Rating: 
Summary: Not the same old, same old
Review: The characters and situations in PATTY JANE'S HOUSE OF CURL are quirky enough to border on the bizarre; the author switches point-of-view with almost irreverant abandon; and there are some real tear-jerker moments in here, the kind that make you want to scream "NO! You CAN'T let that happen!"But I adored this book. Ms. Lanvik isn't afraid to take chances, to create characters who are different and take chances as well. The prose is fresh, and therefore more dynamic than you find in more "conventional" novels, but not so off-center that it becomes a chore to read. There's an almost surreal quality about this book that I found absolutely enchanting. Ms. Lanvik definitely made a fan out of me.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful, Heartwarming Story
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: I FELL IN LOVE WITH EVERYONE!
Review: This is a book I fell in love with. Each character was his own character and each one had his own appeal. I shared each ones sadness, happiness, and felt like i knew them personally.
Rating: 
Summary: Patty Jane's House of Curl
Review: Juvenile cliches abound in this novel of equally juvenile characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Folksy antidote to Bridget Jones-dom
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I loved my first Lorna Landvik novel! I picked it up and couldn't put it down until the story ended. I felt as though I was an invited guest into the lives of these people and how I enjoyed the company. The unexpected twists and turns that were prevelant in this book underlined the same patterns and movements that our own lives take and highlight the strength you obtain from having people around you to love and support you.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: How anyone could rate this book less than five stars is beyond me. This book was fantastic. I loved it and all its characters. Lorna Landvic is an impressive author.
Rating:
Summary: This book made me laugh and cry!
Review: "Patty Jane's...." was excellent! Nora grew up with her mother, aunt and paternal grandmother in a house with a beauty salon in the front. For 14 yrs. her father was missing, but one day someone brings him back. But her father was not the man that her mother married 15 yrs before. Nora needs to adjust to a sick family member and a father who has no idea who his daughter is. I cried so hard reading the last chapter that I had to put the book down. If you liked "Talk Before Sleep," you will LOVE this book!
Rating: 
Summary: A hopeful screenplay?
Review: I got the feeling the author was hoping this book would be turned into a screenplay/movie rather than touching the human spirit like most books do. I totally understood her motivation when I read that Landvik was an actress herself. Too bad, Landvik is exploring her career at others' expense. I would say this book is well written, but I would not suggest it to anyone whose thinking was past a 10th grade education.
Rating:
Summary: head and shoulders above the rest
Review: 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.
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