Nappily Ever After

the long version

What happens when you toss tradition out the window and really start living for yourself?Venus Johnston has a great job, a beautiful home, and a loving live-in boyfriend named Clint, who happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous doctor. She has a weekly beauty-parlor date with Tina, who keeps Venus's long, processed hair slick and straight. Ever since childhood, the tedious hours in the salon and the harsh, burning chemicals have grated on Venus, and increasingly she dreams of cutting off her beautiful "good" hair. When her boyfriend keeps balking at commitment, and the thought of another hour at the salon is just too much, Venus decides to give it up -- all of it. She trades in the long hair for a dramatically short, natural cut and sends Clint packing. It's a bold declaration of independence -- and one that has effects she never could have imagined. Reactions from friends and coworkers range from concern to contempt to outright condemnation. When Clint moves on and starts dating a voluptuous, long-haired beauty, Venus is forced to question what she really wants out of life. With wit, resilience, and a lot of determination, she finally learns what true happiness is . . . on her own terms.In the bestselling style of Eric Jerome Dickey, Bebe Moore Campbell, and Terry McMillan, Nappily Ever After captures the hopes, dreams, and conflicts of the contemporary African-American woman. It's a delicious story told with style, savvy, and humor -- a novel that marks the debut of a fresh new voice in fiction.