Whew. Where do I even begin? I just finished reading My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories from the Sisterhood by St. Clair Detrick-Jules, and I'm still processing it all. As a Black woman, this book hit me on a level I wasn't even fully prepared for. It's not just about hair; it's a mirror reflecting back so many of our experiences, our struggles, our triumphs. It's a testament to the power of our stories.

What struck me most about this book is the sheer depth and wisdom St. Clair Detrick-Jules was able to draw from what so often gets reduced to just "hair"—something superficial, something to be controlled and tamed. She transformed it into a powerful exploration of identity, acceptance, and what it means to be a Black woman in a world that so often tells us we're not enough. Her skill as both an author and photographer is truly remarkable.

The vulnerability in these pages is breathtaking. It's like each woman opened up a piece of her soul and shared it with the world. And in that vulnerability, there's so much beauty, so much compassion. It's a powerful reminder that beneath the surface, we're all just trying to navigate this world, trying to find our place, trying to be loved and accepted for who we truly are. It made me reflect on my own journey, my own insecurities, and the constant pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards.

The women featured in the trailers—their stories are raw, honest, and deeply moving. You can feel the weight of their experiences, the pain of past rejections, and the joy of finally embracing their natural selves. It's impossible to watch them and not feel something.

This book feels like a balm, a healing touch in a world that often feels hostile towards Black women. It's a reminder of the beauty and resilience that has always been a part of our heritage, a source of strength that sometimes gets buried under layers of societal expectations.

The fact that it's framed as a letter to the author's younger sister adds such a personal and intimate layer. It makes the message even more powerful, like a sisterly embrace, a passing down of wisdom and love. While it's addressed to her sister, it speaks to all of us, regardless of our specific hair journey. It's a love letter to Black women, to our strength, our beauty, and our resilience.

The photography is absolutely stunning. The visuals are just as powerful as the words, capturing the beauty and diversity of Black hair in all its textures and forms. The images and the stories work together seamlessly, creating a truly immersive and emotional experience.

Representation is everything, and this book is a powerful example of that. Seeing so many different Black women, with so many different hair stories, is incredibly validating. It's a reminder that we are seen, we are heard, and we are worthy of love and celebration just as we are.

This book is a powerful step towards that change, challenging Eurocentric beauty standards and celebrating the beauty of natural Black hair. It’s a celebration of Blackness, a powerful social commentary, and a much-needed affirmation of self-love and acceptance.

This book is a feast for the eyes and the soul. It's a transformative work of art that I know will stay with me for a long time. It’s a must-read for everyone, but especially for Black women. It's a gift.

Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy.

I’m still in the process of reading the book, but I’ve found the book club kit to be incredibly useful. It’s well-organized and takes a lot of the pressure off me to create materials from scratch. So far, the kit accurately reflects the book and aligns well with its themes.

I’m especially excited to use this kit for a special Black History Month Book Discussion! With the thoughtful resources it provides, I’m hopeful for a meaningful and engaging conversation.

I love these Book Club Kits and especially the ones that include an interview with the author. I am impressed with how well thought out these book club kits are. They always include really great extras, like the videos and the bookmarks. I think they're a great resource for a book club to use. The included discussion questions are perfect for encouraging deeper exploration of the book's characters and themes, and I loved how Netgalley began including this in request. Will definitely use in the near future with my very own book club.

Title: Book Club Kit: My Beautiful Black Hair
Author: St Clair Detrick-Jules
Publisher: We Are Bookish
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"My Beautiful Black Hair" by St. Clair Detrick-Jules

My Perception:

This was quite an exciting kit, including the interview with the author, which kept the subject on track during the open discussion questions. The book suggestions and bookmarks were excellent for use during the discussions. This was well put together for a book club meeting with you, and you have everything you need. This was definitely helpful for anyone 'starting to look after their hair' and a fantastic kit that any book club could use.

Thank you to NetGalley, We Are Bookish publisher and the author of the book club kit!

Fantastic kit for use in book club meetings. We struggle with discussing the book (we usually say a few worked about it and then start chatting about anything in general) and this will help us to stay on track.

This is another great book club kit! I like that it started with an author interview. Then it provided discussion questions which is great for a book club. Also it provides bookmarks and book suggestions to read next and watch next.

Thank you to NetGalley, We Are Bookish publisher and the author for the book club kit!

Nice guide. The selection of questions were nice. I do wish the guide was a bit longer and had more content.

I love this book club kit! It's both aestetically pleasing and comprehensive. Gorgeous layout, which includes: an author interview, recommendations for upcoming reads, and discussion questions. I wish there was a kit like this for all books. I'd be more apt to pick up certain books for my book club. The work is done and looks like the making of a good time.

My book club has put MY BEAUTIFUL BLACK HAIR on our upcoming schedule. What a fine resource this kit will be!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Opinions are mine.

I really loved the author interview in this kit and I thought the book club questions included were a great way to facilitate an important conversation. I liked the suggestions of books and other content as a way to learn more about this topic. This book club kit would make the perfect companion to any book club meeting about My Beautiful Black Hair.

Before reading this kit, I hadn't heard of My Beautiful Black Hair but now it is firmly on my TBR list!

The Book Club Kits are fabulous tools to enrich your reading experience. They provide questions that make you reflect more on what you've read and points to discuss in a book club to hear different thoughts and explore further. Even if you're not in a book club, you can use it to ponder on some aspects of the book that you may have missed or wouldn't have lingered on when you read it. If you want to get more out of a book, the book club kit will act as a wonderful learning tool. Highly recommended.

This book club kit was well thought out and put together. It only included thoughtful questions. The bookmarks were a nice addition. I appreciated that it included information on the author, other books by her/the publisher, and suggestions for books to read if you enjoyed this one. This would be a great kit for someone wanting to change up a book club meeting.

This is a REVIEW ONLY of The BOOK CLUB KIT for “My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories from the Sisterhood,” nonfiction motivational pictorial guide by St. Clair Detrick-Jules about proudly embracing the beauty, femininity, and authenticity of curl’s natural only to Black women. This fabulously created colorful 18-page e-book is with loaded with everything to make your Book Club meeting memorable. There are loads of discussion questions to stimulate insightful two-way conversations among reading groups, and is full of visual appeal because of its bright art and bold, eye-catching graphics. The Q & As are excellent and will be useful for Book Club Leaders, Librarians, as well as readers themselves who want extra insight into the background of the book and author. 💕 As all compelling Book Kits do by adding additional graphics and fun elements, this one truly rocks! It also offers an author interview; bookmarks to print and cut out; additional suggested readings and viewings; and so much more. This is a truly exciting Book Kit worthy of it’s designation. 💕

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author St. Clair Detrick-Jules, and Publisher We Are Bookish for this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review.

I love these Book Club Kits and especially the ones that include an interview with the author. This Book Club Kit was very helpful during our book club discussion. We utilized the list of questions for a deeper discussion.

Great set up for book club
Everything was exactly what you need!!!
If you are reading this book in your book club you must request and download this package.

I really enjoyed this book. Whilst I had known lots written in the book it was interesting getting her point of view. It was good to have all this knowledge in one place to refer back to. Helpful for someone starting to look after their hair. I would give this 4 stars out of 5

This Book Club Kit, for My Beautiful Black Hair by St. Clair Detrick-Jules was a good read. It makes me excited to read the whole book. Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this.

I have never used a Book Club kit before, but I certainly will again if they are all this useful!

I take part in a small, informal book club with a few friends over Zoom, which can sometimes descend into general chatter. It's so helpful to have insightful discussion topics curated for us to keep us on track. The author interview included in this kit was also a fruitful basis for discussion. An important topic and an important book!

This is such a fun, engaging book club kit! I love reading interviews with authors, and hearing about what inspired them to write their novel. The included discussion questions are perfect for encouraging deeper exploration of the book's characters and themes, and I loved how Netgalley began including this in request. Will definitely use in the near future with my very own book club.

You'd think all book club kits were the same. This one contains the usual bookmarks, and discussion questions, along with further reading recommendations. But it really shines above the rest, because this contains one of the most thoughtful author interviews I have ever read in media.