In Her Shoes

Everyone knows this title because it's been made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley Maclaine. I've not seen the movie, which I intend to remedy one way or the other.[return][return]Rose Feller is a successful lawyer - 30 years old, a bit on the frumpy side and quite proper. She wishes that her sister Maggie would find herself a nice guy for once and get a steady job.[return][return]Maggie is drop dead gorgeous and irresponsible. She wishes that Rose would mind her own business. She also has a learning disability which might explain her inability to keep a job and use what she has to get what she wants.[return][return]They share very little in common except a childhood tragedy and the same shoe size.[return][return]After the Fellers are forced to live together, Maggie proceeds to turn her sister's life upside down; making her laugh, sharing some nice sister moments, stealing her money, her shoes and eventually, Jim - the man Rose is working so hard to maintain a relationship with. Rose walks in on them and throws them both out of her apartment.[return][return]Rose wallows in her misery and finally take an indefinate leave of absence from work (and from Jim). For once in her life, she follows her impulses and does something difference, gaining a change in outlook.[return][return]Maggie stows away in a university, sneaking into classes and slowly teaching herself how to read. The reckless girl, guilty over upsetting her sister and knowing that she won't be forgiven so easily, gradually grew a conscience and a few responsible bones in her body.[return][return]An enstranged and very guilty grandmother enters the picture, with her side of the story to the childhood tragedy. [return][return]The book synopsis suggests that there are only two main characters but grandmother Ella also plays a a main part. Their stories start out separately, but by the end of the book, it all comes together.[return][return]Good ‘chick lit' is hard to find, but one of the main reasons why I like Jennifer Weiner is because her characters are not limited to unbelievably gorgeous girls with the vital statistics of a toothpick. Neither are they about fat girls who miraculously lost all their weight and found happiness in the end (boy, that sends a wonderful message, doesn't it?)[return][return]At the end of the day, I'm fond of books that places me in serious danger of losing my page when I roll over laughing, and “In Her Shoes” is one of them.[return]return