A thought provoking read. I really enjoyed The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes. As I read, and realised what it was all about, I thought maybe I wouldn't enjoy it but I was very quickly hooked. The characters are convincingly portrayed and you can't help but empathise with them. The book flits from the story of one character to another and as you continue they all intermingle to create a web of an ending, sensitively told. Happy and sad, funny and serious, this book makes you think long and hard about how people cope when their happy life takes a tragic turn.

I suspect this book will fall into the 'marmite' category, some people will love it whereas others will hate it. I'm afraid I'm in the latter camp, I didn't exactly hate it - but I didn't enjoy it and found it tedious. I didn't find it an easy read as the chapters didn't flow from one to the next. The main characters, Masha and Alice I found unappealing and I couldn't really relate to them and though some of the other characters in the book (such as Sally Red Shoes) were more appealing and interesting it wasn't enough to change my opinion of the book.

I adored this wonderful follow-up to THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS. This is a novel that takes you by surprise and offers a new, fresh view on death, grief and learning to move forward despite all that you've lost. I found myself lost in this story, Ruth Hogan has blown me away with her second novel and I now cannot wait to read her third...which I hope won't be far away.

Achingly beautiful, heart-felt and joyous, this is just the book everyone needs to read!

*Review also added to Amazon.co.uk*

I found this really difficult to get into and a bit of a slow, plodding read. The themes of loss and grief were handled well but the book was crowded with characters and would have had more pace if a few had been left out. The story evolved into a different one from what I had been expecting which left me feeling disappointed. The descriptive passages are strong and language is used beautifully, but this just wasn't for me.

Sally red shores is the story of loss and mourning. It sounds like it's ging to be a very sad book but it's a very enjoyable read and is sensitively told. It's how Marsha greiving the loss of her son realises with unexpected help of people along the way that life can still go on. In with this story part of it is told by Alice. It's a long time before we find out the link between the two I worked it out half way through but is confirmed towards the end of the story.

This is the second book of Ruth's I have read I have throughly enjoyed both books and will be looking out for more books by this author. My only complaint with this book is it finished very ubrutly I I would've liked to find out how the relationships developed. I would still highly recommend this book.

I loved this tale (more so than Hogan's first book, The Keeper of Lost Things) The protagonist and her friends were so charming that you really felt part of their lives. The dark undertones of the story are kept at a distance until the final pages, so that although you feel sad for the characters throughout, you also feel optimistic

I wanted to love this book more than I did. It has so much going for it - an intriguing plot, a great character list, the whole swimming thing...

However, it was just too short. None of the characters got chance to grow. I was expected to care about somebody on the basis of a funny name and a couple of paragraphs. There were almost too many events, too quickly, and not enough connection in between them, and I think it tried to do too much. it could have been three times as long, and really explored some of the ideas and some of the characters much more. It all felt a bit glib.

The real problem for me, though, was that the really interesting bit of the story happened between the last chapter and the epilogue. That was the bit I was waiting for, and it was just skipped over! Not even skipped over - left entirely to my imagination.

I think Ruth Hogan needs to slow down, take her time, and let things develop. There are dark things here that could have been explored, and a really interesting story to tell.

This is a heart-warming story of grief and learning to live again after a tragedy. It is a lighthearted and entertaining read that also touches on heartache and pain that will resonate with a lot of people. The extra character, as well as the main character, are written really well and I am so glad I got to read this book.

This is a more sombre book than 'The Keeper of Lost Things' and at first I wasn't sure I would like it, but as I got more involved in the story I found myself really caring about the characters and hoping for a good outcome,especially for Masha,one of the main characters.It deals with sadness and loss,and there is quite a lot about death and dying,but for every sombre section,there is an equally funny part which is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.
Ultimately,it's about hope and redemption,and I very much enjoyed it,and look forward to Ruth Hogan's next book.

I found this a difficult book to read and had to make myself continue reading instead of putting it down as I wished to do. It just did not capture my interest. The author was, obviously, aware of death and mourning and it seemed as if she wrote from life experience. The characters were rounded and showed a depth of understanding. I am sure that others would gain a lot from it. It was just not for me! This does not mean that I will not recommend it to others. Just that I will be very careful to whom I do.

My reading group read Sally Hogan’s The Keeper of Lost Things. While we enjoyed it, it hasn’t stayed with me and I couldn’t say I loved it. I think The Wisdom of Sally’s Red Shoes is a far superior story. I very much enjoyed it and will be recommending it to my book group and all my friends. It is very different and grabbed me from the start. It is a story of love and loss, hope and friendship. The characters are well developed and the story reveals itself in a sensitive and engaging way. I was rooting for them all and they will be staying with me for a while. I am also going to be spending more time in graveyards and making new friends. Why not?!

This is beautifully written and people with some fascinating characters, particularly the eponymous Sally Red Shoes and the lively Kitty Muriel
The nature of grief, mourning, and learning to live again is sensitive and moving. I really liked Masha's sections of the book, but I wasn't as captivated by Alice and Mattie.

This is a story about a woman who has gone through an unimaginable tragedy, she has spent years getting to the point where she can rebuild her life and find joy again. This book takes you through her incredible journey and the authour does an amazing job allowing you to empathise with her throughout the story.

I did find though that the story drifts unnecessarily when other characters were mentioned and everything doesn't tie into to each other right till the end. There is a slight twist in the story and although it was somewhat obvious I still enjoyed the authors style of writing and was kept engaged throughout the book.

There is sadness but it is made bittersweet by the author’s superb prose which results in a novel which is both uplifting and humorous due to the wonderful character descriptions. I found myself nodding and smiling at their idiosyncrasies so accurately and sympathetically described - I could see them in my mind.

The story evolves around the separate lives of the two main characters, Masha and Alice, however it is the beautiful writing that is the star of this book. It will make you feel sad and then make you laugh. I highly recommend it.

Loved 'The Keeper of Lost Things' so I was delighted to see Ruth Hogan had a new book but also a little intrigued to see whether this would keep up the quality ... I thoroughly enjoyed this read, although it has some dark moments! It is a moving, at times very funny, and gripping book that I raced through.
It is hard to say too much without giving stuff away but I became thoroughly engrossed in Masha's life - her swimming visits, her friends, getting to know 'Sally' and a really lovely character Kitty. Alongside Masha's story of rebuilding life slowly after a tragedy we have the story of Alice and her son that I found difficult and challenging as her tale unfolded. Hogan's characters are sometimes larger than life but also actually felt very credible and believable.
It isn't always light but there is hope, love and the joy of friendship told through this tale.

I adored The Keeper of Lost Things so I was hugely excited to read Ruth Hogan’s 2nd novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with this book as much as I would have liked and found it a struggle each time I went back to it.

a very moving story of 3 women, Alice, who has a son, Mattie, and is suffering from breast cancer; Mischa, who wants to be cemetary guide, and swims every day, and Sally Red Shoes, who turns out to be really Phoebe, and was famous.
Their lives interlock with each other, and they support each other through happiness and through sadness. There are more than one or two unexpected twists in the story, and the characters are well-drawn, and the plot is plausible, if a little disjointed. I did enjoy reading this novel. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this.

This is both my first book by Ruth Hogan and first from the "women's fiction" genre in many months. A synopsis has to really grab me for me to be willing to give the genre a chance. It gives me a welcome change from all of the crime, fantasy and scifi that I tend to gravitate towards.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect to this novel. The story is accomplished and is well-written and plotted, but there was something missing for me. The characters are quirky and interesting, it certainly wasn't an issue with them. I am finding it difficult to put my finger on exactly what it was that meant I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. I do think most people would find this emotionally compelling. I appreciated the humour that was written within the pages too.

Many thanks to John Murray Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Wow! After enjoying the Keeper of Lost Things I was delighted to receive and advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. But beware, this book is emotional in a different way. Still charming and still funny, this book covers death and grief and loss, friendship and love. It was not as easy to read, has a good twist. Not sure about the ending though, would be interested in others opinions.

Ruth Hogan's second novel has lost none of the charm and wit of her hugely popular debut The Keeper Of Lost Things.

This novel takes a slightly darker turn than her debut and is self-informed by the author's own battles with cancer. That's not to say this is a dark book, it's not. It deals with death, loss and grief with the wonderful wit, warmth and wonder first experienced in The Keeper Of Lost Things.

The story follows lead character Masha, and secondary character Alice. Both women are well fleshed out, with quirks and flaws that make them both real and endearing. I found myself both laughing and crying along with Masha, a complicated but deeply likeable woman dealing with the loss of her son.

What I liked the most about this book is that while there IS a romance, it's certainly secondary to the friendships and bonds that Masha and Alice have with other people in their life.

It's an extraordinary novel, full of gentle wisdom and joy even while following Masha and Alice through dark and troubling periods in their lives. There's such pleasure in watching Masha learn to live with her grief and blossom through the connections she makes.

Ruth Hogan is a skilled writer, and I think her personal experiences have really fed into this book. You can feel the heart and love and overall the hope.