Lorna's so deep in debt her power's been cut off, but the Bruno Magli sling backs she just bought are worth it. Helene sublimates the pain of an unhappy marriage to a prominent politician by buying Jimmy Choos. Sandra, obese and agoraphobic, can't compete with the sister her parents prefer over her - pretty, blonde and favoured - but her work as a phone sex operator keeps her in Pliner boots. Nanny Joss doesn't really care about shoes, but she needs a reason to escape her employer's house every week or she'll never get a proper day off. For all of them, Shoe Addicts Anonymous is a place to escape, swap gorgeous shoes, meet with like minds, and maybe even change their lives.
This frothy bit of escapism was fun even for someone as non-shoe obsessed as me. I don't get the idea of letting your bills mount into the red when you've already got dozens of perfectly good shoes in the cupboard, but I've run up my share of book- and DVD-related credit debt, so I can relate. The characters are all engaging, adequately differentiated, and have understandable motivations. While there are some shades of The Nanny Diaries in the Joss sections, Shoe Addicts Anonymous otherwise avoids territory well trodden by other best-sellers.
I found the ending a little too neat, with neatly ribboned happy ever afters for everyone, but other than that this was a perfect piece of holiday reading. - Alex
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