God Loves Hair

by Vivek Shraya, Juliana Neufeld (Illustrator)

God Loves Hair is a collection of 20 short stories following a tender, intellectual, and curious child as he navigates complex realms of sexuality, gender, racial politics, religion, and belonging.

Told with the poignant insight and honesty that only the voice of a young mind can convey, each story is accompanied by a vivid illustration by Toronto artist Juliana Neufeld.

Genres: Short Stories, Queer, Young Adult, LGBT, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Canada

99 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2010

About the author

Vivek Shraya is an artist whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, literature, visual art, theatre, and film. She is the author of The Subtweet, Death Threat, even this page is white, The Boy & The Bindi, She of the Mountains, and God Loves Hair; and her best-selling I’m Afraid of Men was her­ald­ed by Vanity Fair as “cultural rocket fuel”. She is one half of the music duo Too Attached, founder of the publishing imprint VS. Books, and an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Calgary.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

God Loves Hair by Vivek Shraya is a very impactful collection of short stories.

God Loves Hair follows an Indian boy navigating through growing up and standing out. He has to deal with gender, race, and religion.

I highly recommend God Loves Hair. This book teaches you so much in a short book. Shraya discusses many important topics some of which are not frequently discussed.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Vivek Shraya and she did a great job narrating. Having the author narrate this book really added to the impact and added emotion to an impactful story.

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for God Loves Hair.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe these are Vivek Shraya's first stories! Sweet and funny and sad, they're about her youth and growing up, with topics like plucking eyebrows, being bullied at school, a 'love affair' with God, and more. They often end at exactly the right time, just leaving you wanting more but also with a feeling that the story ended just when it should have. What impeccable timing!

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of stories, as colourful and unique as the author herself. Vivek Shraya is a popular musician, writer and visual artist. Born to Indian parents settled in Canada, Shraya came out as transgender in 2016, at the age of 35 and chose she/her as her preferred pronouns. She uses her childhood memories to create short stories for this book. The stories span a variety of personal experiences, and show a child struggling to come into “his” own in the confusing world around. This was a nice read for me, equally insightful and entertaining. The language is quite simple yet the stories hold your attention. The illustrations accompanying the stories were a perfect add-on to the stories and complemented them well.


***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful little stories about gender and sexuality. powerful ending and beautiful artwork!!

[Udai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiny glimpses on the writers life. It was written in a very simple language but the stories had a deeper meaning to them. I loved the art that accompanied the writings.

[Sidharthan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a set of autobiographical anecdotes from Vivek Shraya. Each begin with a beautiful illustration from Juliana Neufeld. They are all very vivid and textural and give an idea about what we're about to read.

The text itself is almost poetic. I loved how it was broken down from page to page, to give us a pause between them. This would have worked much better in an actual book format. I could still perceive it in the ebook I read though! Vivek Shraya covers a gamut of topics - from the eponymous hair to religion and the struggles of growing up queer. Even though it is a tiny book, it really packs a punch. You need to take a moment between the stories to really let them sink in. Each anecdote illustrates something larger and feels carefully curated to give us an intricate picture of the author.

Beautiful, short read!

[Eline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't love all her books but this one really hits the mark

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shraya, Vivek. God Loves Hair. Arsenal Pulp Press. 2014. $18.95. 110p. SC 9781551525433.

God Loves Hair is a compilation of short stories where the author explores what it’s like to come of age in Hindu family in Canada. The stories range in length from one paragraph to a few pages, and each is accompanied by a full-color illustration. Shraya covers the gamut of topics, from gender and sexuality to politics and bullying.

Told from a first-person perspective as a series of memory snapshots, these stories give insight into the author’s thoughts and impressions as a child growing up in a Hindu family. This book is touted as a young adult fiction collection of short stories; however, the disconnected narratives lack a plot overall and individually which makes this book a hard sell for young adults. Better suited for a memoir collection in the adult section of a public library, God Loves Hair nonetheless contributes much to the multicultural LGBT body of literature.

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, there is a fire in me, and when it comes out, it's never as pretty. Maybe it's the blue that keeps you cool. If only I were blue.

3.5 stars. Quick collection of short stories following a young boy; ruminations on religion, gender identify and roles, queerness and race, and how he tackles these from his own perspective. A lot of the fresh insightful writing that I noted in the other book I read from Shraya, and skilfully narrated. I loved her thoughts in the preface about art/writing shaping identity.

Content warnings: homophobia.

[Saleha · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this poignantly idiosyncratic book of short stories, a Canadian kid of South Asian origin negotiates his relationships with god, his body, his sexuality, and the world around him. The stories are funny, a little sad, often surprising, and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. The author articulates the young narrator's voice with both clarity and tenderness. My own childhood shares some similarities with that of the protagonist, and I recalled with a startling immediacy the fear and confusion and wonderment that he experiences in the book.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I loved this book, full of stories of Vivek's ideas snd experiences while growing up. It was thoroughly interesting and entertaining following her journey of self-discovery.

[decklededgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: body dysmorphia, homophobia and bullying, sexual assault, depression, suicide mention, loss of parent, racism


I’m unsure exactly how biographical this is but it’s a first person narrative of Vivek’s life starting with her mom’s immigration to Canada (?) and ending somewhere in the late teens.

So many of the struggles she has as a brown kid in a white country are similar to what I’ve experienced, the family shame when it comes to talking about bodies and sex and so on are dead on what has happened in my household.

I really enjoyed the creative metaphors some of these chapters used. For more difficult topics like depression, renaming it as snow made it a more conquerable adversary while also reframing it to the way a young teenager would approach such heavy subject matter. This is not necessarily a kids book but it uses that child/tween/teen brain and thinking to really draw you into the life of the author.

Incredible work.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this in a day and was stunned by Shraya's poeticism and expressiveness that came beautifully in her narration of the audiobook. The stories in this collection are vignettes from the life of a young child and explore race, sexuality, gender, religion and belonging. They are so short, but still packed with emotion and insight. All I can say is that I wish I hope to get the print version in the future to see the illustrations by Juliana Neufeld.

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The traditions we take for granted in India assume a special significance for those in the diaspora. In God Loves Hair, a queer kid of Indian origin in Canada being bullied for his gender nonconforming nature seeks solace in religious traditions. A perfectly okay short read in which I liked the queer interpretation of Krishna.

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Vivek Shraya does is amazing. Such beautiful prose--she writes in such a frank and honest way about race and gender and everything.

[Sabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful, intentional, honest. What a beautiful series of short stories.

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an autobiographical set of short stories or vignettes from Vivek’s life growing up questioning their sexuality and gender from a young age.

The introduction to the tenth anniversary edition by Cherie Dimaline was the perfect start to the book. I listened to this one on audiobook narrated by Vivek herself and though I liked the book, I would definitely have benefited from experiencing the illustrations alongside.

Vivek talks about everything from gender and the cultural expectations that come with that, to sexuality, family and friendship. I think this is a case of me just being the wrong age group for this; though the book details sexual themes, I feel like this would be better suited for a teenage audience. It would be invaluable to young people questioning their own identity and so I commend it for that. This is my third book by Vivek Shraya and I’ll definitely be reading more but this just wasn’t for me.

2 out of 5 stars!

[isaac⁷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you feel guilty about reading only short books and not trying out longer books (more than 400-500 pages) because you find them intimidating, let this be your sign that that doesn't make you any less of a reader. this book is a testament to that. it's barely an hour long but reading it (i'd suggest listening to it if you are able to do so), will teach you so much about society and its stigmatised attitudes towards the trans community and gender-defying patterns, but it will also provide so much queer joy and being unapologetically oneself. vivek shraya is a beautiful human, a beautiful soul. i have so much appreciation and admiration for her now. i'm picking up i'm afraid of men soon.

p.s. there's a reference to sridevi's famous naagin song also, she actually sings some of it in the audiobook. it's such a classic and it made me smile bc old bollywood music is the best.

[Neha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Vivek’s voice throughout this book to be so genuine and tender in certain sections. The stories she tells are so telling of some many things I experienced my own versions of, growing up as the only brown/Indian person in school. The frankness about her sexuality/gender and longing to belong could really make a difference to any young person struggling with the very same issues. Julia Neufeld’s illustrations very much complimented the story as well.

[Lin Lin]

The author knows so well the anxiety and worry teenage boys from India go through as they come of age in the United States. Their identity at school, their struggle with the invisible forces to "fit in" or "blend in", and their sense of maturity become the issues every young person can relate to.

[Ashley V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous

[Dayana Sa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gloomy, disordered and pointless. This is a story of a young Indian boy raised in Canada whom is perturbed probably by the gods of his parents since a young age. I actually feel sad for the upbringing the author endured and how he didn't seem to have anyone to look up to or someone to help him escape the fate that his life was storing for him. The lack of guidance from his parents, the lies this child kept hidden and the darkness of a devilish religious practice all screamed trouble. Depression, confusion, secrecies and loneliness are all signs I could sense and pin-point in these short stories since the beginning. However, the book has been of some use to educate myself helping me identify similar symptoms with young teenagers in real life, like a pattern the story seems to repeat time after time for many families. It also reinforced to me of how much teenagers and young adults need to find solid friendship and trust among parents and educators. To have an open relationship where kids can open up since a young age is key. Very often parents see odd behaviors, but are afraid or don't know how to help their children so they pretend they didn't see things (apparently what his mom did with him). I read the book because I like to see with my own eyes what therapists and counselors are recommending to vulnerable kids. Nonetheless, I do not recommend this book to anyone. It's pure garbage.

[Bookworm · Rating 1 out of 5]

In her book “I’m Afraid of Men”, Vivek admitted:

"After assessing the available options, eventually ! decided on Manpreet. Manpreet's long single braid, fuzzy sideburns, and tucked-in madras shirts placed her on the unpopular end of the nascent status spectrum. Sporting a mint-green string to hold up my glasses (at my parents' insistence), I was not much more popular than she was, but I sensed that she liked me, or at least looked up to me, since we were among the few brown kids in our split-grade classroom. She was also YOUNGER than me. She was the perfect TARGET.
Every night in bed, I plotted how I would approach Manpreet on the playground at recess and somehow COERSE her to kiss me, my hands holding either side of her head to PREVENT HER FROM ESCAPING. The day I decided to make my move, I found her near the bike racks under the light rain. I bumbled on about class for a while, waiting for the opportunity to follow through with my plan."

!!! Vivek admits to planning and fantasizing to sexually assault a younger and smaller girl !!!
Not all trans women - but if circumstances allowed, this trans woman would have raped a younger, smaller girl.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es el segundo libro que leo de Vivek Shraya y es de esas autoras a las que les leería hasta la lista del supermercado.

En esta ocasión, Vivek presenta un libro ilustrado, en el que habla de su infancia y cómo es crecer en el seno de una familia hindú. Me encanta que esta autora tenga tanto para contar, sigue siento autobiográfico pero lo que relata es tan alejado de mi realidad que lo vuelve algo totalmente nuevo e interesante.

God loves hair comienza hablando del alivio que sintió su madre al tener un varón, y cómo son percibidas las mujeres dentro de su cultura: una preocupación. De esto se habla mucho, así como de lo que se espera de los hombres, y de como es sentir que no se encaja dentro de esas expectativas. El miedo creciente frente a la incertidumbre es algo palpable en la escritura de Shraya.

Las ilustraciones me parecieron bellísimas. Hay una al comienzo de cada capítulo, y están vinculadas con lo que relata.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more a 2.3 or very weak 3. It's slices of life of a Hindu youth in Canada as he makes sense of his queer identity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The short stories have an illustration of the topic and title that precede them. The writing is beautiful in what images the author chooses to highlight in so few words. It just feels a bit repetitive sometimes but it might be because it doesn't go into depth. Religion, sex, and puberty are the main topic, but how religion and these topic intertwine is what makes this collection special.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

God Loves Hair is a beautiful little collection of stories. The way these stories tie together and form a picture of life in Canada for someone who is both LGBTQ+ and brown. I hope that Shraya's work comes to find greater recognition because we all need to read more stories like this.

I would definitely recommend this. This isn't my first time reading Shraya and it won't be my last--I already have two of her other books on hold with the library.

[Tiffanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite reads of 2020. I had a chance to learn from Vivek during my online University class and I think she has a brilliant mind and is very inspiring. I loved this collection of short stories and how it touched on gender and sexuality and how this affects children growing up. I could see myself reflected in a few of the stories despite them being influenced by another culture. I'm excited to read more from her !

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-done graphic fiction about a young trans person's childhood experiences of gender dysphoria connected to the traditional Indian role of hair. Skillful and compassionate, detailing experiences of gender and sexuality pre-transition and what that looks like in a Indian-Canadian family that is fairly traditional.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short stories and illustrations, especially for a first published piece. It explores a young boy's life navigating sexuality, gender expression, religion and racial identity as the son of Indian migrants in Canada. I'm glad I was able to find it thanks to the trans awareness table at my local library.

[Xan Rooyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very poignant, and at times humorous, memoir of a Hindu kid growing up genderqueer (the author has since come out as a trans woman). Shraya captures the growing pains and pangs perfectly, I truly only wish this collection had been longer as many of the anecdotes feel a little short, rushing through the emotions and moments of realization which can undermine the book's gravitas.