The Beautician’s Notebook by Anne Barnhill is a great read during this beautiful fall weather. Take a chair out to the park, find a place in the shade, and enjoy. I found the book so refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable that I just couldn’t put it down.
Barnhill’s tale is wrapped around the many secrets written in Willa Jo Temple’s notebook. The local beautician has recorded secrets from her clients who have, over the years, confided their deepest sins and transgressions to the hairdresser. However, the notebook was no secret to anyone who knew Willa Jo. She constantly talked about how she was going to publish it one day. So when Willa Jo is found stabbed with her scissors in her beauty shop, the possible suspects begin to mount. As the notebook finally surfaces, several individuals are clearly implicated.
But there is more to this story. It is a story of love, forgiveness, and moving forward. And there is plenty of this to go around. I hope you enjoy Ms. Barnhill’s first fiction novel. She has written historical fiction novels, a short story collection, poetry, essays, articles and much more. She lives not far from Wilmington, NC and has featured this section of Lovely NC within the pages of her novel.