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The Shoe Queen | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: Pocket Books
Category: EBooks
List Price: $11.99
Buy New: $9.59
You Save: $2.40 (20%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 32393
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
ASIN: B000RG1O84
Publication Date: June 19, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
When English society beauty Genevieve Shelby King spots the most exquisite lace slippers on the feet of her archrival, she covets a pair of her own. But the exclusive designer, Paolo Zachari, denies her request -- and no amount of money from her wealthy American husband will change his mind. Soon Genevieve's desire for a pair of unobtainable shoes develops into an obsession with their elusive creator -- threatening her marriage. Zachari awakens her to a passion beyond anything she has ever known, forcing her to confront the emptiness of her elaborately designed life and a secret buried deep in her past.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 The type of book I hate to hate July 2, 2008
The Shoe Queen is a beautifully written book set in 1920's Paris. The author is a master of word craft. Oddly enough, what I liked most about the book was the structure. I don't usually even notice structure, but it was so well done (mixing the present/past/pov's) that I often couldn't wait to find out where/who/when I would be next. (The chapter that ended with Robert opening the hotel room door and the chapter that started with what he found was absolutely and completely brilliant. I laughed out loud. And it wasn't because of the story. It was how the author wrote it.)
The story is of a young, married girl who is trying to escape the physical and emotional control of her life and find meaning. I really, really wanted to love the story. I couldn't.
There wasn't a single character in the entire book that I liked. I kept hoping that the author would give me something, anything to make Genevieve likable. But even as I came to understand her history and the reasons for her behavior, all I felt was anger. How could anyone be that completely self-centered? I get that that was the point of the book. I just feel like I need to have some relationship or some stakes in the characters so that I care that they change and learn (little as it was).
At the end of the day, I'm not sure I'd really recommend this book. I spent the whole time hoping for something that wasn't there. And while I felt the ending fit the book, I was left disappointed because I just didn't care.
On a different note... I have never been so utterly aware of how ugly my feet are in my life. ~G.
Great Starter, Weak Finisher June 5, 2008
I purchased this book as I am a great fan of any work which takes place in Paris. As something of a Francophile, I thought it would be fun reading. There were some interesting tidbits with regard to Paris and we are provided some terrific descriptions of the city in the 20's.
Beginning with the first paragraph, the reader is drawn in to a terrific story. From the onset, one is aware that the seemingly idyllic marriage between Genevieve and Robert is terribly flawed and things are not what they seem. "Vivi" is making an effort to fill her empty life with two things, artistic people and shoes. The shoes seem to be the answer to all that is lacking in her life. She fancies herself as a poet, but in fact, she simply does not have the talent. Therefore she surrounds herself with people who make her feel creative; artists, poets, writers and entertainers, all of whom she looks down upon.
At the center of everything is the relationship she has with the shoe maker and her shoes. A replacement for children, close friends and family. She was raised in the lap of luxury, but tries to live a bohemian lifestyle. For her, it does not work.
While the story remains a "pager turner" throughout most of the book, sadly, with about 20 pages to go, it simply becomes tired. I was not tired of the story, but it seems as though the author suddenly became bored with her own work. The story and writing become sloppy and the very descriptive beginning is forgotten at the end with a rush to the finish. The ending is weak and not well thought out, if not a bit disappointing. I would love to see this book with an ending which follows the rest of the story, rather than an ending which appears to be an afterthought.
 LOVED IT! April 21, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm a fashion student so I'm sucker for anything Paris related. I'm also fasinated by the 20's so this book peeked my interest from the beginning! And, okay the cover is pretty :) I wasn't expecting much but it drew me in instantly and I couldn't put it down until I finished! It turned out to be more than book about a women who loves shoes. It's also about love, lies, betrayal, and all that other good stuff! The descriptions of Paris (and most importantly the shoes!) are amazing. However parts of the book have a lot of hard to pronounce French words that make it hard for non-french speakers to imagine when you don't even know what they mean. Other than that, for the rest of the book you can easily imagine yourself in Paris along side Genevive, going to all the lavish parties, and wearing your own pair of Paolo Zacharis! ... Or at least you wish you were :) Great book!
 The Shoe Queen February 24, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
When I read this book, it kept making me irritated. By the time I was 3/4 done with the book, I thought I was going to throw it in my fireplace! It was awful. Definitely not my style... But the delivery of the product was fast and the book was in great shape!
 A New Edna? September 6, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I admit, I picked up this books because I could not resist the title. In reading this I could not help but relate the main female lead to Emma Bovary and Edna Pontellier. The yearning to somehow be more, to experience love, passion and to be more than just a wife or daughter is there. Also present is the cruelty that comes from that self involvement and the initial step to have the protection of acceptance from society in the form of a marriage.
The descriptions of 1920s Paris are wonderful. The inclusion of the many literary characters of that time just added to the lore and elicited a type of sympathy for Genevieve while at the same time a sort of hatred for her lack of strength in the beginning. The author deftly shows the vunerable side of the heroine with the childhood Mary-Janes and the pointed critism about her love poems lacking the ring of authenticity because she had never known love. Small details that reveal much.
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