Secrets of the Southern Belle
How to Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun, and Never Have an Off Moment
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
From Phaedra Parks, breakout star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, comes a true Southern Belle’s witty, practical, and no-nonsense guide to life.
Who is always perfectly put together and never at a loss for words? Who is professional, courteous, and harder working than anyone else? Whose Christmas cards arrive the day after Thanksgiving, year after year? Y’all know she’s got to be a Southern Belle.
A Southern Belle takes care of herself and makes sure people treat her right. She always gets her way, even if her man thinks it was his idea. (That’s a win for you both.) But, darling, you don’t have to be raised in the South to be the same fun-loving package of looks, charm, and determination that makes a Belle a Belle. That’s what this delightful little book is for!
Ladies, take it from Phaedra Parks, the smart, confident, and always poised star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Life as a Belle is simply better—for you and for the people around you. So let’s imagine you’re rocking on the front porch, with a tall glass of sweet tea and a plate of ladyfingers, because Phaedra’s got a thing or two to tell you!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
