Shoe Addicts Anonymous: Beth Harbison
This was another book for the book club I am in. I didn't contribute to the discussion very much online, primarily because I was traveling in Alaska while I was reading, but over all I think most of us did enjoy the book.. I know that I did enjoy the book.
The story focuses on 4 women. Helen, the politicians wife who seems to be living the good life, but trying to forget her past and struggling to figure out if the good life really worth what she has lost to have it. The one thing she hangs onto is that buying shoes always makes her feel better, but her husband just cut off her credit. Lorna is in debt and has finally reached a point where she has to admit that it is a problem and do something about it. The problem is that buying shoes and spending money on shoes is the only thing that really keeps her going. Sandra is battling agoraphobia, works as a phone sex operator to pay the bills and shoes are what she goes to since they always fit no matter what size she is. All these women happen to be the same shoe size and that is what brings them all together. Rounding out the group is Jocelyn a nanny with a boss from hell. Jocelyn hides the fact that her feet are smaller from the other women since she needs the escape the group provides.
The women are all brought together by Lorna who starts the group to bring women together for shoe trading since she can't afford to buy shoes, but wants the thrill of new shoes. Shoes bring them together but friendship keeps them there. The ladies support each other, through cheating husbands/divorce, new relationships, new jobs, and just new perspectives on life.
I did enjoy reading how all of these women came together to support each other. Parts of the book are a bit cliche, but there are so many cliches that at times you just have to realize it is a book so cliche can happen and does. I would recommend this book to a friend, but it is not the next classic or anything like that.
E