That book entirely changed the way I saw myself. Why? So when I discovered The Roots of Desire, I read it eagerly, wanting to understand why I was treated so differently simply because of the colour of my hair. I knew some people despised redheads, some people thought us ugly, and others fetishised us. By then, because of being ginger, I had already experienced bullying at school, jeers from strangers, and being stopped on the street, as if to be asked directions or what the time is, to instead be asked whether it's true what they say about redheads by an old man, who leered at me. When I was a teenager, I read The Roots of Desire: The Myth, Meaning and Sexual Power of Red Hair by Marion Roach. And that all comes into play when reading a book like Red: A Natural History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss HArvey, which looks into the whys behind everything I've experienced. So being seen as a redhead is a major factor in my life. There are so many stereotypes about redheads, from having a fiery temper, to being wild in bed, that are impossible for a redhead to avoid. I am a redhead because people see me as a redhead they see the colour of my hair, and judge me for it and/or make assumptions about the kind of person I am. It's part of my identity, mainly because of how people have treated or reacted to me because of my hair colour. From Goodreads.īeing "a Redhead" is more than just about having ginger hair for me, it's a huge part of who I am.
More than just a book for redheads, Red is a fascinating social and cultural celebration of a rich and mysterious genetic quirk. She goes on to explore red hair in the ancient world (from China to the Islamic kingdom of the Khazars), the prejudice manifested against red hair across medieval Europe, and red hair during the Renaissance as both an indicator of Jewishness and the height of fashion in Protestant England, thanks to Elizabeth I.Ĭolliss Harvey also examines depictions of red hair in art and literature, looks at modern medicine and the genetic decoding of red hair, and considers red hair in contemporary culture, from advertising to 'gingerism' and bullying.
With an obsessive fascination that is as contagious as it is compelling, author Jacky Colliss Harvey begins tracing the redhead gene in prehistory as it made its way out of Africa with the early human diaspora, only to emerge under Northern skies. Red: The Natural History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss Harvey (Bought) - Red is the first book to explore the history of red hair and red-headedness throughout the world.
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