Rating: 
Summary: The Hatwearer's lesson
Review: "The Hatwearee's Lesson" was a wonderful book that brings back so many wonderful memories of my youth, the book is EXCELLENT! A must read...Thank Yolanda Joe
Rating: 
Summary: A BIT PREACHY BUT STILL INTERESTING
Review: I enjoy hearing and appreciate the wisdom of nanas and grandmas around the globe. Life experience makes you a master of life and everyone benefits from insight.
Grandma Ollie, the voice of wisdom and caution throughout this tale, offers an abundance of such. This is where Ms.Joe begins to lose me. Too many cliches too many tales makes me a bored listener.
The story itself is told in a relatively coherent, flashback style, which kept me alert and engaged, but some of the "lessons" were a bit abundant. Nice effort.
Rating: 
Summary: A lesson in love
Review: I give this book 4 stars because I really enjoyed it. It was funny and inspirational at the same time. I could really relate to it because I have a grandmother that is full of wisdom just like Grandma Ollie. This book reminds us of the wisdom that our elders have and (usually) are willing to pass on to us. It is also a lesson in love, sometimes everything that glitters isn't always gold and you may just find true love in a place you never expected. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes to read a good (clean) love story.
Rating:
Summary: Pageturner for sure
Review: I just finished reading this book. And I must say it was awesome. I finished reading it in two days. Yolanda Joe is a true storyteller. I love to read stories that actually seem like they can happen to you or someone you know. I really felt that way reading this book. And I plan on reading all of her other books as well. Keep up the good work, Yolanda.
Rating:
Summary: Yolanda Joe - Queen of the Metaphor
Review: If there ever was a story that was difficult for me to put down Hatwearer'd Lesson was it; Yolanda Joe's writing made me feel great; and unable to put the book down until I reached the end. She uses metaphors like no one I've ever read before. Her characters could step right off the pages and be people I'd love to meet. A love story with real people (maybe). Congradulations, Yolanda Joe, keep those stories coming I've got a shelf just for you. tienoah
Rating:
Summary: Break down that brim girl....
Review: It takes a special kind of lady to be a hat wearer, not everybody can pull it off. I think that I'm still a little to young to wear hats yet but I most definitely love to see a lady in a hat. I tell people all the time that I love to wear hats but I'm not old enough to wear them yet. I could never really pinpoint a reason why I don't feel as if I'm ready, but this book put my sentiments into concrete words. I don't think I have the wisdom yet to accompany a beautiful brim. I really enjoyed The Hatwearer's Lesson by Yolanda Joe because the characters were so real to me. This was a quick, and witty read. This book had the most vivid use of characters that I've read in quite some time. Grandma Ollie could have just as well been my grandmother, because of all of the euphemisms used, brought back so many memories. Even sitting and holding a conversation while oiling the scalp and brushing hair with fifty strokes was so vivid to me because I would eagerly sit at my grandmothers knee and wait for her to offer words of wisdom. Reading the book, I could just picture my grandmother, with her hat wearing self, doling out advice in a no nonsense manner.Terri Mills in Grandma Ollie's only granddaughter. She raised her from birth and taught her to that she could be anything that she wanted to be. Through her grandmother's thorough planting and rooting of Terri, she was able to pursue her dream of being a high-powered attorney in Chicago. There she met Derek, an equally successful attorney, and from there it seemed as if a fairy tale romance was abloom until Grandma Ollie couldn't right his name in the family bible. That was a bad sign. Grandma Ollie believed in the signs and learned as a child how to interpret them. Sure 'nuff grandma was right. As the story progresses, the signs that grandma interprets along with her mannerisms, style and wisdom spin a tale of nostalgia and funny wit. As the plot matures, The Hatwearer's Lesson(s) warm the spirit. Terri is one lucky woman and her life has been a charmed one for the existence and wealth of information that her grandmother has imparted to her through the years. I've not read any of Ms. Joe's previous works but I 'm definitely hunting them down after this. Her writing style is so conversational and lyrical. The characters jump to life and compel you to keep reading, I simply could not put this book down. The Hatwearer's Lesson is a quick one-day read that will have you waxing nostalgic for days of yesteryear.
Rating:
Summary: Your Never too Big for your Roots
Review: She has written five novels as Yolanda Joe and two under a pseudonym of Ardella Garland, her wit and ability to shape characters and give them life keeps the reader turning pages. Joe's most recent being The Hatwearer's Lesson; a novel that brings old time traditions to present day life is by far one of my favorite reads for 2002 Hats have always been a part of our history, our hats represents different periods. Men wore black sharecropper's hats for protection from the sun while working in the fields. During the Wild West wide brims represented power. Hats were also worn to cover the face of cowards who took pleasure in killing African Americans. In The Hatwearer's Lesson Grandma Ollie wore her hats because of the love she had for them, a love she passed on to her granddaughter Terri. Grandma Ollie raised Terri after her mother died in Grandma Ollie's arms while she gave birth to Terri. Water is such a significant entity for Terri and Grandma Ollie. Terri was born in water that threatened to take her life, but Grandma Ollie saved her as she continues to do throughout the story. Terri was born with the same sixth sense of her grandmother. They both had what was called back in the day "the gift of gut." Knowing when something is going to happen whether it is good or bad. Grandma Ollie's uses old traditions and signs of the universe to teach Terri valuable lessons. The story opens with Terri deciding to marry and just as Grandma Ollie begins to write the announcement in her bible, the pen runs out of ink and Grandma Ollie knows something is wrong. Terri moved from her small town Collingswood Arkansas to live up North where she could forget her roots. Fortunately for her, Grandma Ollie will not allow that. She must use those roots and folklore to help her see what is in front of her face. I absolutely adored the way this story was told, the book opened with Grandma Ollie writing in her bible and closed the same way. As I read this story, I felt that I was sitting in on those hair-brushing moments Terri and Grandma Ollie shared. I often wondered if Grandma Ollie was in fact the author's grandmother who raised her. It is my hope that this review reaches everyone who likes a feel good story, because this is certainly it. I encourage you to read this book once it is published. Missy
Rating:
Summary: Lesson Learned
Review: The Hatwearer's Lesson a powerful love story you will enjoy until the very end.
Grandma Ollie was quite a lady.
Rating:
Summary: You'll Want to Read this Book Straight Through
Review: THE HATWEARER'S LESSON is a powerful story, punctuated with laughter and cemented with tears. My tears, that is. What a sweet, deep truth there is in the character of Grandma Ollie, who has the gift of reading "signs" to predict the future. She tries to warn her very modern granddaughter before she marries the wrong man. This is a modern fairy tale, full of heart, old-timey wisdom, basic lust and the ever-redeeming path to True Love, which never does run smooth (if it did, nobody could write a good story about it). Yolanda Joe has done that. Her voice is funny and personal, and made this reader want to search out all her other books.
Rating:
Summary: Reminds me of Granny
Review: This book made me feel like I knew Grandma Ollie. She reminded me so much of my Great Grandma!! Always had helpful yet truthful advice. I didn't too care for the way it was worded at first but it grew on me & I enjoyed it. It was a nice slow read. It was good to read a book about a sucessful African American woman who showed nothing but respect for her elder and herself.
| 
