In Her Shoes

Starred review from August 26, 2002
Weiner, whose debut novel Good in Bed
was an instant bestseller, is back with another exuberantly confident offering. Twenty-eight-year-old Maggie Fuller relies on her looks and size zero body to flirt her way through life while working dozens of dead-end jobs and dreaming of stardom. At the other end of the spectrum is her older, larger sister, Rose, who relies on her intelligence and is an accomplished attorney at a large Philadelphia firm. The only things that these two seem to have in common is their shared history, a loathing for their "stepmonster," Sydelle, size six feet and a passion for luxurious shoes. When Maggie is evicted from her apartment and loses yet another job, Rose takes her in and tries to endure her closet raids and endless insults. But her patience abruptly ends when Maggie crosses a line so sacred that Rose kicks Maggie out and all but terminates their relationship ("Her sister was like a fucking Weebel, thought. She'd wobble, she'd screw up, she'd steal your shoes... but she'd absolutely never fall down"). The sisters go on with their lives and Maggie discovers that she has a brain and a will to learn, while Rose learns to loosen up a bit and finds that there is more to life than work. The two sisters also get to know their maternal grandmother, Ella Hirsch, who they haven't seen since their mother's funeral more than 20 years ago. With Ella's love and support, Maggie reaches out to Rose and the two begin to repair their relationship. In the end, these three remarkable women learn that they are stronger than they thought they were, that family ties are worth preserving, and that there are perks to sharing the same shoe size. Weiner, a marvelously natural storyteller, blends humor and heartbreak to create an irresistible novel. Agent, Joanna Pulcini.(Oct.)Forecast:This sweet sophomore effort should land Weiner on bestseller lists again—she more than proves that she has staying power. Note to fans: Cannie Shapiro, heroine of
Good in Bed , makes a cameo appearance. Fourteen-city author tour.

September 1, 2002
Weiner follows the successful Good in Bed with a wonderful contemporary fairy tale. (Yes, there is a wicked stepmother.) Meet plump, dependable Rose Feller and her gorgeous, out-of-control sister, Maggie. As children, they lost their mother and contact with grandmother Ella. Now, 20 years later, we follow their struggles to forgive the past, reclaim each other's love, and become their best selves. Within a year and a half, all three women, who seemed only to share a shoe size, possess more than they ever dreamed possible. Reworking the age-old theme that self-knowledge and acceptance are needed before love and happiness can be achieved, Weiner embroiders serious matters with threads of humor to produce a novel full of memorable characters and situations. (Every family should have a Mrs. Lefkowitz.) Here's a novel that satisfies on many levels. For most popular fiction collections.-Rebecca Sturm Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2002
Weiner follows up " Good in Bed" (2001) with this engaging tale of two very different sisters and the grandmother they've been estranged from since their mother's death. Rose Feller is a successful lawyer whose life finally seems to be going right, until her feckless younger sister, Maggie, gets evicted from her apartment and needs a place to stay. Rose reluctantly lets Maggie move in with her. It's a mistake: Maggie steals Rose's shoes, halfheartedly looks for a job, and soon sets her sights on Rose's handsome new boyfriend. While the two sisters' relationship grows more strained, their grandmother, Ella, is trying to get up the nerve to seek them out. After the girls' mother--Ella's daughter, Caroline--died, her husband shut Ella out of their lives. When one of her granddaughters, who is in desperate need of help, contacts her suddenly, Ella sees a chance to finally get to know the girls. But can the rift between Rose and Maggie ever be healed? Weiner's second novel is every bit as enjoyable and moving as her first.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)