I finished The Wisdom of Hair undecided if I liked it or not. While it was slow at times, it had an alluring charm, with its 1980’s homespun small town wisdom. Still, even with the heroine, Zora Adams’ epiphany, I ended the story questioning if she would be able to escape the consequences of her chaotic childhood. But sometimes, just like in life, you don’t know if there will be a happy ending, so you just have to look at the journey and celebrate the milestones. And Zora’s milestones were well earned.

Zora Adams’ alcoholic father died when she was nine years old, and her twenty-three year old narcissistic mother continued her downward spiral. Dressing up as a sluttish version of her favorite actress, Judy Garland, she prowls the town’s bars, hooking up with her version of Mr. Goodbar. On Zora’s nineteenth birthday, her drunken mother brings home her latest catch, an opportunist who leeringly offers Zora the chance of a three way. With a chair wedged under her bedroom door as her only protection, Zora finally accepts that she can’t save her mother. She picks up the phone to call her high school English teacher, Ms. Cunningham, and concedes that she is ready to leave her home, and the mountains.

Although smart enough to go to college, Zora acknowledges that she needs a way to be self-supporting in a hurry, and with her acceptance into the best beauty school within a three hundred mile radius, she decides that is the route to go. Ms. Cunningham finds her place to live – a garage apartment at the home of a former classmate, Winston Sawyer. For just cooking dinner, Zora has a rent-free place to stay.

Winston, dissipated yet gorgeous with sad blue eyes, is drinking himself into obliviousness after the death of his young wife. Zora immediately feels a connection to him. Not so much because of his stunning attractiveness, but because of the air of sorrow that surrounds him.

But although Winston is never far from her thoughts, beauty school, and her new friendship with Sara Jane Farquhar, another beauty school student, help to inhibit some of her obsessive longings. Soon the bonds of camaraderie bring Zora into the loving folds of Farquhar family life. And Ms. Cathcart, the director of Davenport School of Beauty, considers Zora one of her star students. But Zora’s past has a hold on her. Though she couldn’t rescue her mama from the demons that beleaguered her, maybe she can fix Winston.

As the story meanders through Zora and Sara’s life, the author touches on racial prejudice, family bonds, coming of age, and forgiveness. Interspersed within the story are snippets, like the following, as Zora learns to understand the consciousness of sisterhood of women:

At first, it puzzled me as to why Ellie Jeffords was forever trying to change the way she looked. But after a while, I realized she believed that if she looked different, her world might just be different, that somehow in all of that she would find happiness. I know that sounds crazy, but since I realized this about Ellie, I’ve seen it in other women who come to my station and look in that big mirror the same way. They want something different, a change. They want to be happy.

Although I can’t say that there were numerous illustrations of the difference between the women of yesteryear, and the women of today, most of the ones that are there, just felt true.

And while those aspects of the book were enjoyable, I had a difficult time understanding Zora’s illogical obsession with Winston. It is blatant from the very beginning that he is a deep into his alcoholism. Plus it is not like he even attempted to beguile Zora, treating her with indifference and apathy. So, why did she have this visceral attraction to him?

Still the book is thought provoking in a gentle way. While the book isn’t one that has a universal appeal, there definitely is a segment of romance readers that will enjoy its touching message of forgiveness, and hope for the future.