"The Roots of Desire" by Marion Roach

Synopsis: Part history, part cultural commentary, part memoir, The Roots of Desire is a witty and entertaining investigation into what it means to be a redhead. 
A redhead rarely goes unnoticed in a crowded room. From Judas Iscariot to Botticelli's Venus to Julianne Moore, redheads have been worshipped, idealized, fetishized, feared, and condemned, leaving their mark on us and our culture. Such is the power of what is actually a genetic mutation, and in The Roots of Desire, Marion Roach takes a fascinating look at the science behind hair color and the roles redheads have played over time. She discovers that in Greek mythology, redheads become vampires after they die; Hitler banned intermarriage with redheads for fear of producing "deviant offspring"; women with red hair were burned as witches during the Inquisition; in Hollywood, female redheads are considered sexy while male redheads are considered a hard sell; and in the nineteenth century, it was popular belief that redheads were the strongest scented of all women, smelling of amber and violets. Redheads have been stereotyped, marginalized, sought after, and made to function as everything from a political statement to a symbol of human carnality. A redhead herself, Roach brings candor and brilliant insight to the complicated and revealing history of redheads, making this a stand-out narrative and an essential tool in understanding the mechanics and phenomenon of red hair.

My review:
As a natural redhead, I was drawn to a book about this rare trait.  Approximately 4% of the world's population are natural redheads.  I enjoyed learning about the cultural and historical ways that redhead has been viewed.  One of the interesting things I learned from this book is that there are a lot more historically prominent redheads like Cleopatra and Henry VIII.  And yet the media do not portray them as such.  The iconic image of Cleopatra is Elizabeth Taylor and her long black hair.  The modern version of King Henry VIII is Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his brown hair.

I also enjoyed reading the genetics of red hair so that I now understand how my two dark-haired parents had two red-haired children.  Growing up, people had a love-hate relationship with the colour of my hair: the adults loved it and the kids hated it.  Having been picked on in school because of my red hair (there were three of us out of 300 students), I knew why Anne of Green Gables would try to dye her hair.  This being my first encounter with the idea of changing my hair colour, I was just as traumatized when hers turned green.  Although I wanted to change my hair colour to fit in, I never tried because I was afraid it would turn green.  But now, red hair is so acceptable that it's the top colour of hair dye sold in North America.  As an adult, I love my hair colour and no longer want to dye it.

If you are a redhead or know and love a redhead, I would recommend this book.

And I'm adding "attend Redhead Day" to my bucket list.

Read on,
Paula