I loved this book. It had me hooked with the cover and the synopsis, and the story did not disappoint. Hogan’s writing is wonderful and I found myself liking the book better as the story went on.
This book is about grief. Masha’s son died at a young age and she never got over it. Two wonderful women come into her life, the eccentric Kitty and the elusive Sally Red Shoes and they help to teach her lessons that she needs to move on.
This really is a touching story and my heart grieved for Masha and her loss. I loved her big dog and the walks they took in the graveyard, the dinners she would get dressed up for with her interesting friends, and even how her trauma informed how she looked at the world. She definitely grew as a character and it was wonderful to experience.
Grief is a difficult subject to write on and Hogan did a beautiful job with a book that really touched me and made me think, laugh, and cry.
Thank you to Netgalley and Two Roads for the review copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books!

Masha used to have a great life but a tragic event over a decade ago changed that. Suddenly she befriends Sally red shoes and that great life starts to come back.

Okay, normally I love books that have quirky characters and no exact story line, but I struggled to feel pulled into this book. I tried. I really did. I wanted something more, but it was so drawn out with so many characters, that it was hard to focus on what was happening. Looks like others loved it though!

Masha's life was changed forever by a catastrophe twelve years ago. She just can't let go, but finds comfort in her dog, Haizum. Sally Red Shoes, a bag lady with a secret history. She also, speaks the things she wants to say but part of it's due to a malfunction in her brain. Masha feels as if drowning, it may be a peaceful end, so she goes swimming everyday as today could be the day. She haunts the Victorian cemetery as the ones buried there bring her a type of peace. Masha has friends , Kitty and the mysterious Sally Red Shoes. This is a sad story with characters who grow and lessons are learned. No matter who you know and how long you know them, there are still hidden things. Where there are birds, there are angels, is something I won't forget. There are children's deaths and the effects of losing those you love. I cried big, ugly tears, but there are some great parts that don't make you cry but that brings hope. I loved this book and recommend it highly. I received this book from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books

I loved this beautifully written novel about loss, hope, love and redemption. The author has blessed us with some very unique characters that interact in a very satisfying way. We could all use a Sally Red Shoes in our lives and benefit from her insightful wisdom.

This was my first Hogan book. This book tackles some pretty tough themes, but the author tries to interject whimsy to lighten the mood. The writing is solid and enjoyable.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the characters of this book. They were resilient despite all the challenges thrown their way and the tragedies that they faced. The characters are really well developed and they were so painfully relatable, regardless of your age.

It was a thought-provoking and emotionally charged read. You will enjoy this book if you like an insightful read that makes you contemplate life.

This book will touch your heart and make your mind ponder. It will manage to make you laugh and cry. I'd recommend it if you like reads that are emotionally driven.

It was really well written with tons of emotions. It makes you feel as if you're on the journey with the characters. People who enjoy emotional reads will enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Hogan has created a novel of a grieving mother who, after years of just existing, is ready to live again. Also is the story of a single mother who is dealing with cancer. The two storylines intertwine for the conclusion. Interesting and eccentric characters who are part of Masha’s life. Very witty dialogue. Deals with some tough and sad issues but it is woven in with humor. Very well written.

I received an Advanced Review Copy of The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan from the publisher Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: This is the story of a woman who lost her son twelve years ago and hasn’t been able to move on, she blames herself for the death and has lost the joy of life. This is the story of how she makes two new friends who encourage her to find the joy in life. At the same time, we occasionally check in on a secondary character, Alice, whose whole life revolves around her son.

What I Loved: I love some of the characters, they are so cheerful but still realistic. The character of Sally Red Shoes and Kitty Muriel are my favorite, living their best lives despite the fact that they have faced tragedies. The characters are well developed. I also loved watching Masha work to overcome her grief.

What I didn’t like so much: I was looking for pure up-lit and this book has elements of up-lit but there were portions that were super depressing and their were plot points that didn’t quite add-up and seemed far-fetched. I also was not a fan of the ending, it was abrupt and we didn’t get any information on the fall-out.

Who Should Read It: People looking for a story about overcoming grief and seeing the role grief can play in people’s lives. People who are okay with plot-lines that might be a bit far fetched.

General Summary: A story of the impacts of grief on our lives and how it can truly pause our lives.

This book was outside of my usual sphere, but an interesting, thought-provoking approach to a dark subject. Telling the tale from various points of view was an interesting approach in this fast-paced story.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book. I'm usually a reader who loves thrillers and horror...but as I have gotten older I have been broadening my reading horizons. This book is very sad at times and made me tear up a few times. Over all this was a wonderful book that I feel could resonate with many different people and I would recommend it to people who I think would enjoy something like this.

The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan is about a woman who befriends a homeless woman named Sally. Sally is talkative and gives advice.
This is a good book, but it's so sad. It's about love and tremendous loss. The loss of a child. The child was her only reason for living. It's unbelievably sad.

Fantastic read from a talented author. Thank you to the author and publisher for a chance to read and review.

I enjoyed this book. The characters and story are wonderful and entertaining. I really enjoyed how the characters met and their lives were intertwined

The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes was a wonderful and heartbreaking story! I enjoyed it so much! It made me laugh and cry. The story is told by two POV, Masha and Alice. We learn that Masha has suffered a terrible loss and after years have passed since it happened we can still see that she is suffering. At the same time we learn about Alice who is living a good life with her son, but as the story unfolds life begins to play a hand in changing it. I liked that with each chapter I read I learned more about each one and how those around them played an important role in their lives. Sally of the red shoes was a delightful character and played an important part in Masha's life.
I highly recommend this book!! Be prepared to get emotional, but it is very well worth it.

This was my first read by Ruth Hogan and won't be my last! It made me laugh, made me cry and made me think. What more could you ask for? I enjoyed the characters and didn't want the story to end!

This is the story of two women living difficult lives resulting from past events. Masha’s son disappeared when he was a toddler and believed to have drowned. She spends her life visiting the local Victorian cemetery, hoping for the existence of heaven for her son. She daily encounters a gruff woman who feeds the crows and dubs her “Sally Red Shoes.” Grief is Masha’s constant companion.
Alice lives to protect her teen son, to his extreme dismay and irritation. She longs to go back to the days when she was the only person in his life.
There is so much between the pages of Masha’s transformation and Alice’s search for atonement.
It’s a slow read but worthwhile and touching.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ANOTHER GREAT BOOK! When I say that 2019 has been an amazing year for books, I am not exaggerating. I have been able to read so many books because every one of them is so darn good and I cannot stop reading. I have never read so much or stayed up so late with a book in my hands.

You will adore The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan. And just look at the beautiful cover.

Life has a habit of throwing you a curve ball every once in a while, and there’s nothing you can do about that, but you can always choose how you deal with it. You can lie down and roll over, or you can stand up and fight. But you don’t need do it on your own: there are people who can help. All you need is the wisdom and courage to let them.

Masha is drowning. Once a spirited, independent woman with a rebellious streak, her life has been forever changed by a tragic event twelve years ago. Unable to let go of her grief, she finds solace in the silent company of the souls of her local Victorian cemetery and at the town’s lido, where she seeks refuge underwater – safe from the noise and the pain.

But a chance encounter with two extraordinary women – the fabulous and wise Kitty Muriel, a convent girl-turned-magician’s wife-turned-seventy-something-roller-disco-fanatic, and the mysterious Sally Red Shoes, a bag lady with a prodigious voice – opens up a new world of possibilities, and the chance to start living again.

Until the fateful day when the past comes roaring back.

Though the subject matter is heavy, the writing is not. It’s beautifully written with quirky characters and a little bit of dark humor.

Due out May 3.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had several twists I didn't see coming and the end of the book was a shock. Three very different women become friends and learn more about themselves as they get closer. Masha's life changed 12 years ago and she has been living in denial ever since. She goes every day to the local pool and tries to drown herself. Kitty's life changes when meets Sally red shoes. It takes time before she learns much about Sally's life but Kitty befriends the crazy lady from the cemetery that feeds the crows. This is a sad dark story about how some people handle grief and life. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4.5 Stars

This story begins with an older woman in a graveyard, who “throws open her arms and exhales with a perfect top C,” a note that soars past the headstones through the graveyard, down the hill, who no one else hears except the creatures in the trees or those scampering about gathering acorns. She’s momentarily lost in memories of another day, another year, a moment when she was wearing a fine silk gown almost the same shade as the dilapidated red shoes she wears now, along with her tattered tweed coat.

Masha is a woman who has suffered a great loss, and holds onto her grief as if she feels it is a way of proving her love is still strong, that she hasn’t forgotten the tragedy of her life. She prefers the company of those who reside in the cemetery, takes solace in the preservation of the memories that abound on each headstone, the flowers which are left as a token gesture to show they have not been forgotten. The only other love she has in her life is given to Haizum (named for the heavenly horse of the archangel Gabriel in Islamic tradition), her wolfhound who has guided her through years of despair. If not in the graveyard, she can usually be found under water at the Lido, holding her breath and appreciating the silence found there. And yet, while she still has a way to go before she can allow true moments of happiness into her life, there are moments that show her belief that there may be something life still has to offer her, perhaps even love.

Through her friendships with Kitty Muriel, as well as with Sally Red Shoes, among other friends, she finds a way to begin healing, and perhaps even to give herself permission for the possibility of more.

There’s a charm to this story, despite the theme of grief and loss, Ruth Hogan has once again managed to weave enough of her charm through this story to keep it from being overly dark, while at the same time allowing us to feel the all encompassing grief that has kept Masha from moving on for so many years. As well as to share in the joy she allows herself, with the help of Kitty and Sally Red Shoes, to experience as well.



Pub Date: 11 Jun 2019

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Crooked Lane Books

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novel about finding happiness after tragedy. I loved the message and that fact that it allowed people to grieve without judgement. The ending was shocking and very satisfying.