This book had so much promises but unfortunately fell flat for me. The felt all over the place and the characters were not given enough attention.

Having recently finished the previously published “The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes” by Ruth Hogan, I am happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

Through Masha and Alice, both of their stories showed how uniquely we all deal with our own grief. The struggle is to get past the darkness. With the strength of friends, and their support, often those grieving can find the courage to continue to live in a changed reality. Friendship is what I’ll remember most about this story, those friends with hands, and the furry ones with paws too.

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

Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Ruth Hogan creates beautiful characters in this story of grieving and letting go. Masha is an intriguing woman with a heart full of sorrow and loss and her newfound friends use their natural compassion to bring her back to life and to find life worth living. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Books for the opportunity to read this one!

Hogan is such a wonderful and lyrical writer. Even though this books themes are quite heavy I still found it to be an enjoyable read.

Great characterization, wonderful plot and character growth. The ending has stayed with me years after I read the book.

This book is why I read women's fiction.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I tried to read this book several time. I am not sure what it is about it but I just could not get interested in the story.

I tried to get into this book on several occasions, but it never really worked. I purely believe that this was an issue of personal taste, but it took my several tries to get through it and didn't love it.

I had heard many positive things about this author, so I was excited to check this one out. Unfortunately, it just did not work for me. There are tons of raves on Goodreads, so I'm guessing it's something on my end that just didn't click.

The story follows Masha, who is trying to cope with her grief after her little boy dies. She befriends a local eccentric (Sally) who feeds the birds at the cemetery Masha frequents. Along with a few other colorful characters, Masha decides to rejoin the land of the living, while still honoring her son's life.

This book was 100 percent predictable (even the main twist was something I figured out at the very beginning). It also felt a little hokey in some parts and not very believable (unless I'm just way too cynical).

I don't think I'm the right person for this author so I won't be checking out other titles from her.

While this story delves into death and grief, the author uses her unique writing style to focus on hope and the ability to face tragedy, survive, and be able to move forward. The characters are unique and well developed. The relationships that evolve make a difference in Masha’s life. The focus on growth in the midst of grief is touching. You will laugh and you will shed a few tears as you travel through the pages of this moving tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Two Road for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes is the first book I have read from this author.

Once a spirited, independent woman with a rebellious streak, Masha's life was forever changed by a tragic event twelve years ago. Unable to let go of her grief, she finds comfort in her faithful canine companion Haizum, and peace in the quiet lanes of her town's swimming pool. Almost without her realizing it, her life has shuddered to a halt.

A Must-Read!

Ms. Hogan has a gift for crafting beautiful narratives. You'll enjoy her writing if you're a fan of the written word and have a sense of humor. As a result, she writes plots that move slowly and enjoyably revel in the present moment, as well as misunderstandings that only the keenest eye can pick up on. This allows her readers to see into characters' heads and hearts. Then, after she's finished catching you up, she abandons you. I devoured this book in one sitting and then barely managed not to fling it across the room. This is a kindle book, so the last chapter won't damage my wall because a paperback would. As soon as I regained my composure, I realized the rest of the book had provided me with enough details to piece together the reunion scene on my own.

In Ruth Hogan's The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, we meet Masha, a woman overwhelmed by the death of her small child twelve years ago. Surrounded by supportive friends, she has found a way to function within her grief, but not to move on from it. She spends all her free time either in the local public pool, imagining what it must feel like to drown or walking among the headstones in the cemetery. It is here that she comes to meet an eccentric woman who isn't always in control of her words that she calls Sally Red Shoes. Sally helps her see life in a completely different way.

This book if filled with lovely characters, quirky and strange as some of them may be. Grief is a hard story to tell, but I appreciate that Hogan makes it clear that there isn't a right amount of time to grieve and that it comes and goes in waves. She doesn't shy away from discussions of death, but still adds a sprinkle of humor to soften the blow. I liked this book and I think you will, too.

I'll leave you with this bit of wisdom from its pages:

However fit, fabulous, rich, double-jointed, brilliant, brave, funny or fastidious about cleaning our teeth we are, we are all going to die.
Your problem is that you are too lazy, too scared or too stupid to spend the time leading up to your death living. Really living. Do something!... Preferably for someone else.... The clock is ticking.

What a beautiful bravely told story of sadness, cancer, death, grief, With such beautiful prose Ruth Hogan tells her story “The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes” and I feel like I’ve been invited into a truly wonderful world of lessons.
Lessons I will never forget.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Ruth Hogan never fails me. I'm pulled right into the story and fall in love with her characters before I'm through the first chapters. Like the Keeper of Lost Things this story takes what could be a very sad premise (and is a very premise) and show's us the light at the end of the tunnel. Her character's breath and are full of life and I'm so happy I got to spend time with them. I wait impatiently for her next book, it's the vacation I look forward to every edition.

The cover and title if6 Ruth Hogan's book, "The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes" make you excited to dive inside and find out what they both mean and I was not disappointed by what I found inside the pages. It is a deep look at life, loss and love, with a bit if intrigue thrown in for good measure.

Ruth Hogan delves deeply into her characters and makes to begin to look at them as people you have actually met. Her gift of being able to take you to the unique setting of her story and then pulling you in deeper with her compelling writing style are beyond compare. I laughed, cried and felt every emotion in between those two, as I read "The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes".

This was first Ruth Hogan book, but it definitely will not be my last! I think most readers would be doing themselves a favor by checking out this book.

The story deals with loss, grief and learning to let go and live again. Beautifully written by Ruth Hogan.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the cover for this book and it is what really drew me in. The story overall is good; I was very interested because of what was written about the book but to be honest, this was not really my cup of tea. It was nicely put together and the plot was there, but I felt like it could have been better written at parts. However, this was a fantastic idea and I am glad to have read it.