The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair [Paperback]

Marion Roach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 11, 2006

"A unique blend of personal and cultural history."--Harper's Bazaar

Already in its sixth HARDCOVER printing, The Roots of Desire is a witty and entertaining investigation into the power, myth and meaning of red hair. Redheads have been worshipped, idealized, fetishized, feared, and condemned, leaving their mark on us and our culture. Such is the power of what is actually a genetic mutation, and in The Roots of Desire, Marion Roach takes a fascinating look at the science behind hair color and the roles redheads have played over time. A redhead herself, Roach brings candor and brilliant insight to the complicated and revealing history of redheads, making this a stand-out narrative and an essential tool in understanding the mechanics and phenomenon of red hair. A must-have for every redhead.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A redhead herself, NPR commentator Roach has an odd chip on her shoulder about it, relating all sorts of travails and opinions connected to red hair that the average non-redhead may never have guessed existed. To get to the bottom of our perceptions and experience of red hair, she explores the ancient legends of Lilith and Set, the traditions that depict both Judas and Mary Magdalene as redheads, and an Eve in London's St. Paul's Cathedral that has blond hair before the Fall and red hair after it. She visits "witch camp" in Vermont, a high-end hair salon in Manhattan, and Emily Dickinson's house, where a carefully preserved lock of the poet's red hair transforms Roach's image of her. Along the way, Roach (Another Name for Madness) makes some poignant points about what it means to belong to the redheaded minority in Western society, making gently suggestive comparisons to more overt patterns of prejudice. Yet the author seems to accept preconceptions about the sexuality and vivacity associated with red hair, and her jumping between examples often reads more like breathless conjecture than fact and leaches energy from extended vignettes, such as her visit with the witches. Whether readers enjoy this book will have a lot to do with whether they like the narrator's self-conscious red-headed persona. And, of course, whether they are as fascinated as she is by red hair. Agent, Kris Dahl.(July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"One of the most extensive serious inquiries to date on what it means to be a redhead."--Chicago Tribune
"Richly salted with fascinating cultural lore, and an engaging read whether you're a carrot-top or not."--Houston Chronicle
"A strong recommendation for redheads."--Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (July 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582345902
• ISBN-13: 978-1582345901
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marion Roach Smith, co-founder of thesisterproject.com, has taught a sold-out class called "Writing What You Know," since 1998. Under the name Marion Roach, she is the author of "The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning and Sexual power of Red Hair" (Bloomsbury,2005); co-author with famed forensic pathologist Michael Baden, M.D., of "Dead Reckoning" (Simon and Schuster, 2001); and author of "Another Name for Madness" (Houghton Mifflin, Pocket Books, 1986). She is a former staff member of The New York Times and has written for The New York Times Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Prevention, New York Daily News, Vogue, Newsday, Good Housekeeping, Discover, and The Los Angeles Times, among others. Marion has been a commentator on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, and writes and records a daily radio spot for Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112/XM 157.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book To Dye For, July 28, 2005

By 

de Ville (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning and Sexual Power of Red Hair (Hardcover)

Reading this book made me see red! Not out of anger but desire, specifically the desire to take the book to my hairdresser, point to the gorgeous cover of red curls and say, "The redder the better for me, thanks!" Love the section headings - sinners, science and sex. Love the clever subheadings - my favorite is the one for Chapter Four under Science: "A Monk, Two Very Different Victorians, and the Knockout Mouse or How We Were Delivered the Genetics of Hair Color." And in that subheading lies the beating red heart of what I really love about the book - the author's love of language. The fun she has with it, how she magnifies its allure, celebrates its danger, revels in its power as a tool of discovery. Yes, this book is a mad dash through a forest of redheaded demons, devils, dangers and desires. A wild romp that took the author - with the reader now along - from continent to continent and through a head-spinning number of fields. A crazy, creative and comprehensive look at all the redheaded threads woven through history. But even more, it's a joyride with one hot mama who loves to write.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Redheads Rock, March 29, 2007

By 

K. Fournier "kr!sten" (austin, tx, usa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning, and Sexual Power of Red Hair (Hardcover)

Marion Roach, NPR correspondent, is a redhead, and aims to get to the bottom of redhead mythology in our culture. She discusses the oldest famous redheads, like Lilith (Adam's pre-Eve wife in the bible), Set, and Mary Magdalene. She also gets into the genetics of red hair, and explains why it's rare. She also discusses the historical attributes associated with red hair through time. It was formerly thought that Jews were redheads, and later, that redheads were not to be trusted. More currently, red hair is associated with sexual prowess and a hot temper. This book is a fun and intellectually satisfying read, especially for redheads.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift for redheads, October 15, 2005

By 

Zbeth (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning and Sexual Power of Red Hair (Hardcover)

I'm a brunette, but I bought this book for the redheads on my gift list and ended up reading it, myself. It's a lovely mix of poetic personal tales and the science of genetics written in a way that's easy to understand.
By the way, my three redhead friends just loved it and ended up buying it for their redheaded relatives.
Sure it's got sex in it - read the title. If that is going to offend you, don't read it.