Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Review

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle by Olivia deBelle Byrd is an absolutely amazing book. At just over 150 pages it is an incredibly fast and funny read. The anecdotes remind me of Erma Bombeck and Lewis Grizzard all rolled into one delightfully hilarious book of Southern comfort. The image of her husband leaping out of the car to have a showdown with their son only to have his pants fall around his knees..."I'm here to tell you, your sense of authority is greatly compromised when you are standing on the side of the road with your pants in a pile around your ankles." All the way to Olivia threatening to go bonkers and embarrass her son at every opportunity that presents itself. ("'Well, all I can say,' he answered, 'is that you're well on your way.'") These are stories that I'll remember long after I've passed this book on.

But as much humor as there is--and the book is chock full--there is wisdom embedded as well. I particularly liked her explanation of self-esteem:

You can tell children they are intelligent or beautiful or talented all you want, but that doesn't give them self-esteem. Self-esteem comes from trying and failing and finally succeeding. It comes from your own efforts and not those of your parents.

Southern humor sprinkled with Southern wisdom makes for an enticing combination that is impossible to resist. Combine that with a wonderfully accessible writing style and you have a real winner! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the South, witty anecdotes, family humor and just plain excellent writing. Four and a half stars out of five.

[Disclaimer: This is the very first book I have read as an author review request. I have my review policy stated on my blog, but just to reiterate....This review copy was offered to me for impartial review and I have received no payment of any kind. All comments are entirely my own honest opinion.]