Patty Jane's House of Curl

The writing is smart and the dialogue is snappy and believable. I found the hardships in the character's lives borderline contrived, but not so much that I couldn't enjoy the story. Perhaps witnessing so many tragic coincidences happening to otherwise good people pushed me too much out of the novel's fictional world.

The House of Curl salon is where the Dobbin sisters forge their strongest bond, and their relationship is the emotional hinge of Patty Jane's House of Curl. I was also touched by the persistent theme of finding eternal meaning in the daily interactions of those you love.

It’s always fun to read books that are set in places I am familiar with but this book, set in Minneapolis, was a real treat. I went to Minneapolis in June 2013 for a work conference but thanks to some great friends, I got to see many of the sights. So, I could picture the Minnehaha Falls and the statue of Hiawatha and Nokomis and the Foshay Tower as they came up in this book.
Patty Jane and her sister Harriet were the daughters of two alcoholics. But, as Patty Jane tells her daughter Nora “Just because my life began in the bargain basement doesn’t mean I can’t take the escalator to fine crystal”. In fact, Patty Jane’s life, as well as her sister’s, ride the escalator down to the basement a few times but always manage to show more find the up staircase.
Patty Jane was beautiful and Harriet was musically talented. Patty Jane married the extremely handsome Thor at the age of 21 and Nora was conceived right away. However, before Nora was born Thor disappeared causing Patty Jane to slide into depression. The only reason she ate was to keep her milk flowing for Nora. Thor’s mother, Ione, Harriet and Harriet’s fiancé, Avel, took care of the expenses and cooking and laundry and other details. Avel was the son of the founders of the Ames Grain Co. and was incredibly rich. He saw Harriet walking one day and immediately fell in love with her. Even the fact that he was short and Harriet was tall didn’t stop their love. Avel adored Harriet and paid for her to take music lessons in voice, harp and trumpet. Harriet would play the harp for Patty Jane while she nursed Nora.
The story of how Patty Jane, Harriet, Ione and Nora came to be living together and working in the House of Curl is a large part of the book and I don’t want to spoil it. The story is alternately mystifying, happy, sad and empowering. show less

Sisters Patty Jane and Harriet rely on each other throughout their lives. They have to, as they survive horrible parenting and short-lived happiness with men, eventually finding independence by opening a salon. On cold Minnesota days, three generations of women gather to work in the salon, while nights see the space turned into an informal school where locals can show off their expertise.
It's deeper than the title would imply, seeing the sisters through decades.

Several book club members could not suspend disbelief re the scenarios depicted - they felt it was too contrived and not realistic. I disagree. The book is about living life - good, bad, mundane, joyous, heart-wrenching. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The characters have flaws (don't we all), but are still loved and cherished., And they, themselves, love, hope, and continue to live. This was the first Lorna Landvik book I read, and I've read all of them since.

I read this years ago, and loved the heart and humor of the story.

This story of two sisters follows their highs, which are very high, and their even-lower lows, starting in the 1950s with Patty Jane's whirlwind romance with and marriage to Thor, her Prince Charming and Mr. Right. This knight has feet of clay that begin to crumble when Patty Jane becomes pregnant on their honeymoon, and he disappears from her life just days before their daughter, Nora, is born.

Younger sister Harriet has also met her own prince, Avel Ames of the Ames Cereal family of multi-millionaires. The wedding is to take place in June, just 3 1/2 months after Thor disappeared and Nora was born .... and then Fate steps in to readjust the happiness factor, and Harriet suffers a crushing loss of her own.

Patty Jane opens a beauty show more parlor - Patty Jane's House of Curl - and it becomes a gathering place for the women of the town. Then, classes are added - cooking, arts, singing, dance, quilting, whatever someone wants to teach. The shop's regular customers have stories of their own, which we learn about in bits and pieces that never overshadow the main stories, but that emphasize the passage of time.

Love, loss, family - both the one we are born into and the family we make for ourselves, come together to keep the sisters, Nora, and Ione (Patty Jane's mother-in-law) on a roller coaster. The story overall is heart-warming. The occasional lapses into sentimentality are forgivable.

I couldn't put the book down. It's a very quick read. The small-town setting and the group of women at the beauty parlor are very reminiscent of some Southern fiction. Very enjoyable. show less

Lorna Landvik is one of my favorite authors and she shows her stuff in yet another hometown story filled with laughs as well as tears. If you like rich and moving characters, this one's for you.