Fiction Addict

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: June 2009

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

Calla Lily Ponder grows up under the close care of her enchanting mother, the other colorful residents of La Luna, and a deity figure named The Moon Lady. After experiencing some coming-of-age heartbreak, she pursues a career in cosmetology and moves to the big city of New Orleans, where she eventually becomes the apprentice of world-class beautician, Ricky. With Ricky’s help, Calla learns both the craft and art of styling hair and soothing broken hearts, including her own.

Calla, although likeable at the beginning, is so perfect and perky I found her as believable as the Tooth Fairy. Calla is the most beautiful girl in the whole town and falls in love with the high-school quarterback, who loves her deeply and wins a scholarship to Stanford. She attends the best beauty school in the country, naturally. She is the best in her class and the instructor chooses her for his sole partner at a new salon. (Perhaps a world-class beautician would have opened his own salon already?) And, of course, by the end all the loose ends are nicely tied up and everyone goes to a big party.

Those who live a fairy-tale life might enjoy this book. Those who live in the real world may find it shallow and uninteresting.

Rebecca Wells wrote the bestselling Ya-Ya series; the most popular book, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, hit number one on the New York Times Bestseller list. Although I hadn’t read any of the Ya-Ya books, I’d heard great things about them and eagerly dove into The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder. My enthusiasm quickly waned.

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder contains very little coarse language and no violence, but readers who dislike over-the-top love scenes may want to avoid this book. Although warm and funny in places, I would not recommend The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, even to readers who enjoyed Wells’ previous work. Those who loved the Ya-Ya series should wait until the next book and hope for improvement.