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“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>After the success of her radio partner in crime Steve Harvey rose to relationship guru heights thanks to the release of his hit book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, it seemed only natural that his co-host Shirley Strawberry would follow.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Actually, Strawberry was probably expected to precede Harvey in offering literary love advice due to the nature of her “Strawberry Letter” segment – which offers relationship advice to listeners who write in to the Steve Harvey Morning Show.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On the heels of Harvey’s hit book, Strawberry teamed up with St. Louis’ own Lyah Beth LeFlore to offer her own perspectives in The Strawberry Letter, which will be released on April 5.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Her life reflections are offered as a tool to teach and help women – black women single parents in particular – deal with the state of the dating scene and develop a sense of self love.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>She takes a much different approach than Harvey in Strawberry Letter – which is anchored by several of the letters that have been read on the show.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Much like the readers who pour their hearts out in a desperate cry for help, Strawberry puts her business in the street. Considering her status as a nationally recognized personality, she is surprisingly candid about being caught up in abusive relationships, a bad marriage and the tendency to be self-sabotaging in her current state of singlehood.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In Letter, Strawberry shares a play-by-play rewind of her cross country escape from a physically abusive long-term relationship. She admits the hurt and pain of a loveless (and sexless) marriage coupled with her husband’s wandering ways.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Her honesty and accountability regarding the wrong turns she’s made over the course of her life are worthy of an ovation – and much different than the writing style of her counterpart Harvey.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The manner in which she assumes responsibility and how she rose above her bad decisions is freeing and creates an indelible connection between Strawberry and the reader.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Her dual perspective of single parenthood particularly stands out. Strawberry spoke of insecurities suffered as a product of a one-parent household due to the untimely death of her father when Strawberry was just a toddler – and as a woman who decided that saving a marriage for the sake of her daughter would create suffering from all parties involved.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Strawberry even opens up about the inner turmoil of making the painful decision of allowing her mother to raise her daughter in Arkansas after she split from her husband.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>She packs more personal information than one would imagine possible within 160 pages – but readers will instantly understand the purpose in doing so.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Letter
is not
without its flaws. The book is a quick read, but Strawberry takes
the long way around a topic within some of the chapters.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Also, more concrete and comprehensive takeaway advice would have added a large helping of meat of what Strawberry serves through Letter.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Are the words of wisdom offered through The Strawberry Letter groundbreaking? Not necessarily. Will it offer “aha moments” that will spark a new journey of self-love and discovery? It’s possible – but not likely.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But what Strawberry will most certainly inspire from readers is a sense of liberation thanks to her unbridled honesty and candid first-person conversations about moving beyond the baggage of past mistakes and hurts.
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“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Shirley Strawberry’s Strawberry Letter (with Lyah Beth LeFlore) will hit shelves on April 5.
