The Rhinestone Sisterhood: A Journey Through Small Town America, One Tiara at a Time Hardback - 2010

Media reviews

“The Rhinestone Sisterhood is a must-read for all True Queens—and you know who you are. (I used to have the exact same crown as on the cover—but mine are BIGGER now! I never had a cow, though.) Y’all will LOVE this book, trust me!”—Jill Conner Browne, THE Sweet Potato Queen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Potato Queens book series

"The Rhinestone Sisterhood is a delightful, moving and suspenseful ride through the yearlong reign of the four 'sisters of the sash.'  Valdes Greenwood does more than just satisfy...he’s given us a book worthy of its own crown jewel."--EdgeLosAngeles.com

Full of vibrant and strong-willed characters, The Rhinestone Sisterhood takes you on a boisterous ride through high-spirited communities, local tradition, and the pride and perils of life as a Queen…you can’t help but be delighted by it. This charming portrait of small town life through its young women might just encourage a trip to next year’s Giant Omelette Celebration.—Blog.ModCloth.com

“Hilarious, poignant, and surprisingly suspenseful, The Rhinestone Sisterhood doesn’t lampoon Louisiana’s wacky pageant circuit but rather leaves us in awe of the hard work that comes with the crown. Only the snotty naysayers fare poorly in this affectionate, and affecting, portrait of small-town American royalty.”—Celia Rivenbark, author of You Can’t Drink All Day If You Don’t Start in the Morning and We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier

“The Cotton and Cattle Queens of Louisiana? Glamour shots astride a bull? OMG, LOL, and hip-hip hooray. With a meticulous eye for detail and a complete lack of condescension, David Valdes Greenwood opens a window into a side of life in rural America many of us know nothing about.”—Stephen McCauley, author of The Object of My Affection and Insignificant Others

“David Valdes Greenwood’s charming and funny (and revelatory) window on the astonishing world of the festival queen circuit is a diamond as big as the bayou.”—Mameve Medwed, author of How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life and Of Men and Their Mothers

"A nonfiction delight...Greenwood is an astute narrator who achieves a competition's tension throughout the pages with the help of a lovable and dramatic cast of characters."—New Orleans Magazine

“An illuminating book that is insightful as well as amusing and heartwarming…delightful.”—BookLoons.com