“Alma opened the box and pulled out a beautiful, large brimmed, red-feathered hat accented with gorgeous strawberry-red brocade.” Alma is a bitter, sharp-tongued woman who refers to her husband, Harold, as her “has been”. She has a hard time showing him any affection, even though she misses what they once had. One afternoon, angry at Harold for something trivial, Alma mutters under her breath that she wishes he would die. To her shock and disbelief, he succumbs that evening to a heart attack leaving Alma all alone and guilt -ridden. She is about to commit suicide when ladies from the Red Hat Society intervene and help her get back on her feet. She enjoys spending time with them, but becomes angry when they present her with her very own red hat and ask her to join them. She calls them a cult and shuts them out of her life. But, when tragedy strikes, Alma finally learns about the power of friendship, love and forgiveness. This touching tale is one that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it. What impresses me even more is the author, comedian Damon Wayans of “In Living Color” fame. Who knew that such a raucously funny man could write such an intimately moving book?
No comments:
Post a Comment