The Red Shoe

Ursula Dubosarsky

Allen & Unwin

April 2006 $19.95

183p pb

ISBN: 1-74114-285-7

Set in 1954, The Red Shoe looks at the story of three sisters and their views on the world around them. Ursula Dubosarsky uses newspaper articles to help the reader understand what is happening in the world around the main characters with the out breaks of polio and the Petrov affair.

The novel begins with Matilda, aged six, waiting for her older sister Frances, aged eleven, to wake up and read to her. The fairytale, The Red Shoes begins the book well. The relationship between the two sisters is shown as they sit together with the book between them. The way Matilda’s mind works is illustrated well in this first section of the book, like all six year olds, she has an amazing imagination that continues to develop as the story continues.

The story continues with the introduction of the older sister Elizabeth, aged fifteen, who has recently suffered a nervous breakdown and given up school. Their mother, father and Uncle Paul are incorporated into the story. Each of these adults plays a different role in the girls’ lives.

Then there is Floreal 22, an Argonaut from the radio that appears to play the opposite to a little girls invisible friend; he is not an encouraging voice but a mocking voice heard only by Matilda. Floreal’s comments in Matilda’s head give clues to some of the darker things happening as the novel progresses.

The newspaper articles are integrated into the story by the fact that Elizabeth spends her days reading newspapers since her nervous breakdown. The newspaper articles become more frequent as the story continues, along with the mystery of the neighbours in the big yellow house, and what happened on that day at the Basin.

I enjoyed this book. I originally thought that it was for younger readers because of its appearance and its size, but I found the concepts in it would have been way over the heads of young readers as I went further into the story. The Petrov Affair and polio are sub-plots that would require knowledge in Australian history. It is well written making it an easy and quick read. I’d say that people in their early teens onwards would both understand and enjoy this book. 10 out of 10!!!

Carmel, aged 17, Canberra, Australia

The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky is a phenomenal story that leaves the reader guessing as to how it will end even as the last page is turned.

The Red Shoe is about three sisters and their family living in Australia in the 1950’s who live a simple life. Matilda, her two sisters and her mother are constantly thinking about memorable family moments and praying that their father will return home once again.

One of the memorable family trips that Matilda would often remember was their trip to the Basin. The family had a wonderful day however Matilda remembers one particular down side to the trip. After the family lunch, Matilda put on her mother’s favourite red shoes and went for a walk. On this walk, she lost one of her mother’s red shoes. To her surprise her mother did not show any concern. She was preoccupied with a horrible incident that had occurred that day, yet was not spoken about.

As the long nights passed, there was still no word from the missing father. The dreaded question ran through their mind - will their father ever come home again?

The Red Shoe was uniquely written, with newspaper articles between the chapters about the Petrov affair and other relevant matters at the time. I thought this was a very effective way of telling different aspects of the story and made it more enjoyable to read.

I would definitely recommend this book to other readers as it truly is a fantastic book!

Tanja, aged 14, Canberra, Australia

Set in the 1950s near Palm Beach, Sydney, The Red Shoe is a beautifully written story of six year old Matilda and her two sisters. For me, the beauty of this book is in its subtly – there is a powerful sense that there is much more to events in this family’s life than we are told. Our only window into their lives is through the eyes of a six year old child and it’s hard to shake off the tantalising feeling that there is much that she is unaware of, particularly in the lives of her parents and uncle. I’m tempted to read it again to look for possible missed clues as to what is really going on with Matilda’s family.

I was particularly interested in the news reports from The Sydney Morning Herald which are interspersed throughout the book. Reports of major events of the time such as the scourge of polio, and the Petrov Affair provide a fascinating insight into the Australia of the 1950s and show how ordinary lives like Matilda’s can be touched by extraordinary events.

This book would suit more mature readers who enjoy a book written with intelligence and sensitivity. Maybe some readers will be frustrated by the lack of connection with fifty year old newspaper articles, but anyone with an interest in Australian history will find they want to know more about this fascinating decade.

Irene, Canberra, Australia

The Red Shoe is a book that was written for young adults (14 – 17) but would probably be enjoyed even more by older people. The story includes lots of newspaper headlines and references to historical events that happened in Australia in the 1950’s. Readers who were alive when these things happened would have a lot of interest in the book and it would bring back lots of memories.

The story is about a girl named Matilda who lives in Sydney and has two sisters. The story is very well written because it is interesting even though it doesn’t have lots of action or high drama. It is not at all like a soap opera or a blockbuster movie. The story talks about some serious issues like nervous breakdowns and polio (which is a crippling disease) and family worrying about each other. But it is not really depressing even though it makes you think. My teacher keeps on telling us not to give the story away when we write a review. There is not much chance of that happening this time because this is a story that is really about things that just seem normal.

I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read but I had to find out about lots of the things in the book (like Polio and the Petrov Affair). I read another book written by Ursula Dubosarsky titled The White Guinea-Pig. I thought that it was a better book for young people but they are both good.

Susan, aged 15, Canberra, Australia

Set in rural Sydney during the height of communist fear in the 1950s, this novel clearly demonstrates and explores the effects of political and social chaos on a small Australian family. Written from the perspective of three sisters, each with their own concerns and outlooks, this novel allows for an intimate and personal look at this family and this society as a whole, and Dubosarsky effectively captures this moment in time. Particularly the character of Matilda, the youngest sister at six years old, is well established and developed, as Dubosarsky is able to clearly convey a childish innocence combined with a six year old child’s understanding of the world around her. I was particularly intrigued by the use of Matilda’s imaginary friend, Floreal, who Matilda used as a childhood coping strategy as she separates herself from the negativity of family and social chaos and instead channels her anger through Floreal who made the observations and comments Matilda didn’t want to acknowledge. A particularly effective technique used is the newspaper extracts relating to polio, the Petrov Affair and other news of this time, allowing the uneducated reader to gain insight into the social climate of the 1950s. This novel would be suitable for all teenagers, yet older readers would probably appreciate the story in a more educated sense, yet it would definitely be an enjoyable and fascinating read for older and younger teenagers alike.

Elyse, aged 17, Melbourne, Australia