The wisdom of Sally red shoes (by Ruth Hogan)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve liked the somewhat quirky novels I’ve read by Ruth Hogan, so I put another one on my wishlist a few years ago. I was given ‘The wisdom of Sally red shoes’ for Christmas 2023 and it’s sat on my to-be-read shelf all this time. I finally picked it up to read a few days ago. 

It took me a while to get into the book, which is written in a series of very short sections - some of them just a couple of pages. It focuses mainly on three diverse women, and I found it a bit confusing at first. 

There’s an elderly, somewhat eccentric woman who sings in an amazing voice to the crows in a park. Then she feeds them with bread crusts. She wears red shoes, hence her nickname which gives the title to the book. We never really get to know her, though she’s the first one we meet; but she’s instrumental in change for others in the novel. 

The main character, whose sections are in the first person, is called Masha. We meet her when she’s under water at a swimming pool, apparently drowning herself. I found this rather disturbing, even though she survives, as we quickly learn that she goes through this process almost every day, somewhat obsessionally. Masha suffered a terrible tragedy over a decade ago, and she still blames herself. 

Then there’s Alice, a rather over-protective mother. We see her a few years earlier, greeting Mattie as he comes in from school and demolishes the cake she has made. Now Mattie is a teenager, with bouts of moodiness. He hangs around with some rather unpleasant boys from his school and wants a lot more freedom than Alice is willing to give…

Masha is intrigued by the red-shoed singer, and events transpire to make them meet. The elderly woman sometimes muddles her words; I’m guessing she suffered a stroke. But she also has some wise, helpful things to say. The other person who helps is a flamboyant woman in her seventies called Kitty Muriel.  

Masha’s closest friend is a gay man called Edward, who has been through many things with her. She has other friends too, although - as she comes to realise - they still somewhat walk on eggshells around her. She has caring parents, too, who have also been grieving. And her father can be very outspoken. 

It’s essentially a character-based book. Masha starts to take a look at herself and the way she affects others. She wonders if it’s time to start living positively again, including possibly having a new romantic relationship. And slowly she begins to find healing.  

The writing is good, evocative with some light-hearted moments to balance the very serious issues. There’s a tad too much description for my tastes, but I was able to skim those sections. My main problem with the book is that I never really managed to relate to any of the characters. Several of Masha’s friends and relatives seem to be very caricatured, and I couldn’t really believe in Sally red-shoes. 

I also guessed, early on, what was going to be the culmination of the novel. I did wonder if the clear clues were supposed to be red herrings to keep me guessing, but they weren’t. I didn’t know exactly how it would happen, or what the fine details were - and then, right at the end, there’s just a glimpse of what did transpire. 

I found it somewhat compulsive reading towards the end, and am glad I read it. But although it has warmth and poignancy, and a delightful dog, it’s not one I’m likely to read again.

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews