You really have to read the book to understand why hair color was so important to this story. The four fiction books are not based on a true story. In the storyline, the unique red hair color was the link that connected Janie to her biological family. The movie was excellent although the movie combined the first two books. There have since been two more stories; a total of four books exist in this series. They are terrific books.
Review of The Face on the Milk Carton
