When Ava finds out she's HIV positive, and her hair styling business starts to dry up because those in Atlanta are scared of her, she decides she needs a change of scenery. Ava returns to small town Michigan, where her widowed sister still lives. Joyce is happy to have Ava back, and puts her to work helping with her woman's group, the Sewing Circus. Joyce is trying to educate the women of the small town on how they should be treated, safe sex, child care, and other essential life skills. Of course, not everyone in the town agrees with these teachings and try to throw a wrench in Joyce and Ava's plans.
This book is an Oprah book club book, which I haven't had much luck with recently. This one, thankfully, was different! It was very easy to connect with the characters. Joyce just wants to help the women in her town and is passionate about doing so. Her passion is infectious and makes me hope that there are many Joyces in the world. Ava is a little more reserved, because of her disease. She is insecure and on the brink of love, not knowing whether one trumps the other. Her emotions are so real and the conflict in her head is completely believable.
While some could take this away as a romance novel, I found the human struggle the more interesting story, and how we gain strength from those closest to us. Oprah got it right with this one!
First Line: "I'm sitting at the bar in the airport, minding my own business, trying to get psyched up for my flight, and I make the mistake of listening to one of those TV talk shows."
Rating:
(4/5)
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