My first haircut is in Tirupathi, next to my baby brother, just as my mother prophesized. I cry as the barber pours warm water over my newly shaven head, the small cuts, made by his severe grip and his old razor, burning. God is happy. I am two years old.
When Vivek Shraya contacted us about his book, titled ‘God Loves Hair’, I wasn’t sure what to make of the title. Then I read the book & everything fell into place.
‘God Loves Hair’ is a collection of illustrated short stories that form a narrative about a child with a quest for solace and answers in God, growing up in a country where he is a minority and a world full of scary secrets.
Beautifully illustrated & tenderly narrated, ‘God Loves Hair’, enchants the reader from the very first page. Even though it deals with serious issues, the writing makes you smile while your heart aches for this child going through so much and feeling so lost.
Vivek Shraya, deals with cultural differences, gender stereotypes, crushes, bullying, religion, loneliness and remarkably does justice to all the themes, even though each story is so short.
I highly recommend ‘God Loves Hair’. You can buy a copy on GodLovesHair.com.
If you’re in Canada – be sure to try and catch the book launch. Details can be found here.
