The Lovely Shoes

by Susan Richards Shreve

Can the right pair of shoes make "anyone" feel beautiful?

Franny is constantly embarrassed by two things in her life. One is her right foot, which curls in from a birth defect, so she has to wear ugly, heavy orthopedic shoes. And the other is her mother Margaret: beautiful, extravagant, flamboyant -- "mortifying", in their small Ohio town.

Franny's first school dance is a disaster, so Margaret announces her latest crazy plan: They will travel to Italy to meet Salvatore Ferragamo, who will sculpt a pair of slippers especially for Franny. The idea is outrageous. The trip is expensive.

And the experience changes Franny's life forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Family, Young Adult, School, High School, Childrens, Historical

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2011

About the author

Also know as Susan Shreve. Received the following awards: Jenny Moore Award, George Washington University, 1978; Notable Book citation, American Library Association (ALA), 1979, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Best Book for Young Adults citation, ALA, 1980, for The Masquerade; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for Social Studies and the Children's Book Council joint committee, 1980, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Guggenheim award in fiction, 1980; National Endowment for the Arts fiction award, 1982; Edgar Allan Poe Award, Mystery Writers of America, 1988, for Lucy Forever and Miss Rosetree, Shrinks; Woodrow Wilson fellowships, West Virginia Wesleyan, 1994, and Bates College, 1997; Lila Wallace Readers Digest Foundation grant.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just found out I won this from Goodreads. This is a YA book, which the inside title page says is aimed at ages 9-12 (grades 4-7). I would have to say that I disagree on the age recommendation. I would recommend this for middle schoolers and up (grades 6+). It was a good story, based on situations from the author's childhood. "The Lovely Shoes" is the story of 15 year old Francine, who is born with a birth defect causing her left foot to be deformed. This book takes place in the 1950's and is a bit of a coming-of-age story, with Francine starting high school and wishing she were like everyone else instead of being "crippled" or a "gimp" (as she is called in the book). In the book, Francine eventually visits Italy with her mother where famous shoemaker Senor Ferragamo makes her a special device so that she can wear normal shoes (rather than orthopedic ones) and be just like everyone else. I enjoyed the story and liked that it was set in the 1950's. There were a few details that made me disagree on the age recommendation, namely the mention of "kissing games" being played at school dances and the teen girls discussing how they wanted to be "defiled" (as the book put it) and have sex with boys. Small parts in the book, but enough to make me not want to give this to my elementary aged daughter to read! Also, the main character gets her first kiss from a boy, goes to dances with boys, etc... Mostly innocuous stuff, but not appropriate for an elementary aged child. The subject matter is a little too mature for a nine or ten year old, in my opinion. I would recommend this for teens, as that seems to be the real audience for this book, and it is a cute story.

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review via Cracking the Cover
Every once in a while you come across a book you want to keep on a special shelf with all the others you reread time and again. “The Lovely Shoes” by Susan Shreve is one such book.

Franny Hall is different. So is her mother, but for another reason.

Franny was born with a birth defect; her right foot is small and curled making her, as the people of the time called it, crippled. Franny’s right leg is also shorter than the left, and she has to wear a lift in her shoe to make walking somewhat even. Her heavy orthopedic shoes are ugly and hardly a fashion statement.

Margaret Hall is beautiful and foreign. Her outlook on the world is distinctive and varies greatly from that of the other residents in their small Ohio town. Margaret wears pants, while most women wear dresses. She deliberately dyes a white stripe in her hair while others try to cover theirs up.

Mother and daughter both stand out and neither one likes the reasons behind the other’s recognition.

Like a mother should, Margaret loves her daughter and wants her to be seen for accomplishments rather than her physical disability. So when a school dance comes around, she devises a plan involving silver shoes and toilet paper — disaster ensues.

It’s then that Franny decides to stop playing nice, to not be agreeable all the time. Everyone notices the change. And many miss the old Franny and want her back, but Margaret lets Franny work things out on her own, with a little help on the side.

Margaret has a plan. She’s read about Salvatore Ferragamo, a famous shoe designer to the stars who lives in Italy. Surely he can craft a perfect pair of shoes for Franny. It’s an expensive proposition, traveling to Italy for a consultation. And it may not work. But what if it does?

“The Lovely Shoes” is magical. It contains no vampires or werewolves in it. Nor are there dragons or wizards or princesses. There are no gimmicks or bells and whistles. Instead, author Susan Shreve relies on her talent as a storyteller and lets her work speak for itself. The result is a classic feel reminiscent of the books that my mother recommended to me as a young woman.

Shreve’s writing has an honesty to it that rings true to the reader. And though her story is set more than 50 years ago, her voice is accessible and completely relatable to young women of our time.

[Esther LeeAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franny has always been bothered by a birth defect that has left her with a small left foot, a left leg thinner and shorter than her right, a limp, and ugly orthopedic shoes. She is insecure and feels the need to compensate by always giving gifts and being agreeable. Then she hits adolescence and high school and nothing is the same. In 1950's Ohio, there aren't many options, so Franny's glamorous mother decides to take her daughter to Italy to see a famous shoe maker who has foot troubles of his own. It is partially the trip and partially the shoes (and partially a handsome Italian boy!), but Franny learns to be confident in herself for who she is.

The cool part about the book is that it is loosely based on the author's experience. Susan Shreve had polio as a child and ended up wearing ugly orthopedic shoes. Her mother, like Franny's, was the one to suggest a solution. This is an interesting story, and the experience and circumstances are fairly unique to children's literature.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so good!
Try it, it will be worth the read!

[•°× Ash ×°• · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet 💗

I really didn't think this one would have a higher rating, but I actually really liked this!!

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Francine Hall was born with a birth defect that affects her feet, but she still has a fairly nice life. That is until the Valentine's Dance at school. After a humiliating accident with her orthopedic shoes, she insists upon staying in her room for the rest of her life. But then her Mother comes up with the idea to contact the famous shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo and ask him to make Franny a special pair of shoes. His answer comes as a surprise and Franny and her mother are soon on their way to Italy in a trip that will change Franny forever.

This book was tedious for me to read. There's really no other way to say it. It has an adorable premise and a very pretty cover, but inside it required a lot of work to get through it. Perhaps the biggest problem was that Franny was hardly a sympathetic character. I got the impression she enjoyed feeling like no one liked her. It was hard to believe that a short trip to Italy left enough time to have such life-changing appeal to it. The mom was the only real redeeming piece of this book, as she wanted nothing more that to see her daughter happy. I appreciated how Franny's mom was very much a part of her life but also left Franny to her own decisions and growth. The story has a sweet and tidy ending, but I am not sure the YA audience is going to be interested in reading this book just because it has a cool mom in it.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will start out letting everyone know that I won this book on Good Reads and am writing this review without being swayed by anyone. The Lovely Shoes is a partially autobiographical YA novel. The main character is Franny who is a 9th grade girl born with deformed feet. Franny is of course very self conscious about her feet and hates having to wear her orthopedic shoes. Her Mother who knows what it is to stand out in a different way, as she is Danish but now lives in a small mid-western town, does all she can to build up Franny's self confidence. One day her Mom, while reading vogue reads about Salvatore Feragamo and the work he is doing with shoes. She decides to write a letter about her daughter and surprising enough, he writes back. He offers to make shoes that Franny will now be proud of. Franny and her Mom travel to Italy and while there Franny not only gets fitted for these "lovely" shoes but she also learns so much more about life. A terrific Young Adult novel and a quick feel good read for adults too.

[Agnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a first-read Goodreads book I won and when I received it and read the inside of the cover page it was classified as "middle-school fiction". While I am into fiction, I am prone to pick up books of mystery fiction, not middle-school. But then I did win it and felt I owed the author a review. So I sat down, read it in a few days and............loved it.

It's a love story about Franny who has a crippled leg and is entering high school with such a low self esteem because of her leg. Children of all ages are cruel and Franny suffers because of it.....but....her mother is this amazing woman who I feel loves her daughter so much, that she writes to Signor Ferragamo - regarding making shoes for her daughter....and when invited to go to Italy, this becomes a story that changes the life of Franny...turning her into a self confident young lady. The story is based in part on a true story of the author, Susan Shreve....Well worth reading..

[Rene Glendening · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from the Goodreads book giveaways. I didn't know that it was necessarily a young adult novel but that has never stopped me before! It was a charming story about a little girl who is disfigured from birth and as a result walks with a limp and must wear orthopedic shoes. She has a humiliating experience at a school dance and locks herself in her room for 8 days. Her ever supporting Mom convinces her to take a trip to Italy to meet a famous shoe maker that will no doubt make a beautiful pair of shoes for the self-conscious young girl. The book was based on some true events experienced by the author. It is a great story but I find it hard to agree with the suggested reading audience of ages 9-12. I have a 10 year old niece and I would not recommend she read this book until maybe 12 at the youngest. There is a lot of kissing and boyfriend/girlfriend, smoking, drinking and sex related topics.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Try as she might, ninth grader Franny Hall is all-too conscious of her left leg, her left foot, and her limp. When a dance ends in disaster--the tissue paper stuffed in shoe to cushion the smaller foot slips out while she is dancing--Franny retreats to her room. Her mother comes up with the crazy idea to write an Italian shoe designer for help in crafting stylish shoes for Franny.

While I liked a lot of things about Franny, I found her somewhat histrionic and her parents, especially her mother, too indulgent of her whims. When she decides to quit being the nice girl everyone around her seems to expect, some of her behavior rings discordantly. The trip to Italy that changes her life is quite short, and some of the changes in her way of thinking and behaving, while to be applauded, seem to have occurred too swiftly to be believed. Still, I liked this book where life is about having the right shoes, yes, but more importantly, about having the right attitude and knowing yourself.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Franny is a young teen girl, going through life determined to be upbeat, friendly and cheerful, despite having to wear heavy built-up shoes to correct her tiny, curled up foot. She is dreading high school, and sure enough, suffers an embarrassing incident that makes her determined to no longer be the good, nice girl any more. Her beautiful, unconventional mother hatches a plot involving a trip to Italy and a meeting with shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo to change Franny's mind.

This was in the children's section of the library I work in, and the publisher's information suggests it's suitable for children up to 12 years. But this is a teenage novel - it's about Franny coming of age, making her own choices, and also features typical teen talk about how is kissing how, some mention of sex and being "defiled" (it's set in the 1950s).

It's not a fast read, but a gentle meander through changes in a teen's life.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet book. It was a nice change from the heavy, dark contemporty YA I have been reading. Franny has a deformed foot, result of a birth defect. As a result, she walks with a limp and has to wear ugly orthopedic shoes. In the 1950's, the setting of this story, she is considered a cripple.This becomes a problem as she reaches high school and is more self-concious, particularly when the first dance comes up and she really wants to go. Stuffing toilet paper in the toe seemed like a good idea when her mom came up with it, but not so much when the toilet paper spills out while she is slow dancing with her crush. Mom comes up with a new brilliant plan - one that involves a trip to Italy and a visit with a famous shoe designer. I really enjoyed the notes bouncing back and forth between Franny and her "Former Mother."

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is set in Ohio during the 1950s. Francine, a ninth-grade girl, struggles to accept herself as she was born with a deformed leg and feet. She has to wear orthopedic shoes, even to school dances. Francine's mother is determined that Francine will be able to do all the social things other girls Francine's age do, and they go to a special shoemaker in Italy to have Francine's shoes made.

I liked this story because the feelings Francine experiences--ugliness, uncertainty, longing, etc.-- are very much what young teen girls go through. I even chuckled at the way Franny fights with her family after the toilet paper incident, locking herself in her room and writing notes to her little brother which are actually intended for her parents.

I also really enjoyed learning that the author drew from her own real-life experiences dealing with the effects of polio.

[MARCIA · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice story about a young teen trying to fit in and be normal....which is quite difficult since she was born with one defective foot. As she struggles to find herself, and her place in her world, memories flood back to me of my own teen years and how difficult it was to fit in if you were not one of the pretty, smart, rich or otherwise perfect teens in the school. It is only after a wonderful adventure to Italy that she realizes that she is beautiful if only she looks beyond her foot.

I look forward to sharing this book with my 12 year old niece this summer when she comes for her visit.

[Nordic21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

not much to say... it was a very heart warming story. The book is about a young girl, Fanny, growing up in the 50 or 60's. She is a crippled as they called it then. Her one foot is difigurred and the leg on that side is skiinier than the other. When franny goes to highschool she becomes very selfconcious. Her mother, whom she is very very close to, does not want her daughter to have to 'suffer' or feel unconfortable around others, so she comes up with a plan...to get a pair of lovely shoes for her lovely daughter.

[Danie P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

1955: Franny is embarrassed at the eighth grade dance by a rogue piece of toilet paper that has stuck to the silver shoes her mother had made her wear. Shoes that didn't fit her because of her birth defect-curled toes.

Franny withdraws into herself and locks herself in her room for several days. Her mother hatches a plan to have Salvatore Ferragamo, cobbler to the stars make Franny a pair of lovely shoes. They only have to figure out how to get to Italy and meet him.

[ducky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give it a 1.5 star if i could... Idk what culture you have in your country but in my country (at least in my home) you don't disrespect your parents like that. Just because of one humiliating moment she: 1.) "divorced" herself from her parents. 2.) blames her parents for trying to help her out 3.) locks herself in her room and DOES NOT go to school 4.) shuts everyone out 5.) finally acts like an immature b!tch

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this through First Reads. My review is based on the uncorrected proof. I would give The Lovely Shoes 3 1/2-4 stars. I liked the development of Franny, the main character. Although the story takes place in the 50s, I think that most adolescents could probably relate to Franny's feelings and experiences.

[Shazzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the real life origins of the tale, a lot of this story just didn't ring true to me. The dialogue was often stilted, and the characters a little one note. It does read fairly easily, however, and the fantasy of going to Europe and having special attention shown to oneself is one to which lots of readers can relate.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find it as captivating as I would've liked but I did like the author's note at the end that told that parts of the story were based on the author's life, which I thought gave the story character.

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was OK. I didn't like that she had to be fixed to be accepted. Not everything can be fixed. When something can be fixed, not everyone has the money to be fixed. She was a brat to her mother! I think the author didn't do a good job making a likeable character.

[Monique · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disgusted. I did not like Franny, I did not like her mother, didn't like her friends, didn't like the boys, didn't like the thoughts. I did not like this book at all.

Connecting with Franny was impossible to me. I didn't even finish this frustrating book.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so enticing until the very end. I hope that it will have a sequel even with a super cheesy ending. It is one of the few books that can make my heart soar for more. Absolutely loved it! :D

[Nicole Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story about a little girl growing up. There were many times that my heart hurt for the hard lessons that we all must learn in life and how painful they seem especially when we are young.

[Madison Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was was a little confusing. At times it wasn't clear of what it was saying. For example in the beginning of the book when an 8th grader got kissed then Franny fell.... It just was not going together, that part made no sense.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on autobiographical experiences. The changes this girl makes seem to happen too fast, but are a good picture of the natural "growing up" emotions.

[Katie Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, but not anything mind-blowing. It is kind of fun to read a book set in the recent past (1950s) every now and then.

[Lianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked that her mom really wanted to see her happy. This book kind of dragged on.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book about a girl who has a deformed foot and the things she experiences at school from her classmates and how she is able to overcome her insecurities about her deformity.