This book is titled “Life Is Funny – A Riveting Tale of Comedy, Hairdressing and Texas Politics.” It is the story of Judy Parker, a single mom and hairdresser at Lone Star Cuts – Home of Texas’ Biggest Hair. Judy’s dream is to be a stand-up comedian, and oh yes, as the plot goes on, she decides to run for governor.
You may wonder at the probability of this story actually being believable, but having been in the hairdressing industry as long as I have, I can tell you that it sounds perfectly logical to me. So do all of Judy’s quirky co-workers seem like real people.
Some of Judy’s friends and co-workers are a bit on the eccentric side. There is Ima, the manicurist. Along with nails, she does palm reading as an added bonus. Her one drawback is that she sometimes falls asleep in the middle of a set of nails.
Leon is the male hairdresser in the salon. He is straight and macho and keeps a stream of flirtatious flattery going for his elderly lady clients.
Bernadette is fairly normal but her boyfriends are scary.
Nan is an interesting character – or characters. She has multiple personality disorder. Fortunately two of her personalities can do hair.
The mix of employees at Lone Star Cuts, along with the customers who frequent the salon, make for entertaining chatter and many humorous situations. Anyone, not in the business, may think that these characters are completely fictional, but in the many hair salons in which I have worked, I’m sure I have known and worked with a few of them.
Our main character, Judy starts her career as stand up comic at a local open-mike night. Her gig proves to be successful and becomes the perfect platform when she is talked into running for governor against the obnoxious Dick Sloan whose wife even votes for Judy.
I recommend this book for light reading and a good chuckle although not if you are at all squeamish about references to sex. The sex talk is scattered throughout the book – as it is in many salons – but is not over done. A well described sexual encounter takes up but a small part of one chapter. The story line would be just as complete and funny without it. In fact, I was a little impatient when it came along, wanting to get on with the story.
Author Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant is a former humor columnist for Family Circle and winner of the Erma Bombeck Humor Writing Award. She is a stress management and humor expert, comedy writer, stand-up comic and comedy instructor/coach. She says she has an M.P.H. degree, meaning either masters of public health or mistress of public humor.
Life is Funny: A Riveting Tale of Comedy, Hairdressing, and Texas Politics
