The Feller sisters are equal but opposite. Maggie is the good-looking, dyslexic little sister who knows how to get anything she wants--but not how to keep it. She "felt as if somewhere between the ages of fourteen and sixteen she'd walked off the edge of a cliff and had been falling ever since." Rose is the plump, practical, responsible older sister who knows about law but not much about her own happiness: "What did she like, besides shoes, and Jim, and foods that were bad for her?" When Maggie's latest eviction lands her in Rose's apartment, and Maggie insults Rose by seducing one of her sister's rare boyfriends, what follows is a chain of events by turns hilarious and heartbreaking. Embarrassed Rose evicts Maggie and begins a work sabbatical leading to a new livelihood and way of living. Maggie flees and runs away to Princeton. Masquerading as a student, she learns to love poetry and saves money for a trip to Miami--and a visit to a long-lost grandmother named Ella who might offer her a last shot at sanctuary. But In Her Shoes, the second novel from Good in Bed author Jennifer Weiner, is about more than the sisters' latest sibling rivalry; Maggie and Rose must sort out the childhood vulnerabilities and family mysteries that still linger two decades after their mother's death. In less capable hands, the plot might grow corny, but Weiner's humor and affection for the characters ultimately helps them transcend both neuroses and grief and learn the redemptive power of love. --Jane Hodges --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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, [Rose] 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.

Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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. Kristine Huntley

Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Weiner follows her sharp, funny debut (Good in Bed, 2001) with a look at the sometimes-chafing bonds of sisterhood. Ella Hirsch volunteers. Meals-on-Wheels, the local thrift store, books for the blind, even a weekly column for the Golden Acres Gazette, a weekly published by and for residents of her "retirement community for active seniors." But all the pet shelters in the world can't distract her from the pain of losing her daughter Caroline 20 years ago. Still worse, Caroline's husband, Michael Feller, refuses Ella all contact with her granddaughters, telling the girls that grandma's been "in a home" they can't visit. Instead, Rose and Maggie are raised by Michael's second wife, Sydelle the Stepmonster, who feeds pudgy Rose sugar-free Jello for dessert while the rest of the family has ice cream (reminding her that "when My Marcia got married, she bought a size six Vera Wang-and had it taken in") and who tells dyslexic Maggie, "We'll get you a tutor," but instead lets her get shunted into special ed, where incompetent teachers hand out endless worksheets while Maggie does her nails. No wonder that Rose goes to Princeton and eventually lands a job with Philadelphia law firm Lewis, Dommel, and Fenick but remains "a grown-up bookworm with a decent wardrobe," while glamorous Maggie works a series of dead-end jobs, always dreaming she's about to break into show business. What she breaks instead is Rose's heart-camping out in her living room when she's evicted from her apartment, running up Rose's credit cards, wearing her shoes, and stealing everything she needs most-all the while relying on Rose's sturdy sense of responsibility to shield her from the consequences. Owing as much to Sula as to Susan Isaacs, Weiner's follow-up lacks some of the bite of her first novel, but still tells a poignant tale of two damaged girls who need to find themselves so that they can find each other. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Washington PostIrresistible...

Philadelphia InquirerIf chick lit is indeed a genre, Weiner is creating a smarter, funnier subspecies...[She] is a sharp observer of the frustrations of blood ties.

PeopleWeiner's vivid characterizations and her light touch with heavy topics make this follow-up...like spending time with an understanding friend who has a knack for being great company. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.