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A review by beverleefernandez
Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers
4.0
Hot Comb evokes memories of girlhood spent sitting still while my mother pressed my hair. That was my first test of patience and I passed most of the time (no singed earlobes lol). Another memory is the insecurity of early teenage years-wanting to fit in with an accepted hairstyle, yet not really wanting to repeat the process after being on the receiving end of negative attention. The title story of this collection reflects these memories and the following stories attempt to present hair as a liberating force, as a crown we wear that does not have to look a specific way to be splendid. Hair can also be a source of pain as shown in My Lil Sister Lena & The Lady On The Train when people disrespect what should be a clear boundary. Some stories involve hair, but the connection isn't clear to the story's premise (Big Ma, Sisters and Daughters, Last Angolan Saturday).
This is my first time reading a graphic novel and it wasn't a disappointment. I think the drawings that represent hair ads are a nice complement. Advertising has a history of displaying stereotypes but these drawings have a celebratory tone of self confidence. Hot Comb is a book that examines hair from different perspectives, ultimately reminding the reader of the importance of loving self. What's tricky is realizing that individual people don't express this love the same way. Wearing hair in its natural state is not automatically loving self nor should it be assumed that wearing a weave or straightened hair is an expression of self- hatred.
This is my first time reading a graphic novel and it wasn't a disappointment. I think the drawings that represent hair ads are a nice complement. Advertising has a history of displaying stereotypes but these drawings have a celebratory tone of self confidence. Hot Comb is a book that examines hair from different perspectives, ultimately reminding the reader of the importance of loving self. What's tricky is realizing that individual people don't express this love the same way. Wearing hair in its natural state is not automatically loving self nor should it be assumed that wearing a weave or straightened hair is an expression of self- hatred.