Hello All,
I don’t think Elizabeth and I will make bookclub tonight, as we’ll be too tired after moving a lot of our house back into place after the painters have all but finished, and then going to our birth centre appointment.
So, I give The Red Shoe 3 stars. It was an enjoyable read – with the sisters being reasonably well drawn characters. It was also an effective way to introduce serious topics of that time to young readers through the impact it had on the family, such as polio, the Petrovs, the after-effects of war on soldiers. I also liked the family dramas to keep you interested - the father’s attempted suicide, the revelation about Uncle Paul, the snail hotel. I especially liked how the author demonstrated the notion that you can try and keep important things from children (the father’s attempted suicide) but they often find out and the secrecy may mean the children suffer anyway.
The next round is an “end of round”. One idea might be to choose one of the shortlisted Booker nominees.
See you all after the baby has arrived.
Jackie
elissa
theemc2
