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Serendipity's Footsteps
From Nazi Germany to a modern-day orphanage in the American South, three girls separated by decades and thousands of miles are about to give up when a single pair of shoes binds them all together.
Dalya is the daughter of a cobbler in 1930s Berlin, and though she is only fifteen, she knows she will follow in her father’s footsteps. When she is forced into a concentration camp one violent November night, she must leave behind everything she knew and loved.
Ray is a modern-day orphan, jagged around the edges in every possible way. She sees an impulsive escape to New York as her only chance at happiness; there, she knows she’ll be able to convert her sorrows into songs.
Pinny is an unwavering optimist and Ray’s unintended travel companion on her passage to a new life. She inherited from her eccentric mother a fascination with shoes as a means of transformation and expression.
A single pair of shoes entwines these lives. How these women connect across different times and places is an unforgettable story of strength, love, bravery, memory, and the serendipity that binds us all together.
Dalya is the daughter of a cobbler in 1930s Berlin, and though she is only fifteen, she knows she will follow in her father’s footsteps. When she is forced into a concentration camp one violent November night, she must leave behind everything she knew and loved.
Ray is a modern-day orphan, jagged around the edges in every possible way. She sees an impulsive escape to New York as her only chance at happiness; there, she knows she’ll be able to convert her sorrows into songs.
Pinny is an unwavering optimist and Ray’s unintended travel companion on her passage to a new life. She inherited from her eccentric mother a fascination with shoes as a means of transformation and expression.
A single pair of shoes entwines these lives. How these women connect across different times and places is an unforgettable story of strength, love, bravery, memory, and the serendipity that binds us all together.
368 pages, Library Binding
First published November 10, 2015
About the author
Suzanne Nelson
23 books673 followersWhen she was in kindergarten, Suzanne Nelson jotted down in a school keepsake album that she wanted to be a “riter.” Though she clearly had issues with spelling, she persisted, composing cryptic poems about rainbows, fairies, mud, and even "Star Wars" in spiral notebooks all through elementary school. When she was seventeen, she filled four journals with her handwritten first novel, titled “The Dream Keeper.” To escape her chores, she often lied to her parents about what time her shift started at the local fast food joint so that she could spend an extra hour writing in the parking lot in her mom’s faded Buick. Her first published novel was The Sound of Munich, followed by Heart and Salsa, The Ghoul Next Door, Cake Pop Crush, and Dead in the Water. She is a shameless fan of “The Sound of Music,” Hershey’s kisses, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Austen, and can often be caught daydreaming of romping about gothic castles in lovely Victorian gowns. She was born in New Jersey, grew up in Southern California, attended college in Texas, and spent eight years as a children’s book editor in New York City. She now lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 23, 2017
Nearly 4 stars.
A YA book of which the main theme is shoes. Shoes with a story, shoes connected to the people who wear them.
The story about Sachsenhausen is well done. It won't give young people sleepless nights but it tells just enough to realise the gravity of the camps. I do keep seeing mountains of shoes in my mind's eye.
I feel that the attention is on the first half of the book, the second half could have done with some more detail.
A YA book of which the main theme is shoes. Shoes with a story, shoes connected to the people who wear them.
The story about Sachsenhausen is well done. It won't give young people sleepless nights but it tells just enough to realise the gravity of the camps. I do keep seeing mountains of shoes in my mind's eye.
I feel that the attention is on the first half of the book, the second half could have done with some more detail.
December 29, 2016
Depois da azáfama das Festas e das correspondentes correrias para comprar a última prenda, para ultimar e organizar visitas e para voltar a deixar tudo na casa no seu respetivo lugar após o terramoto que na mesma ocorreu no fim de semana festivo, posso finalmente sentar-me para pôr em palavras aquilo que senti com a leitura do livro que me acompanhou até aos derradeiros minutos da véspera de Natal.
Coincidência ou não, Acasos felizes encaixou que nem uma luva no espírito que deve reinar nesta época infelizmente tão submersa em materialismo e superficialidade. Recorda-nos a essência das relações humanas, aquilo que traz um brilho especial às nossas vidas e que faz com que eu ainda adore estas festividades.
A obra de Suzanne Nelson está preenchida pelos acasos, azares e reviravoltas de várias vidas, mas sobretudo traz ao de cima as de três mulheres, cujo crescimento vamos seguindo alternadamente e cujas existências se cruzam por causa de um singelo par de sapatos criado por Dalya e escondido num compartimento secreto na noite em que ela e a sua família são levadas para um campo de concentração pelas forças nazis.
A obra abre com um prólogo que nos relata o quanto um acessório tão banal como um par de sapatos guarda segredos, mantém cativos nas suas solas pedaços da história de quem os fez, de quem os usou e até nos pode desvendar retalhos da História de um país, de um continente, do mundo. Admito que nunca dei tamanha importância aos meus sapatos, mas é igualmente verdade que nunca me desfiz das primeiras sapatilhas ou sandálias que o meu filhote usou e que, sempre que as resgato da caixinha onde estão guardadas, sei que se me desenha um sorriso que ilumina todo o rosto e que, ao segurá-las, recuo no tempo e recordo sensações, cheiros e momentos que nunca se apagarão da memória. O mesmo acontecerá para outras pessoas com os sapatos que usaram no dia do seu casamento, as sapatilhas que usaram até quase ficarem sem sola ou as botas que lhes aqueceram os pés na primeira vez que pisaram neve.
Perante tão esclarecedora e iluminada premissa, mergulhei de sorriso nos lábios na história de Dalya, Ray e Pinny, três jovens, três mulheres que sabem como poucas o quanto a vida pode ser pintada de cores escuras, pesadas e sombrias. Todas elas se veem, num determinado momento, atiradas para o lado mais negro, despojadas da proteção e da segurança que nos providencia a família, o aconchego do lar. Todas elas sentem a punhalada do desespero, da solidão, da injustiça, mas agarram-se ao mais básico instinto que nos assiste – agarram-se à vontade de sobreviver, de procurar, um dia após o outro, o tão ansiado resquício de estabilidade, de bem-estar, de felicidade. E vão assim lutando.
São três protagonistas que me cativaram, que me aqueceram nestes dias de dezembro gelado e que iluminaram com cores quentinhas e prometedoras os pequenos instantes em que pude fechar a porta ao desenfreio e corrupio de final de período misturado com a proximidade do Natal, correr a cortina à minha vida e fazer de espetadora à de três mulheres envolventes, encantadoras, sofridas, lutadoras. Liguei-me irremediavelmente a cada uma delas, mas tenho que confessar que Dalya conquistou-me por completo, não só por causa da carga trágica que carrega uma menina judia abalroada pela terrível e doentia ideologia nazi, como sobretudo pela determinação, coragem, audácia e vontade de sobreviver que a caracterizam. Considero inclusive que a obra não perderia nada se apenas fosse protagonizada por Dalya – a sua força, o seu carácter, a sua história são tão poderosas, tão envolventes que o resto, por vezes, ressalta como supérfluo, excedente. Aliás fiquei um nada desapontada porque determinados momentos, determinadas relações entre Dalya e outras personagens (como Henry, por exemplo) parecem ter ficado perdidos algures, esquecidos, como um velho par de sapatos sem mais nenhuma aparente utilidade.
Acasos felizes é assim uma obra que vive de quem a protagoniza. Mas não é menos verdade que os saltos temporais, os espaços por onde deambulamos em busca de todas as personagens e o estilo da autora, suave, limpo, carinhoso sem cair na lamechice são acrescentos cruciais para que recomende sem reservas a sua leitura. Iluminará e agasalhará os dias, os instantes, os minutos de quem quiser deixar-se apanhar pela magia do corriqueiro, do banal e dos segredos e encantos que podem estar escondidos mesmo num simples par de sapatos.
NOTA – 09/10
Coincidência ou não, Acasos felizes encaixou que nem uma luva no espírito que deve reinar nesta época infelizmente tão submersa em materialismo e superficialidade. Recorda-nos a essência das relações humanas, aquilo que traz um brilho especial às nossas vidas e que faz com que eu ainda adore estas festividades.
A obra de Suzanne Nelson está preenchida pelos acasos, azares e reviravoltas de várias vidas, mas sobretudo traz ao de cima as de três mulheres, cujo crescimento vamos seguindo alternadamente e cujas existências se cruzam por causa de um singelo par de sapatos criado por Dalya e escondido num compartimento secreto na noite em que ela e a sua família são levadas para um campo de concentração pelas forças nazis.
A obra abre com um prólogo que nos relata o quanto um acessório tão banal como um par de sapatos guarda segredos, mantém cativos nas suas solas pedaços da história de quem os fez, de quem os usou e até nos pode desvendar retalhos da História de um país, de um continente, do mundo. Admito que nunca dei tamanha importância aos meus sapatos, mas é igualmente verdade que nunca me desfiz das primeiras sapatilhas ou sandálias que o meu filhote usou e que, sempre que as resgato da caixinha onde estão guardadas, sei que se me desenha um sorriso que ilumina todo o rosto e que, ao segurá-las, recuo no tempo e recordo sensações, cheiros e momentos que nunca se apagarão da memória. O mesmo acontecerá para outras pessoas com os sapatos que usaram no dia do seu casamento, as sapatilhas que usaram até quase ficarem sem sola ou as botas que lhes aqueceram os pés na primeira vez que pisaram neve.
Perante tão esclarecedora e iluminada premissa, mergulhei de sorriso nos lábios na história de Dalya, Ray e Pinny, três jovens, três mulheres que sabem como poucas o quanto a vida pode ser pintada de cores escuras, pesadas e sombrias. Todas elas se veem, num determinado momento, atiradas para o lado mais negro, despojadas da proteção e da segurança que nos providencia a família, o aconchego do lar. Todas elas sentem a punhalada do desespero, da solidão, da injustiça, mas agarram-se ao mais básico instinto que nos assiste – agarram-se à vontade de sobreviver, de procurar, um dia após o outro, o tão ansiado resquício de estabilidade, de bem-estar, de felicidade. E vão assim lutando.
São três protagonistas que me cativaram, que me aqueceram nestes dias de dezembro gelado e que iluminaram com cores quentinhas e prometedoras os pequenos instantes em que pude fechar a porta ao desenfreio e corrupio de final de período misturado com a proximidade do Natal, correr a cortina à minha vida e fazer de espetadora à de três mulheres envolventes, encantadoras, sofridas, lutadoras. Liguei-me irremediavelmente a cada uma delas, mas tenho que confessar que Dalya conquistou-me por completo, não só por causa da carga trágica que carrega uma menina judia abalroada pela terrível e doentia ideologia nazi, como sobretudo pela determinação, coragem, audácia e vontade de sobreviver que a caracterizam. Considero inclusive que a obra não perderia nada se apenas fosse protagonizada por Dalya – a sua força, o seu carácter, a sua história são tão poderosas, tão envolventes que o resto, por vezes, ressalta como supérfluo, excedente. Aliás fiquei um nada desapontada porque determinados momentos, determinadas relações entre Dalya e outras personagens (como Henry, por exemplo) parecem ter ficado perdidos algures, esquecidos, como um velho par de sapatos sem mais nenhuma aparente utilidade.
Acasos felizes é assim uma obra que vive de quem a protagoniza. Mas não é menos verdade que os saltos temporais, os espaços por onde deambulamos em busca de todas as personagens e o estilo da autora, suave, limpo, carinhoso sem cair na lamechice são acrescentos cruciais para que recomende sem reservas a sua leitura. Iluminará e agasalhará os dias, os instantes, os minutos de quem quiser deixar-se apanhar pela magia do corriqueiro, do banal e dos segredos e encantos que podem estar escondidos mesmo num simples par de sapatos.
NOTA – 09/10
January 30, 2016
Disclaimer: I received this book as part of an ARC giveaway at a local indie bookstore. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the contents of this review.
I try not to write rants anymore, when I'm tasked with reviewing a book. I'm under no impression that my reviews are Serious Literary Critiques, but I do like to maintain at least some pretense of professionalism. And besides, rants negate the possibility of rational discussion about a book, because the only possible to a ranting review is anger. And conversations in comments where everybody just yells at each other aren't productive. I want to start interesting, productive conversations. But Nelson has presented me with a book where a rant seems to be the only option. It would be so easy to rant about this book - I can picture the exact quotes and GIFs I would use. It would get tons of likes, especially since I'm reviewing this book before its release date. I'll resist the urge, but I'm predicting that a lot of the later reviews of this book will be rants. And this book is bad in precisely the right way to inspire rants - it's boring in places, and actively stupid in others, with abysmal prose and dialogue.
It's hard to talk about this book without discussing the prose and the dialogue, the prose in particular. Stylistically, Nelson is going for a poetic, romantic feeling. The prose often uses imagery, and it evokes (read: tells us that characters feel) a lot of powerful emotions, particularly longing. It fails on two levels. First, it's a bad fit for this type of book. I've read a lot of books with poetic, romantic prose - for example, David Levithan's entire bibliography. This kind of prose can work, when applied to the right story. It works really well in books where the main theme relates to strong passion for something, particularly romance or (teenage) rebellion. Every Day makes great use of it, as does The Fault In Our Stars - in both books, the style boosts the impacts of the themes and the most emotional scenes. But Nelson's theme here doesn't have to do with intense passion. Nelson's themes seem to be mostly about finding hope in a very harsh world. And Nelson does go through great lengths to portray how harsh the world is - this book features both the Holocaust and attempted rape. But the impacts of both of these events are dulled by the 'poetic' prose. I'm not gonna say that Nelson romanticized the Holocaust; it's not that bad. But it kept me at an arm's length from the pain of the characters. It doesn't help that the writing relied on a lot of telling, instead of showing, in order to get the characters' emotions across. This kept me at an arms length from the plot and the characters of the story. I was told that they were feeling human emotions, but I rarely felt it. The prose distracted from what was happening, and the telling further distanced me.
The second way that the 'poetic' prose fails is that Nelson is terrible at it.
Large chunks of this book were physically painful entirely due to bad prose. Nelson's writing is cheesy, to the point of being inane. I'm not saying prose in this style shouldn't be cheesy, because David Levithan is cheesy as hell. But the difference is, Levithan knows he's cheesy. Levithan is self-aware enough to be cheesy in just the right way to prevent his novels from feeling like Hallmark cards, making the cheesiness feel a lot more legitimate and meaningful. Nelson, by contrast, seems to have no idea how cheesy her prose is. She's not using her style in a controlled or self-aware manner, she's just hoping the right feel will come out. And it rarely does.
Nelson's idea of poetic, rather than saying anything meaningful in powerful language, is saying something meaningless in purple prose. An abundance of junk adjectives and painfully cheesy imagery makes her prose mostly unreadable. The most noteworthy imagery revolves around shoes, which Nelson apparently thinks are just fucking amazing. They show up as a recurring motif every few pages, and the plot revolves around them. (The story set in the Holocaust and the one set in the present day are tied together by a pair of shoes). Why are shoes the recurring motif? What do they have to do with the novel's themes of finding positivism in a harsh world? Beats me. They're never tied into the theme in any way at all, even a superficial one. As far as I can tell, the only reason they're here as a recurring motif is that Nelson has aesthetically pleasing images of shoes in her head. It's not enough reason to build a novel around shoes.
I haven't mentioned the plot or the characters yet, mostly because they're so forgettable. None of the character interactions were very interesting. Dalya and Ray might've been interesting, if they weren't the exact same character. Their cynical dispositions, their tendency to run away from problems, their occasional optimistic fantasies... all the same. It suggests to me that Nelson is defaulting to a formula in her characterization, rather than actively trying to flesh out her characters. Pinny was fairly different from Dalya or Ray, although I don't feel confident in judging how well-developed she is. Pinny has Down Syndrome, and I know next to nothing about the condition, so I can't really judge whether or not Pinny is a stereotypical character with the condition or not. I can, however, judge that her relationship to Ray was incredibly one-dimensional. At least three times in the book, Ray ran away from Pinny (or tried to run away), but she realized she couldn't, because she felt sorry for Pinny and wanted to take care of her. All three times, Pinny got mad at her, but quickly forgave her, and their relationship was reset. There's nothing to their relationship more complex than that - Ray tries to run away from Pinny, but ultimately goes back to take care of her.
The plot is barely worth mentioning. Both of the central plotlines (Dalya's life during and after the Holocaust, and Ray and Pinny running away from Texas to go to New York) moved at incredibly slow paces, with far too many barely-related interludes and flashbacks mixed in. The interludes got particularly annoying - did we really need to know how Pinny's parents met, or what Henry's kids were like? These scenes added nothing to the book, and they served to further delay an already-slow pace.
There's very little positive to say about this book. I appreciated that there was never an infodump about what the symptoms of Down Syndrome are, and it was never pointed out when Pinny showed them. (I appreciate this not necessarily from a social justice standpoint, but from a writing standpoint. Infodumps about this kind of thing are terrible writing.) But other than that, there's absolutely nothing positive I can find to say about this book. It's a badly-written, uninteresting story, with meaningless motifs and two-dimensional characters.
This review can also be found on my blog.
I try not to write rants anymore, when I'm tasked with reviewing a book. I'm under no impression that my reviews are Serious Literary Critiques, but I do like to maintain at least some pretense of professionalism. And besides, rants negate the possibility of rational discussion about a book, because the only possible to a ranting review is anger. And conversations in comments where everybody just yells at each other aren't productive. I want to start interesting, productive conversations. But Nelson has presented me with a book where a rant seems to be the only option. It would be so easy to rant about this book - I can picture the exact quotes and GIFs I would use. It would get tons of likes, especially since I'm reviewing this book before its release date. I'll resist the urge, but I'm predicting that a lot of the later reviews of this book will be rants. And this book is bad in precisely the right way to inspire rants - it's boring in places, and actively stupid in others, with abysmal prose and dialogue.
It's hard to talk about this book without discussing the prose and the dialogue, the prose in particular. Stylistically, Nelson is going for a poetic, romantic feeling. The prose often uses imagery, and it evokes (read: tells us that characters feel) a lot of powerful emotions, particularly longing. It fails on two levels. First, it's a bad fit for this type of book. I've read a lot of books with poetic, romantic prose - for example, David Levithan's entire bibliography. This kind of prose can work, when applied to the right story. It works really well in books where the main theme relates to strong passion for something, particularly romance or (teenage) rebellion. Every Day makes great use of it, as does The Fault In Our Stars - in both books, the style boosts the impacts of the themes and the most emotional scenes. But Nelson's theme here doesn't have to do with intense passion. Nelson's themes seem to be mostly about finding hope in a very harsh world. And Nelson does go through great lengths to portray how harsh the world is - this book features both the Holocaust and attempted rape. But the impacts of both of these events are dulled by the 'poetic' prose. I'm not gonna say that Nelson romanticized the Holocaust; it's not that bad. But it kept me at an arm's length from the pain of the characters. It doesn't help that the writing relied on a lot of telling, instead of showing, in order to get the characters' emotions across. This kept me at an arms length from the plot and the characters of the story. I was told that they were feeling human emotions, but I rarely felt it. The prose distracted from what was happening, and the telling further distanced me.
The second way that the 'poetic' prose fails is that Nelson is terrible at it.
"Who dares trespass on my sacred lake?" he said [jokingly]. She smiled... because his voice had the most perfect pitch she'd ever heard. A voice you'd want lacing your dreams.
Large chunks of this book were physically painful entirely due to bad prose. Nelson's writing is cheesy, to the point of being inane. I'm not saying prose in this style shouldn't be cheesy, because David Levithan is cheesy as hell. But the difference is, Levithan knows he's cheesy. Levithan is self-aware enough to be cheesy in just the right way to prevent his novels from feeling like Hallmark cards, making the cheesiness feel a lot more legitimate and meaningful. Nelson, by contrast, seems to have no idea how cheesy her prose is. She's not using her style in a controlled or self-aware manner, she's just hoping the right feel will come out. And it rarely does.
Shoes are the keepers of secrets. They hold pieces of history captive in their soles. A single sliver of glass from a night of terror long ago, buried in the worn heel of an oxford. A grain of sand from Coney Island beach, trapped under the insole of a silver stiletto, an accidental souvenir from an enchanted moonlit tryst. Bits of Houston Black soil beaten into the trenches of a pink sneaker from a frantic run for survival. A priceless heirloom locked away in the hollow heel of a delicate dress shoe, marking a quiet act of bravery one chilly November night.
Nelson's idea of poetic, rather than saying anything meaningful in powerful language, is saying something meaningless in purple prose. An abundance of junk adjectives and painfully cheesy imagery makes her prose mostly unreadable. The most noteworthy imagery revolves around shoes, which Nelson apparently thinks are just fucking amazing. They show up as a recurring motif every few pages, and the plot revolves around them. (The story set in the Holocaust and the one set in the present day are tied together by a pair of shoes). Why are shoes the recurring motif? What do they have to do with the novel's themes of finding positivism in a harsh world? Beats me. They're never tied into the theme in any way at all, even a superficial one. As far as I can tell, the only reason they're here as a recurring motif is that Nelson has aesthetically pleasing images of shoes in her head. It's not enough reason to build a novel around shoes.
I haven't mentioned the plot or the characters yet, mostly because they're so forgettable. None of the character interactions were very interesting. Dalya and Ray might've been interesting, if they weren't the exact same character. Their cynical dispositions, their tendency to run away from problems, their occasional optimistic fantasies... all the same. It suggests to me that Nelson is defaulting to a formula in her characterization, rather than actively trying to flesh out her characters. Pinny was fairly different from Dalya or Ray, although I don't feel confident in judging how well-developed she is. Pinny has Down Syndrome, and I know next to nothing about the condition, so I can't really judge whether or not Pinny is a stereotypical character with the condition or not. I can, however, judge that her relationship to Ray was incredibly one-dimensional. At least three times in the book, Ray ran away from Pinny (or tried to run away), but she realized she couldn't, because she felt sorry for Pinny and wanted to take care of her. All three times, Pinny got mad at her, but quickly forgave her, and their relationship was reset. There's nothing to their relationship more complex than that - Ray tries to run away from Pinny, but ultimately goes back to take care of her.
The plot is barely worth mentioning. Both of the central plotlines (Dalya's life during and after the Holocaust, and Ray and Pinny running away from Texas to go to New York) moved at incredibly slow paces, with far too many barely-related interludes and flashbacks mixed in. The interludes got particularly annoying - did we really need to know how Pinny's parents met, or what Henry's kids were like? These scenes added nothing to the book, and they served to further delay an already-slow pace.
There's very little positive to say about this book. I appreciated that there was never an infodump about what the symptoms of Down Syndrome are, and it was never pointed out when Pinny showed them. (I appreciate this not necessarily from a social justice standpoint, but from a writing standpoint. Infodumps about this kind of thing are terrible writing.) But other than that, there's absolutely nothing positive I can find to say about this book. It's a badly-written, uninteresting story, with meaningless motifs and two-dimensional characters.
This review can also be found on my blog.
June 2, 2019
Um livro engraçado! Um cruzar de historias no tempo com um tema em comum ... "sapatos"
Muito curioso como as historias acabem por se entrelaçar :)
Muito bem escrito e com personagens com carisma
Muito curioso como as historias acabem por se entrelaçar :)
Muito bem escrito e com personagens com carisma
December 18, 2016
One of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. The idea that a single pair of shoes could bring together so many people is astounding. I finally figured out the order of the people so here it is: Dayla, Robbie, Bea, left somewhere near Mexico, Daniel, Ray, Pinny, and back to where they belong with Dayla. I think I loved Dayla's story the best because she went through the worst of all of our characters but in the end never lost her love for shoes. She survived a concentration camp and having to learn English and learning how to survive in a city as big as New York! She is a big inspiration to me. Ray was a little hard for me to deal with only because her attitude was so pessimistic. Her life was not perfect but she wasn't even trying to fix it or fight to make it better. I was glad that I saw her character evolve into a better person that was already there, she just didn't know it. Pinny kept me smiling with all of her optimism and her stories about the silver magic stilettos. When she found them I was so happy that even though her mama was gone, now she had a piece of her. Overall this book was amazing, fantastic, fabulous, words cannot express how much I loved this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 4, 2015I enjoyed this novel about three women and the shoes which connected them through distance and decades. Dalya is a Jewish shoemaker's daughter in 1930s Berlin. The only member of her family to survive the war, Dalya immigrated to the United States. Pinney and Ray are living in an orphanage in Texas in 2013. With the help of shoes and each other, all three women overcome tragedy and despair. This is a grown-up fairy tale with an understandable use of magical thinking - something we can all use a dose of on occasion. I read the ARC for this novel to be published in November.
September 23, 2016
Really liked this book.
Loved how there was different points of view, in different years.
And for me the best part was when all the stories connected in the end.
I was not expecting what happened, but it was really good. I liked it a lot.
Loved how there was different points of view, in different years.
And for me the best part was when all the stories connected in the end.
I was not expecting what happened, but it was really good. I liked it a lot.
December 2, 2017
Estive na dúvida entre um 3 ou um 4 mas gostei do final por isso dou 4 :)
October 3, 2015
This book held my interest from start to finish by peaking my interest as to how the author was able to develop a meaningful story out of the history of a single pair of shoes that spanned generations from 1939 to present day.
I loved the characterization and development of the personalities of Dalya, Pinny, and Ray as the story progressed.
Nelson wove in very interesting historical facts into the novel that I was unaware of before, particularly the treatment of young Jewish refugees early in World War 2.
Her choice of having a Pinny be a high functioning young woman with Down Syndrome added greatly to the storyline especially by creating difficult moral choices for Ray.
The events of Ray's life in foster care, while somewhat shocking in parts, are quite believable considering some of the foster care situations I have encountered in my lifetime. An unfortunate reality in today's world. The frightening experiences of running away as a teenager were also realistic and something to perhaps make a teenager stop and think twice before choosing that course.
I was pleased with the overall tone of the novel and would strongly recommend it for both adult and young adult audiences. Nelson treats delicate subjects with finesse and grace, and develops a wonderful uplifting story with lots of "food for thought" for every reader. nothing beats a new pair of shoes!!!
I loved the characterization and development of the personalities of Dalya, Pinny, and Ray as the story progressed.
Nelson wove in very interesting historical facts into the novel that I was unaware of before, particularly the treatment of young Jewish refugees early in World War 2.
Her choice of having a Pinny be a high functioning young woman with Down Syndrome added greatly to the storyline especially by creating difficult moral choices for Ray.
The events of Ray's life in foster care, while somewhat shocking in parts, are quite believable considering some of the foster care situations I have encountered in my lifetime. An unfortunate reality in today's world. The frightening experiences of running away as a teenager were also realistic and something to perhaps make a teenager stop and think twice before choosing that course.
I was pleased with the overall tone of the novel and would strongly recommend it for both adult and young adult audiences. Nelson treats delicate subjects with finesse and grace, and develops a wonderful uplifting story with lots of "food for thought" for every reader. nothing beats a new pair of shoes!!!
December 4, 2017
Três vidas. Três histórias marcadas pelo sofrimento. Três destinos alterados para sempre por um par de sapatos. Dalya é filha de um sapateiro e vive em Berlim, na década de 1930. Apesar de ter apenas 15 anos, sabe que o seu destino é seguir as pisadas do pai e tornar-se também ela criadora de sapatos. Mas quando Dalya é levada para um campo de concentração com a família, a sua vida muda para sempre, e vê-se obrigada a deixar para trás tudo aquilo que conhece…bem como um lindo par de sapatos, o primeiro feito por si.Esses sapatos fazem uma viagem no espaço e no tempo até aos dias de hoje, indo parar a uma loja de artigos em segunda mão. Nesta loja entram Ray e Pinny, duas raparigas que não podiam ser mais diferentes uma da outra: Ray é órfã, vive numa instituição, mas sonha fugir para Nova Iorque, e Pinny é uma otimista incurável, pois acredita que, apesar de ter síndrome de Down, isso não a impedirá de concretizar os seus sonhos.Um único par de sapatos cor-de-rosa irá unir estas três vidas, marcadas pela perda, numa história de coragem, amor e memórias e dos acasos felizes que nos interligam a todos.
February 12, 2016
This book was just what I needed. I've been in kind of a rut for a while. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this because the first review I read on Goodreads gave it one star; however, I decided to give it one chapter, and from there I was hooked. It was a cute story with some interesting female leads who all face difficult circumstances. I do feel like there could have been more character development, but I do love how strong the characters were in the midst of tribulation. Especially Dalya, whose story broke my heart. Overall, this is book had some beautiful writing and uplifting messages. It probably won't stay with me forever, but I still enjoyed it.
January 7, 2016
This such a beautiful book. It was given to me by a great friend and I'm happy to have been introduced to it! The stories are so different and you find yourself racing to the end to understand how they all connect. There is something in each character I felt I could identify with; such an honest telling of youth, middle age and old age. Read it! Suzanne Nelson
May 13, 2016
A wonderful adventure in search of happiness, written in three voices: Dalya, Ray and Pinny across time until life makes peace with them... Lovely and magical shoes accompany and transform these women's lives... A wonderfully inspiring story, well researched, with strong, yet sensitive characters whose authenticity is palpable. Loved this book of an Author I had never read.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon, 13 May 2016.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon, 13 May 2016.
December 30, 2018
Nunca pensei que os sapatos pudessem ter tantas histórias. E que um par de sapatos em particular conseguisse comover-nos tanto.
Que histórias este par de sapatos nos contaram, quanta alegria, tristeza e surpresas nos trouxeram. Um livro que pensava eu ser sobre o holocausto mas que nos trouxe uma visão da sociedade americana e a reconstrução das famílias judias.
Um livro muito interessante pela perspectiva que nos dá.
Que histórias este par de sapatos nos contaram, quanta alegria, tristeza e surpresas nos trouxeram. Um livro que pensava eu ser sobre o holocausto mas que nos trouxe uma visão da sociedade americana e a reconstrução das famílias judias.
Um livro muito interessante pela perspectiva que nos dá.
June 15, 2016
As soon as I started reading this book, I couldn't stop. The only thing I regret is not reading it faster.... CURSE YOU SCHOOL AND THINGS THAT MAKE ME BUSY!!! All in all, the author did an amazing job with the story, you learn about so many different people and get to see this beautiful story unravel before your eyes. This was such a bittersweet book and I hope more people read it.
January 12, 2026
Acasos felizes - Suzanne Nelson
4 ✨
Que murro no estômago, estive constantemente a sentir tristeza pelas personagens no início do livro mas sempre super curiosa para ver onde a narrativa iria levar-me.
Este é daqueles livros que estava cá em casa há pelo menos 5/6 anos e não estava à espera que mencionasse a segunda guerra mundial. Decidi dar-lhe uma oportunidade porque já não lia sobre este tema há anos e além disso tem uma personagem com síndrome de down.
Claro está que o livro é muito mais que isto. A forma como cada personagem e par de sapatos está interligado ao longo de várias épocas da história e no final vemos realmente tudo a ganhar forma é incrível!
A Dalya foi a minha personagem favorita, ela brilhou sozinha e deixou-me constantemente a apressar a leitura para que chegassem os capítulos dela!
Que menina-mulher-anciã corajosa, a sua resiliência para ultrapassar os horrores da guerra e da vida.
As duas personagens mais novas não ficam nada atrás a enfrentarem casas de acolhimento, constante desistência por parte de famílias adotivas mas sempre com esperança de encontrar o seu lugar no mundo. Pinny sempre com magia no coração e uma paixão inevitável por sapatos.
De salientar que amei a nota da autora sobre a sua inspiração e o que corresponde ou não à realidade.
#bookstagramportugal #acasosfelizes #suzannenelson #dicadeleitura #serendipitysfootsteps
4 ✨
Que murro no estômago, estive constantemente a sentir tristeza pelas personagens no início do livro mas sempre super curiosa para ver onde a narrativa iria levar-me.
Este é daqueles livros que estava cá em casa há pelo menos 5/6 anos e não estava à espera que mencionasse a segunda guerra mundial. Decidi dar-lhe uma oportunidade porque já não lia sobre este tema há anos e além disso tem uma personagem com síndrome de down.
Claro está que o livro é muito mais que isto. A forma como cada personagem e par de sapatos está interligado ao longo de várias épocas da história e no final vemos realmente tudo a ganhar forma é incrível!
A Dalya foi a minha personagem favorita, ela brilhou sozinha e deixou-me constantemente a apressar a leitura para que chegassem os capítulos dela!
Que menina-mulher-anciã corajosa, a sua resiliência para ultrapassar os horrores da guerra e da vida.
As duas personagens mais novas não ficam nada atrás a enfrentarem casas de acolhimento, constante desistência por parte de famílias adotivas mas sempre com esperança de encontrar o seu lugar no mundo. Pinny sempre com magia no coração e uma paixão inevitável por sapatos.
De salientar que amei a nota da autora sobre a sua inspiração e o que corresponde ou não à realidade.
#bookstagramportugal #acasosfelizes #suzannenelson #dicadeleitura #serendipitysfootsteps
February 23, 2018
I won this hardcover in a Goodreads giveaway. This touching novel weaves together the stories of girls from different eras and a beautiful pair of shoes that finally brings them together.
February 5, 2017
Loved the interconnected stories,the WWII historical aspect. Never realized how interesting shoes could be, and what could be the story about a shoe on the street. I want to find that perfect pair of shoes. Five Kleenex book.
November 3, 2015
Several stories are woven together in this engaging title. Although it takes a little while before readers can see how the various stories and characters are connected, eventually those connections make sense even though they play out across several decades. Fifteen-year-old Dalya's life completely changes when the Nazis take her family to a concentration camp called Sachsenhausen. She's the only family member to survive, and luckily, she finds sanctuary in New York even while conditions in Europe worsen. Her father creates beautiful shoes, and his daughter had planned to follow in his footsteps. Pinny and Ray are two orphans in search of something--in Pinny's case, for her mother, and in Ray's case, someone to love. When Ray runs away from the group home to find her musical future, Pinny, who has Down syndrome, insists on coming along with her. Along the way, the two girls encounter individuals with bad and good intentions, and Ray eventually realizes that she can stop running. I enjoy books that are connected by a common experience or object--in this case, shoes--and the author provides just enough details about shoemaking to keep readers interested while creating imperfect characters with very real problems and no easy solutions. As I read the book, many times I found myself wondering about what might have happened if this or that had happened. There were times when I wish the author had included more about Dalya's life after she got married, but there were so many other storylines that it seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Another reviewer found the writing lacking, but I did not find that to be the case. The author drew me into the story from its first pages and then kept me interested with all of the comings and goings of its characters. Some stories seemed to get lost in the telling, though. By the time the book revelation about Kent is provided, I had to ask myself who that was. I kept waiting to see how everything would be tied up, and I wasn't disappointed.
June 15, 2017
Peguei no livro, porque o título cativou a minha atenção.
Ainda bem que o fiz.
Tal como diz a inscrição, este é um relato de acontecimentos fortuitos resultantes de ocasiões imprevistas.
É uma narrativa repleta de casualidades, coincidências, voltas e reviravoltas que acabarão por mudar o rumo da vida de três mulheres, que se irão entrelaçar de forma surpreendente, com grandes lições.
Pelo folhear das páginas, e de forma alternada, vamos assistindo ao crescimento e desenvolvimento de Dalya - vítima das forças nazis e dos campos de concentração -, Ray e Pinny - duas órfãs em fuga para Nova Iorque.
É na sua companhia que passamos os dias, que tomamos conhecimento da sua juventude atribulada e trágica e que vivemos as emoções que as suas ações espoletam.
Na descrição desses percursos, o leitor vai verificando como um singelo e especial par de sapatos, criado por uma delas, vai ser responsável pelo cruzamento, a posteriori, das suas existências tão sós e sombrias, quanto desprotegidas, injustas e desesperadas.
Elas são as heroínas sofridas desta história de descoberta e luta pela sobrevivência em que, com algum equilíbrio, abundam momentos de amargura e sofrimento, mas também de ternura e inocência.
Cada uma à sua maneira, elas vão esforçar-se por encontrar a sua estabilidade, definir o seu bem-estar, tentar ser feliz.
Construído à base de saltos temporais, este é um texto escrito num estilo suave e elegante em que as diversas personagens irrompem em espaços muito diversificados.
A narrativa abre, curiosamente, com um prólogo interessante e original em que a autora fala da importância desvalorizada dos sapatos, na história de quem os cria e de quem os usa, de quem os deita fora e de quem finalmente os reencontra; debruça-se, em seguida, num relato que nos fala do caráter distintivo das relações humanas e nos sonhos individuais que guiam e fazem brilhar a existência.
É uma viagem marcante que enternece o coração do leitor e o aproxima das personagens da história.
Uma leitura que naturalmente se recomenda, sem receio.
Eva Laginha
Ainda bem que o fiz.
Tal como diz a inscrição, este é um relato de acontecimentos fortuitos resultantes de ocasiões imprevistas.
É uma narrativa repleta de casualidades, coincidências, voltas e reviravoltas que acabarão por mudar o rumo da vida de três mulheres, que se irão entrelaçar de forma surpreendente, com grandes lições.
Pelo folhear das páginas, e de forma alternada, vamos assistindo ao crescimento e desenvolvimento de Dalya - vítima das forças nazis e dos campos de concentração -, Ray e Pinny - duas órfãs em fuga para Nova Iorque.
É na sua companhia que passamos os dias, que tomamos conhecimento da sua juventude atribulada e trágica e que vivemos as emoções que as suas ações espoletam.
Na descrição desses percursos, o leitor vai verificando como um singelo e especial par de sapatos, criado por uma delas, vai ser responsável pelo cruzamento, a posteriori, das suas existências tão sós e sombrias, quanto desprotegidas, injustas e desesperadas.
Elas são as heroínas sofridas desta história de descoberta e luta pela sobrevivência em que, com algum equilíbrio, abundam momentos de amargura e sofrimento, mas também de ternura e inocência.
Cada uma à sua maneira, elas vão esforçar-se por encontrar a sua estabilidade, definir o seu bem-estar, tentar ser feliz.
Construído à base de saltos temporais, este é um texto escrito num estilo suave e elegante em que as diversas personagens irrompem em espaços muito diversificados.
A narrativa abre, curiosamente, com um prólogo interessante e original em que a autora fala da importância desvalorizada dos sapatos, na história de quem os cria e de quem os usa, de quem os deita fora e de quem finalmente os reencontra; debruça-se, em seguida, num relato que nos fala do caráter distintivo das relações humanas e nos sonhos individuais que guiam e fazem brilhar a existência.
É uma viagem marcante que enternece o coração do leitor e o aproxima das personagens da história.
Uma leitura que naturalmente se recomenda, sem receio.
Eva Laginha
September 21, 2019
Um livro lindo que nos faz recordar o poder que algumas crianças têm na sua ingenuidade. 3 histórias de 3 pessoas que no difícil percurso da sua vida, chegam a alcançar a paz e a felicidade dentro do possível.
July 9, 2015
My school library was handing out books for the young adult book club and thought I'd be interested I this one. It held my interest from page one. There were some moments when you almost knew what was coming. Just when I started to wonder why the book kept going back and forth between two stories, the author started to drop subtle clues that began to show a faint link between them. Once I figured that out, and knew they would inevitably come full circle, i was still curious how she would do it and I enjoyed how the author wove them together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2016
I won this book from a goodreads giveaway, when I started this book, I didn't think I'd like it, but as I went on it got more and more interesting. There were different stories but in the end, it makes perfect sense! Good book!
February 28, 2016
A very worthwhile re read. I think having to deal with getting new shoes lately has made this book that much more interesting. This book gives some powerful truths about the human spirit and perseverance all through shoes. Well done.
March 8, 2016
"Dalya, Ray, Pinny - three vastly different girls born in three different times and places. Three different stores, from Naxi-occupied Berlin to modern-day New York. One pair of shoes intertwines these lives across the decades." (From the book jacket)
June 26, 2015
I loved this book so much and how it was about the shoes and it's story! I got it as an ARC and loved it lots thanks Suzanne Nelson!
October 19, 2015
This book is amazing! I love how the different character's stories intertwine. Definitely recommend! Would be great for mother/daughter book clubs!
January 22, 2016
I give this book 4.5 stars. It has great elements of historical fiction. The love the characters, their stories, and how their stories interconnect.
January 26, 2018
Serendipity’s Footsteps by Suzanne Nelson
Suzanne Nelson takes you on a journey that covers the past, Berlin 1940’s and present day, three women whose lives will intersect. This book is about shoes, but so much more, it is the journeys one takes in them and how our lives come together with these journeys. She takes us on a fabulous journey that will make you forget your present-day obligations and make you want to stay with the journeys of these women to see what is going to happen next! How will she ever get these three women to come together and where in their journeys will it happen? This is an awesome book with true history woven in with fiction, I learned some more about the camps that the Jewish people were forced to live in that I didn’t know until I took this journey it was a piece of history! You really need to pick this book up and let it take you on your journey with these three women and the people that they meet, it is definitely a five star book. I want to follow this author and see what she comes up with next because the way her mind works is worth waiting for the next book and I’m sure it will be as wonderful as this book was! A fabulous writer! The book was supposed to be geared toward the young adult but that didn’t make it any less interesting for me.
I won this book through Good Reads; the author hopes that winners will write an honest review of the book which I did!
Description of book as found on Amazon: From Nazi Germany to a modern-day orphanage in the American South, three girls separated by decades and thousands of miles are about to give up when a single pair of shoes binds them all together.
Dalya is the daughter of a cobbler in 1930s Berlin, and though she is only fifteen, she knows she will follow in her father’s footsteps. When she is forced into a concentration camp one violent November night, she must leave behind everything she knew and loved.
Ray is a modern-day orphan, jagged around the edges in every possible way. She sees an impulsive escape to New York as her only chance at happiness; there, she knows she’ll be able to convert her sorrows into songs.
Pinny is an unwavering optimist and Ray’s unintended travel companion on her passage to a new life. She inherited from her eccentric mother a fascination with shoes as a means of transformation and expression.
A single pair of shoes entwines these lives. How these women connect across different times and places is an unforgettable story of strength, love, bravery, memory, and the serendipity that binds us all together.
Information on Author Suzanne Nelson as found on Amazon:
When she was in kindergarten, Suzanne Nelson jotted down in a school keepsake album that she wanted to be a “river.” Though she clearly had issues with spelling, she persisted, composing cryptic poems about rainbows, fairies, mud, and even "Star Wars" in spiral notebooks all through elementary school. When she was seventeen, she filled four journals with her handwritten first novel, titled “The Dream Keeper.” To escape her chores, she often lied to her parents about what time her shift started at the local fast food joint so that she could spend an extra hour writing in the parking lot in her mom’s faded Buick. Her first published novel was The Sound of Munich, followed by Heart and Salsa, The Ghoul Next Door, Cake Pop Crush, and Dead in the Water. She is a shameless fan of “The Sound of Music,” Hershey’s kisses, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Austen, and can often be caught daydreaming of romping about gothic castles in lovely Victorian gowns. She was born in New Jersey, grew up in Southern California, attended college in Texas, and spent eight years as a children’s book editor in New York City. She now lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut with her family. (less)
Suzanne Nelson takes you on a journey that covers the past, Berlin 1940’s and present day, three women whose lives will intersect. This book is about shoes, but so much more, it is the journeys one takes in them and how our lives come together with these journeys. She takes us on a fabulous journey that will make you forget your present-day obligations and make you want to stay with the journeys of these women to see what is going to happen next! How will she ever get these three women to come together and where in their journeys will it happen? This is an awesome book with true history woven in with fiction, I learned some more about the camps that the Jewish people were forced to live in that I didn’t know until I took this journey it was a piece of history! You really need to pick this book up and let it take you on your journey with these three women and the people that they meet, it is definitely a five star book. I want to follow this author and see what she comes up with next because the way her mind works is worth waiting for the next book and I’m sure it will be as wonderful as this book was! A fabulous writer! The book was supposed to be geared toward the young adult but that didn’t make it any less interesting for me.
I won this book through Good Reads; the author hopes that winners will write an honest review of the book which I did!
Description of book as found on Amazon: From Nazi Germany to a modern-day orphanage in the American South, three girls separated by decades and thousands of miles are about to give up when a single pair of shoes binds them all together.
Dalya is the daughter of a cobbler in 1930s Berlin, and though she is only fifteen, she knows she will follow in her father’s footsteps. When she is forced into a concentration camp one violent November night, she must leave behind everything she knew and loved.
Ray is a modern-day orphan, jagged around the edges in every possible way. She sees an impulsive escape to New York as her only chance at happiness; there, she knows she’ll be able to convert her sorrows into songs.
Pinny is an unwavering optimist and Ray’s unintended travel companion on her passage to a new life. She inherited from her eccentric mother a fascination with shoes as a means of transformation and expression.
A single pair of shoes entwines these lives. How these women connect across different times and places is an unforgettable story of strength, love, bravery, memory, and the serendipity that binds us all together.
Information on Author Suzanne Nelson as found on Amazon:
When she was in kindergarten, Suzanne Nelson jotted down in a school keepsake album that she wanted to be a “river.” Though she clearly had issues with spelling, she persisted, composing cryptic poems about rainbows, fairies, mud, and even "Star Wars" in spiral notebooks all through elementary school. When she was seventeen, she filled four journals with her handwritten first novel, titled “The Dream Keeper.” To escape her chores, she often lied to her parents about what time her shift started at the local fast food joint so that she could spend an extra hour writing in the parking lot in her mom’s faded Buick. Her first published novel was The Sound of Munich, followed by Heart and Salsa, The Ghoul Next Door, Cake Pop Crush, and Dead in the Water. She is a shameless fan of “The Sound of Music,” Hershey’s kisses, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Austen, and can often be caught daydreaming of romping about gothic castles in lovely Victorian gowns. She was born in New Jersey, grew up in Southern California, attended college in Texas, and spent eight years as a children’s book editor in New York City. She now lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut with her family. (less)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews