The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love

January 18, 1999
Unlike other beauty queens, the Jackson, Miss., Sweet Potato Queens are self-crowned, rule for life (there's no "former" tag for these gals) and are real women--figure flaws and all. Originally organized in 1982, the Queens are, by their own account, "fallen Southern belles" and "female drag queens"--and as such, they are all about attitude and humor. This buoyantly funny guide to life and love is a hoot from the get-go as ringleader Browne offers queenly observations on life's most pressing issues. Some topics may seem trivial, such as tanning, making the most of big hair and delighting in "big, sturdy, serviceable, substantial Russian immigrant underwear" for pregnant women (it's so "indescribably comfy" that "you may never go back"), but they are expertly mined for laughs. Non-cooks may reconsider when reading the hilariously artery-clogging recipes in the chapter "What to Eat When Tragedy Strikes," highlighting the four main food groups (sweet, salty, fried and au gratin) and suitable for both therapeutic and recreational eating. The life-affirming final chapter reminds readers of life's many options: "Life may indeed be short, but it is, for a fact, wide." If you can't get enough of the Queens, you can visit their Web site (coming in January): www.sweetpotatoqueens.com.

February 1, 1999
Let me say right up front that I had never heard of the Sweet Potato Queens until their book landed on my front porch. If you too are unenlightened, let me inform you that they are a group of women in green sequined dresses, red wigs, and "enhanced" figures that participate in parades and other events in the South, led by founding Queen (and humor writer) Browne. Their tongue-in-cheek advice includes chapters on maintaining the queenly look, magic words to get any man to do your bidding, and what to eat when tragedy strikes. The book includes recipes ("chocolate stuff" for when you're feeling down) and addresses (where to order fake teeth). But chapters like "The Five Men You Must Have in Your Life at All Times" and "Men Who May Need Killing, Quite Frankly" just weren't all that funny. Some of the stories were touching, and there's more than a little truth to all of them, but most of this book is a bit heavy-handed. Strictly a regional title; not recommended for most libraries.--Kathy Ingels Helmond, Indianapolis-Marion Cty. P.L.