Today, as I left an Amazon browsing session and headed off to a long overdue pedicure, I decided to download a Kindle Single called Bearded Lady. A Kindle Single is like a short book. OK, it IS a short book. This one was 46 pages and my pedi time was almost enough to finish the whole thing.
And the subject, my friends, is Hair. To be more specific: Unwanted Hair.
It is basically a short memoir by Altman in an attempt to entertain and to bring together women of the world and their hair removal embarrassment. As someone who has used Nair, Nads, razors, bleach, wax, and body groomers…I could relate.
There is a certain comfort to read about someone else’s journey into unwanted hair removal, but this is anything but a deep literary experience. At most, Altman explores the history of when hairless legs and underarms on American women became the norm. She has quotes from professors of Anthropology and Gender Studies from around the country, none of which are ground-breaking. The collective thought is that, as hemlines and sleeves got shorter, grooming for women went in a new direction.
Yes, it brought back memories of when my mom handed me my first razor and when my grandma said, “Hija, you have a little mustache. Try this..” as she handed me my first tube of Nair (which pretty much takes your skin off along with your upper lip hair.) Neither was a memory I needed to revisit.
Overall it was a one-time read, not necessarily one I would recommend, but it was entertaining for the hour it took finish. My main issue is the use of the F-word a few times, which I LOATHE, and a couple of sh-words peppered in. Totally uncool and not necessary.
7.5 out of 10 Stars
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