Patty Jane's House of Curl

by Lorna Landvik

After Patty Jane's husband leaves her, she and her irrepressible sister, Harriett, open a neighborhood beauty parlor--complete with live harp music and Norwegian baked goods. It's a warmhearted place where good friends share laughter, tears and comfort.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Chick Lit, Humor, Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Womens Fiction

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Lorna Landvik is a mother of two and wife of one. She is the author of eight novels, including the best-selling ANGRY HOUSEWIVES EATING BON BONS, PATTY JANE'S HOUSE OF CURL and OH MY STARS. Also an
actor and playwright, Lorna has appeared in many stage productions. She is a new and passionate neophyte to the practice of yoga, which is a fine antidote to her long established practice of lounging.

Reviews

[Beth Brekke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1995, this novel still holds appeal and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. In under 300 pages it takes you through several decades of Patty Jane's life which her daughter, Nora described as "terrible" and went on to detail some of the hardships they faced. Her Aunt Harriet countered her statement with, "Haven't you learned yet how hard life is to figure out?" Yes, life is hard to figure out and maybe that's the moral of this novel along with love being how you get through it all.

One negative, or at least one thing I questioned, was why the prologue and epilogue were written by Nora but the actual story was not. Those two sections were some of the best parts of this and I could see the story being great if it had all been told in her voice. From the prologue: "Honey, life can be a ballroom dance," my mother counseled me, "and it can be full of shit. Your job in both cases is to watch where you step."

If you're a fan of Fannie Flagg novels (especially Fried Green Tomatoes) or maybe the movie, Beaches, you should read this novel if you haven't already.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

My mom recommended this book for me and I'm not quite sure why. The whole thing felt like it was trying too hard - every life event had to be chocked full with wisdom and little sayings. Each character had these "charming" eccentricities that are supposed to be endearing, but instead it felt like too much going on. Finally, even though the characters had many road-bumps along the way and plenty of sadness, none of it really felt genuine. Even the depressing moments felt chocked with sugary-sweetness.

I would recommend this for someone who wants a light read and doesn't need much depth. My mom liked it and I do usually trust her taste, so maybe I'm missing something that is there.

[Suzyberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Minneapolis and around places I know well, this book hooked me immediately. Though I read it long ago, I fell in love with Lorna Landvik's style of writing...not to mention a really great story. Lorna writes in a voice that sounds like your best friends'...as though she's just across the table from you sharing a cup of coffee. It's a book I keep on my shelf and have re-read, something I seldom do. You will love the characters, the story-line and the easy drift of words as you turn each page. This is her best book ever. Summer read for sure!!!

[Mitzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me! I thought I was mainly going to like it because it made me laugh out loud (especially the first part of the book) and because I grew up in Minnesota in a very Scandinavian family so there was a connection with the setting and the culture. But this book is more than that. In addition to being funny, it has some romance and even some sadness. It's a book about life and I really enjoyed it.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard of this book often when it first came out. I even tried to read it at the time. I guess I just wasn't old enough to appreciate it yet. The humor is more subtle than I was ready for maybe? Or the storyline just too hmmmm... not twentysomethingish? I don't know exactly why I didn't like it then, but I know that I do now.

I laughed, often. And I cried, too. Often when someone says that they cried at a book, they mean that they teared up. I usually mean that, too. But this time, I cried cried. The blow your nose and have red eyes kind of cry. It was such a happy cry, too. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that it was when my favorite song was featured in a wedding.

I guess you could say this book was a lot like real life. Peopled with characters that are both good and bad, quirky and normal. Lives that are happy and sad, but, most of all, full of love.





- - - a note about the narrator - - - Christina Moore read this book and she was wonderful. (I also loved her reading of Practical Magic.)

[Vanessa S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the short audiobook of this and was, I hate to say it, so let down. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik is one of my all-time favorite reads, so I was super excited to read this. The cover is just so interesting to me, leading me to believe the book will be filled with neighborhood gossip and scandal, but the cover had nothing to do with the book aside from the fact that the main character owned a beauty salon. Sadly just a 2-star read for me.

[Claudia_Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 *
Einfach zu lesen an einem Lesewochende.
Vorhersehbar, etwas übertrieben und ein bisschen zuviel des Schicksals. Aber ok für ein Buch dessen Erstveröffentlichung vor 30 Jahren war und das seit 10/2018 auf meinem SUB lag.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book! The book revolves around Patty Jane and her sister Harriet, as they go through quite a few ups and downs. In Part I, they both are young, a bit naive, and in love but then tragedy strikes. But they support each other, keep trudging on, and then in Part II, they find their second loves...along with quite a few friends with Patty Jane's House of Curl.

This book was definitely not some sappy romance novel, and while sad at times, overall was upbeat. And actually, it was pretty funny. My favorite character was Avel, a super-short rich man who the tall and lanky Harriet proceeds to meet and instantly fall in love with one afternoon. My #2 favorite would be Ione, Patty Jane's Norwegian mother-in-law, who bakes amazing desserts and often mis-speaks common English expressions. Overall, there were a lot of great quotes in this book that I wish I would have been writing down. (That's the downside of library books - can't really mark or turn down the pages.)

One of the reviews on the back cover compared this book to Fried Green Tomatoes, and actually, though the setting is completely different, this book is pretty similar. It's even got a mystery, with the strange disappearance of Thor, Patty Jane's husband, that finally is resolved towards the end.

[Della Tingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of choices of the characters in this book that I do not agree with one bit! However, the humanity presented here is touching. I could not put this book down! There is a lot of pain in life; we all have hills and valleys. This book is full of emotion!

“Life can be a ballroom dance…and it can be full of shit. Your job in both cases is to watch where you step” (5).

“Until I can handle things, I’ll pretend I can handle things” (238).

“Haven’t you learned yet how hard life is to figure out?” (272).

“Our family has had some rough times—some real rough times, but you know what? The good times would still tip the scale. And do you know why? Good old love, sweet love” (273).

“If I had loved the people who tried to love me, I might have found God closer to home” (292).

“What a big chunk of God is to be found by looking into the face of someone you love!” (292).

[Chelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Very easy and quick to read. Have you laughing and sad - I just really liked it!

[Amy Grass Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book more than I thought I would. I assumed, when starting it, it would be a lighthearted read but it ended up having much more depth than I expected.

[Amber Novoselac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorna’s writes beautiful stories about women uplifting other women. This was a sweet story or a little family but also of the hardships they faced. They got through everything together.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my wonderful mom-in-law who knows good literature and guessed exactly right about the kind of reading I was looking for: captivating, unique (not following any of the modern light fiction cliches), easy reading... It was all that, except “light” was definitely a relative term in describing this book. I am still quite puzzled by quotes describing this novel as “fun” and “funny”... Perhaps there were nuances in the dialogue that I missed? But as far as the plot goes, there wasn’t anything funny for me - in fact, I haven’t cried so much over a book in a long time.

To me, “Patty Jane’s House of Curl” is an incredibly poignant story of love, family and sisterhood - not just “spiked” with tragedy, as the cover quote states, but PLOWED through with tragic events and an unusual mystery to boot. I know I didn’t want a cliche chick-lit story and this was exactly the prose I craved - with depth and layers, but by 3/4 of the book, I was secretly hoping for a surprising chick-lit twist where it all worked out and “they lived happily ever after”... The author held her own though - lots of heart-expanding realism of the events and characters revealed in living details - no cliches.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was predictible and one of those easy reads...I did like it. It was well written, the characters were sarcastic, it was a good book to read when you weren't looking for a lot of substance...shorter chapters that captured your attention, but not requiring a lot of thought. I kept waiting for Avel to die from the get go...didn't expect on the wedding day...corny. And it was said that one of the sisters (trying not to spoil it) died of cancer in the end. We read this book for my BC2 as a tribute to Nancy, that just passed away from cancer. I didn't really need that in the book. Whatever.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually did like this very much as a beach book: very quick story with some good characters and not requiring much thought. And, I liked the Scandinavian flavor of everything from humor to baked goods to word choices and character traits (like leaving the room to avoid confrontation). Also, tackling a serious theme like alcoholism and showing a positive light on the AA process was a plus as was the interaction with Nora and her dad at the end. So, two stars for all of that.

But, I was so sad that the one great character, Avel, had to leave the story after only a few chapters. His interaction with the women was the best part of the book. It went downhill after he died. Maybe his character should have been the manicurist. Also, I think I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been more bantering in the salon among the women (like in Steel Magnolias) than all the overly predictable series of crazy plot events. I agree with another review that said she felt like the book tried too hard; it definitely felt like that when Thor's story was revealed at the end ("Misery" came to mind). So, take this one to the beach, but don't expect too much.

I have to note the best quote:

"It's how we Norwegians are. It's hard for us to...to say certain things. We got so we even joked about it. Olaf used to have what he called the 'Vowel Theory.' To get our blood moving, he said, Scandinavians should breed with Iranians and Italians, Africans and Arabs; any person whose country began with a vowel."

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little novel (with one of the ugliest book covers I’ve ever seen) houses an emotion-packed little gem of a story, proving once again that you CAN’T judge a book by its cover. Fraught with twists and turns that will produce audible laughter and gut-wrenching tears, I can’t believe how invested I became in the stories of Patty Jane, Harriet, Nora, and Ione and their colorful cacophony of co-stars throughout their St. Paul, MN neighborhood. No topic is off limits, and all the emotional ups and downs are discussed with raw honesty and rare beauty, resulting in a memorable and satisfactory tale of heartbreak and healing.

I checked this out from the library because I’d picked up a copy of Landvik’s book “Once Upon a Blue Moon Lodge” from a thrift store, and upon discovering that it was sequel of sorts, figured I should read the first installment (Nora’s backstory). Then I found out our local library’s Monday Night Book Club had made “Patty Jane’s House of Curl” their November read. (What are the chances?!) Of course, I’m not IN said book club, but if I WAS, there would be SO MUCH to discuss. This book really touched my heart; I’m so glad I read it!!

"To be good to yourself," said lone, shaking her head, staring into her coffee cup. "Sometimes it seems that takes a special talent all its own.” — pg. 135

[Emlynn McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book solely on the basis of the fact that both Landvik and I are the only two authors she knows in person, so when I found the audiobook version of Patty Jane's House of Curl available through my local library, I checked it out. As a fan of Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion"-style humor, I suspected I was in for a treat, and Landvik did not let me down. The author had me laughing within minutes of listening, as the offbeat plotline and quirky characters drew me deeper into the story. Despite the humorous start, the book deals with heavy issues, including alcoholism, and for this reason I am surprised to see one of Goodreads' categories for this book is Chick Lit. To me, this book is Women's Fiction, but definitely not Chick Lit. It's an intelligent, poignant, and ultimately uplifting tale of the special bonds that women forge in even dire circumstances. If you approach the book with that in mind, I don't think you'll be disappointed. (I'd also like to note that the author recorded the audiobook herself and did a great job of it. She not only read but also sang. Delightful!)

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Patty Jane's House of Curl was the most recent choice of my family's book club; we're a group of women from the suburbs of Minneapolis (including my mom and aunts who grew up IN Minneapolis) and this was a great pick for us, not only because we're very Minnesotan but the family relationships reminded me much of our own. The story centers around Patty Jane and her family, specifically her sister Harriet, following Patty Jane as she's married, has a daughter, and eventually opens up a beauty parlor in her home. At times I felt the story was a little cheesy but it ended up being such a sweet tale of love, loss, friendship, and family. The cast of characters are so heartwarming and unique. I was envisioning this told as a cute romantic comedy kind of movie, with that special Midwestern twist. If you are a fan of Lorna Landvik, I'm sure you enjoyed this cute story.

[Sandy Emmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that when you finish it you are both happy and sad and so wish that the characters were real people so you could be their friends.
Patty Jane and Harriet are sisters that go through many times of both happiness and overwhelming trauma and sadness. Then along comes Nora Patty’s daughter and Ione her mother-in-law to round out the bunch with many men to make the stories complete.
I highly encourage my fellow readers to try this and I can truly say this because it’s my second time reading it.

[Theresa Hardman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a few books that just ring true to my heart...Big Stone Gap, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and now Patty Jane's House of Curl. I loved each and every one of these characters, and I wanted to be friends with them all! I could hang out in her salon!!
I did NOT want this book to end!
Once again, thank you to Hannah Rae for a great recommendation!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Minnesota girl doesn't love a story that takes place near her own home town?

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book as the writing style took a lot of work to get through. Which is weird since I absolutely loved her other book Angry Housewife's eating bon bon's.

[Leah Lovin · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book so much!!

[Jill Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Humorous ramble into what defines family, what hokds them together and what tears them apart.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange, but heartwarming, story of two sisters whose parents were less than desirable. Cute, short story that did bring a few tears at the end. Just a fun, quick listen on audiobook. 5 out of 10.

[Emily Lytle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorna Landvik’s characters never disappoint and her wit shines in this earlier novel. While some of the plot took a little long to develop for my taste, the characters drove the book and made for a heartwarming ending

[Amanda up North · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Lorna Landvik is a Minnesota author, and she gets Minnesota right. Minneapolis and St. Paul, their landmarks, river and lakes, come alive reading this.
The story is pure fiction to be enjoyed as such. A little unlikely / unbelievable at times, but touches the heart with humanity and realness at others. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad (I cried). Partly very predictable, while sneaking in a few surprises.

I was distracted at times by typos, but the writing is witty and the story is heartwarming with an inspiring vibe.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly a gem of a story, the backdrop of Minnesota / Minneapolis is what carried it through. The coping of tragedy and connection of family is beautiful, and shocking, but oftentimes lacks the depth I crave and know could be there. All-in-all - enjoyable read.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Landvik enlivened her reading of this book with a Minnesotan accent – so fun! As was the story although it was also complex and had its deep, and sometimes sad moments.