Book Review and Giveaway: Miss Hildreth Wore Brown by Olivia deBelle Byrd

Treat yourself to these delightful 'bon bons' of Southern charm!

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle 

by Olivia deBelle Byrd

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Morgan James Publishing (May 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600377483
• ISBN-13: 978-1600377488

      Genre: Humor
      My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

 

Book Description Publication Date: May 1, 2010
While Olivia deBelle Byrd was repeating one of her many Southern stories for the umpteenth time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said,“Why don’t you write this stuff down?” Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. If the genesis for a book is to shut your wife up, I guess that’s as good as any.  On top of that, Olivia’s mother had burdened her with one of those Southern middle names kids love to make fun.  To see “deBelle” printed on the front of a book seemed vindication for all the childhood teasing.  With storytelling written in the finest Southern tradition from the soap operas of Chandler Street in the quaint town of Gainesville, Georgia, to a country store on the Alabama state line, Oliviade Belle Byrd delves with wit and amusement into the world of the Deep South with all its unique idiosyncrasies and colloquialisms.  The characters who dance across the pages range from Great-Aunt LottieMae, who is as “old-fashioned and opinionated as the day is long,” to Mrs. Brewton, who calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not, to Isabella with her penchant for mint juleps and drama.  Humorous anecdotes from a Christmas coffee, where one can converse with a lady who has Christmas trees with blinking lights dangling from her ears, to Sunday church,where a mink coat is mistaken for possum, will delight Southerners and baffle many a non-Southerner. There is the proverbial Southern beauty pageant, where even a six-month-old can win a tiara, to a funeral faux pas of the iron clad Southern rule—one never wears white after Labor Day and, dear gussy, most certainly not to a funeral.  Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of laugh-out-loud reading and hilarious enjoyment.

Review:  Ha - This is such a delight.
The wonderful thing about this book is that it oozes Southern charm which is quite distinct from northern arrogance.  Now I don’t agree that all the antidotes would be limited to a Southern lady... I can relate to many. I was raised up north but moved to Florida when I was 13 so you would think I might be a southerner. Then again... we lived in Broward and Palm Beach counties until a few years ago. That is more like the north than the south.

The author shares humorous tales with a Southern flair - sometimes genteel and sometimes feisty. She reaffirms that women, who know colors like teal and camel and share details when they talk together, are from Venus while men, who see blues and browns and speak “yes” and “sure”,  are from Mars.  She tells tales from a different generation, one that had to earn a car at college age. Compare this to her children’s generation where a child is given a car because ‘they are breathing at age 16'.  The south has their “characters” who are tough “eccentrics” by another name but sweeter I think. Ms. Byrd shares stories of several Southern "Characters."

There are delightful stories from childhood antics, weddings, funerals, fashion, and adventures with pets. My favorites were hilarious Southern problems while visiting in foreign places like New York and Boston! I had to really laugh at one of her anecdotes disparaging Christmas Sweaters as I am one of those ladies who loves to wear Christmas sweaters for three weeks in December!

This is an easy, fun read and I chuckled through a couple of quick chapters at a time. This would be a great book to pick up for those bloggers participating in the Southern Literature or Reading Challenge. It is also a wonderful choice to keep on a side table for a relaxing evening and it would make a lovely gift for a friend.

This book will go in Florida for my Where Are You Reading challenge; it will also be on the New Author list and ARC list.

Thank you to the gracious generosity of the author for the book to review and an extra copy for Giveaway.
I thought about giving my copy too but decided I wanted to keep it and share it with a local friend. :-)
TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the print book:

1. Visit the author's site and tell me something of interest you found there and/OR  for two entries, leave a comment on the Guest Post to show warm hospitality to Ms. Byrd. :-).  One of these is required for entry.

2. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3.  For two entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Six total entries possible.)

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on January 27, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
The WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on January 28. 
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.