Secrets of the Southern Belle

September 16, 2013
In this disorganized etiquette book, lawyer Parks, a star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta, reinvents herself as a Southern Emily Post. Parks invites readers onto her porch for a dose of good old-fashioned Atlanta etiquette “with a tall glass of sweet tea and a plate of ladyfingers and cucumber sandwiches.” The author is helpful on topics like table manners, dress codes, parenting, and money management, and downright informative when speaking on propriety at a Southern funeral. However, this is a belle with an edge, who insists that women should wear panty hose and delivers diatribes against tattoos (contained in the chapter, “Looking Like a Tramp”). She regards helplessness as a good strategy for women because “men crave being needed,” and though “Be Nice” is the title of the first section, veiled snarkiness is often the theme of this self-important book. “I gladly give everyone credit for at least trying to behave well. However, the truth is, some people could use some extra help,” writes Parks. The author’s pointers prove both entertaining and insufferable.