The Hatwearer’s Lesson
By Yolanda Joe 

      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 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 is Grandma Ollie’s only granddaughter. She raised her from birth and taught her that she could be anything 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 write 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 warms 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.