews

Patty Jane's House of Curl

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

What is it about novels set in the midwest, with mostly women characters, that makes me want to use words like "folksy" and "homespun"? This novel is the story of 2 sisters who live in Minnesota - their lives, loves and losses. And boy, do they have plenty of losses! The overall feel of the book is bittersweet; just when a character manages to achieve some level of happiness, WHAM! Fate intervenes and knocks them down. Depending on your attitude toward life, you may find this either incredibly depressing or very true-to-life. I must admit I was a little misty by the last chapter of the book. If you like female bonding, small-town America, nostalgia, and are ready for a change of pace from single-young-woman, urban, obsessed-with-one's-weight-and-lovelife Bridget Jonesdom, this book will provide an affecting, earnest, sometimes touching antidote. Just don't expect a totally happy ending; this book certainly isn't depressing enough to qualify as an Oprah selection, but a healthy dose of heartbreak is administered along with the Toni perms.

those who aren't reading a book hoping to seek deep insight into the mysteries of life presented by fictional characters may enjoy the humor on many pages as the 2 fictional sisters deal with the challenges that they felt their life dealt out their way. The descript of one sister's downward spiral was so accurate to those of us who may have known someone who lapsed into that same "escape outlet" ... yet I do wish the writer hadn't made one of the love figures for one of the sisters so reptitious feeling that you knew from the start that something would happen to him - so no surprise when you read the newspaper headline along with the main characters.

The setting was as fictional as the characters but somehow I enjoyed this book to the point that I will admit it was "hokie" in parts but after reading it had to admit that I liked it overall and enjoyed the humor on many of the pages. What term I use for books like this is "Little House on the Prairie" moment feeling, where one minute you are laughing at the antics of the characters and the next - even though you saw it coming, you find yourself threatening to blink back a tear. The characters won't inspire you to go out and "conquer the world" but they may inspire you to laugh at times.

This book is about the bonds between the women in the story line ... not as clearly defined or close in feel as The House On Olive Street characters were given, but considering this is a first book - shows potential for the future books by this writer.

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.

This is my first book by this author annd it was not what I expected. I was pulled into their lives and needed to know how it all turned out. I was expecting a fluff book but got so much more. I will defintely read another book by this author.

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.

[....] I agree with comments on both sides of the fence. This book is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. I would agree [...] that this novel does have some unbelievable plot twists, but if you take it for what it is-a fun read with some twists and turns of sadness mixed in, I think you will enjoy it. Patty Jane's House of Curl does have the same essence as Steel Magnolia's. The characters are quirky and lovable. If you've read Where the Heart Is, this novel is similar in that a lot of tragedy does occur. Just when things start going well, you can be sure that something sad is lurking around the corner. But I feel the characters are developed and the setting is a cozy one. I really enjoyed this book and will read more by this author.

I was attracted to this book because I thought it was an original idea to set a story around a beauty salon, well known to be "libraries of gossip." But, it was a nice surprise to find the story revolving around the owners who happen to be sisters that support each other through an entire lifetime of shampoos and curls. I appreciated that most of the men were really decent and worked with the women to make the most of what they had.The ending had more than a few surprises. The characters were rich and delightful, and I recommend a nice fire in the fireplace, a soft comfortor and a glass of wine with this novel for a perfect evening.