Hairdo

Gladys Bessinger's nervous breakdown seems the cue for Ruby McSwain's shop to seize the field as the premier beauty salon in Rocky Mount, S.C. Stylist Yvonne (of the old school, ``when hair was still hair'') and mousse-king Thurston believe they can carry Miss Ruby to the top--if they can put their personal rivalry on hold. But they remain fiercely competitive, from the preparation of newly dead Bebe Pointer's after-life coiffure to the ultimate contest in the Southeast Hair Show. Into the already bustling plot the author throws Thurston's convict lover and the ugly rumors of Gladys's recovery, setting the stage for Ruby's battle of a lifetime. Gilbert's first novel is a wacky, fast-paced carnival of rivalries that precisely captures the essence of modern social warfare at its most intense, with blowdryers unleashed. (Feb.)