The Hairdresser of Harare - A hilariously realistic novel (Book review)

Some time ago, I was having a conversation with my book club members and we were talking about twists in books that will forever be engraved in our memories and someone kept talking about the book The Hairdresser of Harare.

I don't really know why I opened it, it's not like I trusted said person's taste in books, I probably just wanted to see for myself what was behind a book titled as such.

The Hairdresser of Harare is a book written by Tendai Huchu. lt is a 188 paged book that tells the story of Vimbai, a single mother working at a unisex salon, in a town called Harare. Being the best hairdresser in Khumalo Beauty and Hair Treatment salon, she could as well be referred to as the best hairdresser in the country. She is confident in her talents and the fact that no one can replace her in the salon. Things begin to take a drastic turn when a young guy named Dumisani is recruited to the salon and he seems to know his way around female hairstyles more than Vimbai. Soon, all the customers that favoured Vimbai begin to move towards Dumisani. Thereby, threatening Vimbai's best hairdresser title. Although Dumisani appears like a nice guy, Vimbai can't help but be cautious around him, not only because he is extremely good at what he does, but there are indications to a certain personality he seems to be hiding very well.

I felt this feeling of nostalgia while reading this book. Why? That's because it gave off a peculiar vibe similar to literature books prescribed by schools when I was younger. The family disputes, the realistic simplicity in the storyline, the rurality in which the book was set in, reading from Vimbai's point of view were things I really enjoyed in the book. They all worked to give the book a more realistic, less fictional flow.

You know when an author plays tricks on the reader using mind-blowing plot twists? That was the highlight of this book. This book progressed so slowly, leaving the reader with no clue as to what happens next. And if you're a reader like me that likes to explore possible scenarios in my head before I get to where I'm reading, this book is for you. All the scenarios I sampled out in my head were nothing close to how things turned out in this book. A very hilarious but worthy ending this book had.

The characters were very interesting to read about as well. From Vimbai to Dumisani, to Mrs. Khumalo (the owner of the beauty salon), they all were fun to read about. Their development as well. The author didn't fail to give the characters befitting back stories. Although there were loopholes in some parts of the stories, those given, sufficed and aided my better understanding of the plot.

This is a slow-paced novel that although I enjoyed parts of it, I found the middle somewhat boring. It lacked the intrigue the book seemed to promise at the beginning and I was tempted to drop it halfway but I continued and it was worth the while.

Also, there was a character I felt her behaviour was completely unnecessary. Mrs Khumalo's daughter (Agnes). In the salon, she was the only one that seemed to dislike Vimbai. Their history wasn't given in the story so her hatred came off to me as baseless.

I'll rate this book a 7/10. A very realistic story readers of any age would find intriguing and captivating. I liked it and I wouldn't mind recommending it to a reader looking for a soothing book with hilarious twists.

Thanks for reading.

Images are screenshots taken by me.