Book Review -From Pigtails to Chin Hairs by Becky Lewellen Povich

From Pigtails to Chin Hairs
Becky Lewellen Povich
File Size: 967 KB
Print Length: 205 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00IXBG1F6

This memoir begins with a fond look back at the 50’s and then brings the readers to the present time as Ms. Povich recalls the moments in her life that shaped her as the person she is today. Sometimes funny and sometimes poignant, it is a book that will stir memories in readers who grew up in the same time period. For younger readers, it is a look back at a way of life that didn’t include cell phones, home computers, the Internet and many of the social problems that plague modern society.

Some memoirs are written to impart some great truth learned through a particularly difficult struggle – Angela’s Ashes for example – but this one is not centered on that kind of profound truth. It is an accumulation of little truths learned through those good and those bad times that happen to ordinary people; marriage, family, divorce, children, jobs and more. Povich writes with a mix of humor and thoughtfulness and the reader can’t help but smile and nod. She is also honest about the things in her life that were not as pleasant as others, such as her parent’s divorce and her first marriage that ended badly.

We can all relate to much of what she shares. We have fond memories of special family gatherings, and we have not-so-fond memories of the things that challenged us and challenged our relationships. That’s life, and life is what this book embraces.

While I enjoyed the trip down memory lane and for the most part found the writing engaging, the editor in me did want to get out her red pencil and make some suggestions. Some sections of the book seemed rushed, as if the author wanted to hurry to the next anecdote and didn’t spend enough time with the present one to make a good story better. However, that did not take away from the overall enjoyment of the book, and there were plenty of scenes that were crafted with lovely prose.

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Becky is going to be my guest on Wednesday, so I do hope you will come back and meet her. She has written a funny piece about those awful home permanents that some of us suffered through as kids. If you have a fond (LOL) memory of the Toni Home Permanents, do come back on Wednesday and share it. Maybe you even remember the commercial?

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Before I go, I do want to wish all the mothers who might happen by today a Happy Mother’s Day. I hope you are all having a wonderful day being spoiled by your families. A few years ago I wrote a blog piece about Mother’s Day that you might enjoy reading.