This is one of those book that makes you laugh out and moves you at the same time.
I loved it and I couldn't read fast enough but I was sad when it ended.
Everything is well written and likable: the plot, the characters, and the setting.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

After reading The Keeper of Lost Things last year, I was eager to read this next book from Ruth Hogan. I think because my expectations were so high, I found this one to be more challenging to enjoy, especially since the narrative involved the ramifications of a death of a child, which I have also experienced. We will buy a copy, for sure, but it wasn't what I was expecting (I downloaded it based on the author's prior novel, and did not read the plot summary beforehand.). Thanks for the opportunity to preview this one.

This book was a pleasure read. The language flowed so delightfully, I often re-read passages to hear the sound and rhythm of the words themselves. The themes of love and loss were heartbreaking at times. How does a mother live after losing a son? How does she fill her days? Does her heart resume beating? Is there a way to survive after her reason for living is gone? The characters are crafted with care, each one unique with their own problems and joys. This is a book that deserves to be read.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#TheWisdomofSallyRedShoes #NetGalley

This is author Ruth Hogan's second novel. I was quite moved by it and plan to read her debut, The Keeper of Lost Things. She has a talent for describing characters who are fully human, quirky and both struggling and trying their best.

The novel is about two women and those they know, love and/or have lost. Masha is a mother whose child disappeared a number of years ago and, although not found, was presumed to be dead. Masha has grieved for him and has struggled to progress in her life. The reader observes as she moves forward bit by bit, fortified by new and old relationships. Part of Masha's story takes place at the lido, a favorite locale for me after reading Libby Page's novel. As in that novel, swimming yields some peace.

Then there is Alice. She is a mother who is overprotective and very attached to her son. Her backstory is told with compassion and the reader comes to understand her struggles and decisions.

Sally, herself, is a elderly woman whose past history becomes known late in the novel. She is eccentric and a source of some of Masha's healing. She reminds Masha of the importance of continuing to dance, both literally and metaphorically. Other characters include Kitty who has overcome her own tragedy.

While characters in this book have experienced loss, the story is not depressing. Ruth Hogan writes empathically and I was sorry when the novel ended. There is a twist that you might see coming but, even if you know, you can enjoy reading about it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-galley. Ruth Hogan is an author to watch!

I was drawn to this book because of the title and the cover and the description, however I had a really hard time getting through it. I enjoyed the quirky characters but I had a hard time sorting out who was who, especially at the beginning when the storyline alternated between Masha and Alice. Also Sally Red Shoes made very little appearance for the first third of the book and that was disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting read. I normally don't like books that go back and forth between stories however this one was well done and kept my interest once I got a little further into it.
The portrayal of how grief can take over and get the better of people was handled with respect and compassion.

Awesome book. Artfully written

I'm not sure I've ever read a book as deep and moving as this book. I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. The author, Ruth Hogan has an amazing grasp of the English language. The sentences are descriptive and filled with emotion that pulls the reader into each new page. The subject matter will seem rather grim until you are fully into the book, do not stop reading. Each page, each chapter is better than the last. The community of characters are drawn together frequently meeting in the community's cemetery and nearby park. The narrative is shared by two characters that will keep you guessing through to the end.

The close group of characters and the people they meet along the way build a close relationship and begin to feel the weaknesses that is shared by the experience of losing a loved one. Ms Hogan pulls moments from each that connects them with each other as they recognize the similarities they share without openly speaking of their losses.

I found myself giggling out loud at some of the antics shared by the narrator, wiping tears at points of sadness. Ruth Hogan takes the reader on quite the ride. The sentence construction and occasional "word of the day" pulls the reader directly into the story, the scenes.

This was an enchanting book that I really enjoyed. It dealt with life and grief. There were some sad parts in the book but also parts that made me joyful. I think that this book will be one that my patrons will enjoy at the library. I know many people liked her first book. The keeper of lost things.. Cant wait for it to come out.

Sally Red Shoes, given this name because of her red shoes. She's eccentric, feeds the crowd bread, sings to the tombstones, confuses her words. Yet she is a woman of stage wisdom. Live life to the fullest, enjoy where you are, what you're doing and who you're with. Especially, don't worry about what people think.
Masha is a psychotherapist. She lost a son when he was two. No body was found. They believe he drowned. She blames herself.
Alice is a single parent with a teenage son. She has also been diagnosed with cancer. She has a lot to get in order before she dies.
Life is full of twists and turns, ups and downs.
This is wonderfully written book. The characters are "alive" and relatable. Awesome storyline.
Extraordinary! A definite must read!!

This novel was intricately layered with emotion and tough subjects. Marsha struggled to find happiness after a tragedy took her young son from her. She only felt peace when walking through the cemetery or when she practiced drowning herself. The characters she meets along her journey further address the complexity of human emotions: mental illness, love, guilt, loss of identity, cancer. The list goes on.

Masha lost her only child Gabriel in a drowning accident more than a decade ago. She finds comfort when she visits her local Victorian cemetery regularly. It becomes part of her grieving process. This is where she meets Sally Red Shoes, a fascinating bag lady who has a love of birds and has lots of wisdom to impart.

Alice is the mom of a teenager and she is terminally ill with cancer.

I found the book boring more than anything else. The story did not interest me and the writing style fell flat for me. The ending was abrupt and felt rushed. I struggled to get through the book.

A beautiful story of love, loss, friendship and family. This is not only a story of a woman's grief but also of hope and laughter,

Wow! An absolute gem of a story. The cover, title and author all called my name when I saw this and was not disappointed. It’s a story of death, sickness, grief and guilt told with just enough humor thanks to 3 lovable, quirky women. It was slow going at first but the storytelling became very engaging and the prose kept me enchanted. I found myself pausing and reflecting on many occasions on the quiet bits of wisdom, of which there are many.
I would like to thank Net Gallery for an ARC of this novel and I’d especially like to thank the author Ruth Hogan for writing such a gem while fighting your own battle with cancer.

Who could guess that a baglady could bring such change to one's life? A thoughtful, surprisingly, richly peopled novel studded with poignant and captivating moments.

March 15, 2019
The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan

A special thank you to NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much I immediately wanted to read it over again! This story was written to perfection from the opening line to the amazing ending. The language is beautiful, yet I found myself skipping over some of the poems and impressive vocabulary to race through the story! Another reason to read it again!

“Life is full of small joys if you know where to look for them.”

What I particularly loved about this book is there was intrigue and mystery from the very start. There was no dump of back-story to weigh it down, yet each concise chapter leaked another clue. It was very much like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. And I LOVE jigsaw puzzles.

The introduction of the main characters in the opening chapters set the stage pretty quickly around graveyards, swimming pools, and the subject of drowning. Masha appears to be obsessed with them all. Masha spends a great deal of time wandering the graveyard with or without her dog Haizum, having conversations with the occupants of the various grave sites. She considers them ‘my Family on the Other Side.’

As the stories unfold for “Sally”, Masha, Alice, and Mattie, (in order of introduction) the theme of death, grief, and dark secrets begins to evolve.

“When the music ends for someone you love you don’t stop dancing. You dance for them as well.”

It was right around Chapter 50, I was lying in bed, my mind turning over the chapters I’d read the night before, when I had the AH HA moment!! So much for sleeping in!

At that point, I was excited to finish it, to see if I am right, and at the same time afraid I am! For the next couple of chapters, I convinced myself I was mistaken, but then another clue. Reading it on my Kindle, I was beginning to hyperventilate at the 95% mark. HOW was she going to finish this in so few pages? The ending was PERFECT!!!!! I couldn’t believe the beautiful way Ruth completed the story.

I laughed, I cried, I wondered, and I loved. All of the things a great read should do for you!

A story that makes you cry and them marvel at the human spirit ability to recover and move on. A story that explores death and grief and love and friendship. It took me a few chapters to get caught up in the story and understand the messages the author was sending but once I got it I could not put this down.

Kindle Copy from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A chance meeting starts a memorable friendship. A story of resilience among a group of meeting facing their immortality as it sweeps you on an unlikely journey.

Be swept up in the magic as the characters take you on a trip of a lifetime. Engaging read as well as the characters who come to light.

What a beautiful and emotional book this was for me. I too could have used the wisdom of Sally Red Shoes. I loved the quirky characters and empathized very much with Masha. I highly recommend this story to anyone who has experienced loss and grief. Let Sally Red Shoes come into your life. Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book! The female characters were very strong and endured through hardships by finding each other. There was a point where I wondered if there was a deeper connection between Masha and Alice, and it ended up I was right. A beautiful ending of survival through friendship and love. I will definitely recommend this to others.

Dressed in an oversized, worn coat and wearing scuffed red Mary Jane shoes, an old woman visits the cemetery. She is eccentric. She smiles. She "enunciates her expletives beautifully". Soon she will leave the cemetery, bag of bread crumbs in hand, and feed the crows in the park. It appears that the cemetery is a place of comfort. For Masha, "the cemetery is [my] her sanctuary" as well.

Every week, Masha swims in the Charleston Lido Pool. Actually, she goes there to drown...almost. As a self-professed authority on drowning, she swims underwater and holds her breath as a means of "self-inflicted waterboarding". She is riddled with grief and guilt over the drowning death of her two year old son, Gabriel. While the cemetery is her sanctuary, the pool is her penance. For twelve years, Masha has been "...caught in a rip current of grief and struggling against it gets me nowhere". Haizum, her Irish Wolfhound, is her constant companion and lifeline, that is, until she crosses paths with the old woman that Masha will refer to as "Sally Red Shoes".

According to Sally, "Life is full of small joys if you know where to look for them...even in the darkest of times and places" "Her idiosyncrasies are strangely comforting". Surprisingly, Sally sings an aria in Italian to a group of Italian headstones while Haizum, the dog, tries to harmonize with her. Sally "...shouts and swears, sings to dead people...she is like a naughty best friend...". Is it possible for Masha to take small, forward moving steps to live life to the fullest instead of to just survive?

"The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes" by Ruth Hogan is a rollercoaster of a ride. "Grief is not a linear thing". Masha with Haizum in tow, visits the cemetery regularly finding some measure of peace spending time with the departed. She tends the graves of those who never receive visitors. The novel is not heavy-handed by any means. "Edith Piaf" is the name of Masha's green and white Citroen, a small French car with huge headlamps. There are many witty and laugh out loud passages. Ruth Hogan's sophomore novel is totally engaging. It is a heartfelt, emotional read. Despite the depths of despair, life can go on if you embrace it. An excellent read.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes".