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Shoes #5
Party Shoes
A welcome reissue of the 1945 book. Set during and after the second World War, this classic novel tells the story of Selina, who has been sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in the country. When Selina receives a parcel from her godmother in America it causes much excitement among her and her cousins, and, to Selina's delight, the parcel contains a beautiful party dress and a pair of party shoes. But delight turns to dismay when she realizes that she may never have an occasion to wear such a wonderful outfit - until, that is, she and her cousins come up with an idea of organizing a pageant...
222 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1945
23 people are currently reading
1071 people want to read
About the author
Noel Streatfeild
161 books612 followersMary Noel Streatfeild, known as Noel Streatfeild, was an author best known and loved for her children's books, including Ballet Shoes and Circus Shoes. She also wrote romances under the pseudonym
Susan Scarlett
.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 3, 2021
A beautiful dress and shoes arrive in the mail. Good news, right? Well, maybe not if your country is at war, your parents are in a Hong Kong internment camp, and rationing limits party opportunities. Selina is living with her relatives and the kids come up with a plan. They will give a pageant at the end of summer holidays and Selina will do the prologue and epilogue with the other kids writing the scenes in between. As preparations begin, the kids and their family enlist the help of friends and neighbors and the pageant grows and grows and grows. It was humorous and heartwarming. Having been on the planning side of dramatic events, I can relate to the logistic issues of sets, costumes, scheduling, and feeding all of the participants. The best part is that Noel Streatfeild actually had a party dress dilemma of her own that inspired the book. Highly recommended and one of my favorites so far in the Shoes series.
November 8, 2018
I do love Noel Streatfield's work but this made me feel a bit anxious. For half the book, this child labours under a delusion, and one that really matters to her. The adult characters are oblivious. Of course it all works out but I felt worried for her until it did, so I did not enjoy this book as much as others.
March 12, 2011
This book... let me paint you a picture: I am sitting at work, which is boring because it's winter and no one buys furniture when it's icky out, and I'm reading Party Shoes. I've read it so many times before that I can put it down quickly if a customer stops in. So I'm reading, and the whole book my stomach has been in knots because I know what's coming and I can see the embarrassment building. And finally there is a resolution(!)and I breath a sigh of relief, only to have the most moving part of the book sneak up on me (I let it do this, of course). So I start bawling. I mean, tears streaming down my face, small chocking noises, the whole bit.
This is what Noel Streatfeild does to me. Her writing gets at what it feels like to be a child, and for that matter an adult, in such a beautiful way, that time after time I am drawn to re-read these stories.
I put this into my historical-novels shelf because at this point, for young readers, I think that is what it reads as. It is set at the very end of WWII in a country village. Everybody knows everybody, especially because the main-character-family has a doctor for a father and six children, plus one niece. You could easily say that the niece, Selina, is the main character, but I hate to pin one down in a Streatfeild book. Selina's parents are prisoners of war in Japan (not sure how they came to be there, but Selina mentions she was in Hong Kong before the war), and so she lives with her cousins, but she also has an American Godmother who sends her a package... which starts the children on the adventure of putting on a show.
This book, like most of her writing, falls into the sub-genre my mother has labeled which is "Working Class People Who Find Redemption and Purpose through Creativity" (it's a mouthful, I know, but it's really a good genre to seek out!)
This is what Noel Streatfeild does to me. Her writing gets at what it feels like to be a child, and for that matter an adult, in such a beautiful way, that time after time I am drawn to re-read these stories.
I put this into my historical-novels shelf because at this point, for young readers, I think that is what it reads as. It is set at the very end of WWII in a country village. Everybody knows everybody, especially because the main-character-family has a doctor for a father and six children, plus one niece. You could easily say that the niece, Selina, is the main character, but I hate to pin one down in a Streatfeild book. Selina's parents are prisoners of war in Japan (not sure how they came to be there, but Selina mentions she was in Hong Kong before the war), and so she lives with her cousins, but she also has an American Godmother who sends her a package... which starts the children on the adventure of putting on a show.
This book, like most of her writing, falls into the sub-genre my mother has labeled which is "Working Class People Who Find Redemption and Purpose through Creativity" (it's a mouthful, I know, but it's really a good genre to seek out!)
June 15, 2021
It was a nice book, love the storyline. But there are too many main characters for my taste, a bit hard to keep track of.
February 15, 2014
There is something rather lovely about Streatfeild's England. Every village has a family full of a thousand siblings. There are sensible and yet approachable adult folk. There is always a girl who is earnestly in love with ballet who ends up being recruited to train with the local (there is always one present) ballet teacher who just happens to spot purposeful talent in the girl. There is sunshine. There are sibling dynamics full of love and fun and heart. There is loveliness. (If you would like a game for this review, you can count up how many times I say things are lovely...)
Selina in Party Shoes has received a frock. The problem is that as it's wartime, the opportunities for her to wear this frock are very limited. To be frank, it's not going to happen and so the cousins with whom Selina is lodging (due to her parents being abroad), put their head together to make a plan. And that plan is this. They will hold a pageant in the grounds of the local Abbey and that Selina will be able to wear her frock at that.
It's a lovely and ridiculous book this, and it's easy to think that it's solely ridiculous with the benefit of reading this in todays age. The plot itself is glorious; we'll hold a pageant, here's how we plan the pageant, whoops here's the pageant, all's good, bye. And to be frank there are moments of planning which drag a little only to be resolved in that blithe booky fashion which never seems to happen in real life.
That's one way of reading it, but I'd argue that there's another. The thing is this plot comes from real life. Not the pageant-y part of it, but the aching need to wear a dress at the right occasion before one grows out of it. Streatfeild's niece, Nicolette, received a dress during the war and the occasion never presented itself for the dress to be worn. As Streatfeild explains during the introduction to my edition, everyone began to wonder would the occasion ever present itself and if it did would it be too late? Would Nicolette have grown too much and would the dress fit?
Now, the inability to do something in an everyday context is annoying and troublesome as it is, but the inability to do something as simple as have an occasion fit for a pretty dress in the middle of wartime must have been something else. And there's something lovely, heartbreaking and beautiful about the way the entire community bands together to achieve this, even if they almost forget what they're doing it for in the process, even if they're almost banding together to create something beautiful and positive and a memory to hold against all the sadness and trauma that they have lived through.
So yes, Party Shoes (also known as Party Frock) is ridiculous.
But it's also something very much more than that.
Selina in Party Shoes has received a frock. The problem is that as it's wartime, the opportunities for her to wear this frock are very limited. To be frank, it's not going to happen and so the cousins with whom Selina is lodging (due to her parents being abroad), put their head together to make a plan. And that plan is this. They will hold a pageant in the grounds of the local Abbey and that Selina will be able to wear her frock at that.
It's a lovely and ridiculous book this, and it's easy to think that it's solely ridiculous with the benefit of reading this in todays age. The plot itself is glorious; we'll hold a pageant, here's how we plan the pageant, whoops here's the pageant, all's good, bye. And to be frank there are moments of planning which drag a little only to be resolved in that blithe booky fashion which never seems to happen in real life.
That's one way of reading it, but I'd argue that there's another. The thing is this plot comes from real life. Not the pageant-y part of it, but the aching need to wear a dress at the right occasion before one grows out of it. Streatfeild's niece, Nicolette, received a dress during the war and the occasion never presented itself for the dress to be worn. As Streatfeild explains during the introduction to my edition, everyone began to wonder would the occasion ever present itself and if it did would it be too late? Would Nicolette have grown too much and would the dress fit?
Now, the inability to do something in an everyday context is annoying and troublesome as it is, but the inability to do something as simple as have an occasion fit for a pretty dress in the middle of wartime must have been something else. And there's something lovely, heartbreaking and beautiful about the way the entire community bands together to achieve this, even if they almost forget what they're doing it for in the process, even if they're almost banding together to create something beautiful and positive and a memory to hold against all the sadness and trauma that they have lived through.
So yes, Party Shoes (also known as Party Frock) is ridiculous.
But it's also something very much more than that.
October 23, 2018
A charming book about a young girl living in England with relatives during WW2. She receives a very impractical gift from her godmother in America. It is a floor length cream organdie dress with a cream satin slip, a blue sash for the dress and a blue hair bow along with a pair of satin shoes. While she is delighted with them, she knows that there are no parties in war time and she will out grow it before there is an opportunity to wear it. So she and her cousins get together to decide how they can create an occasion for her to wear the dress. They decide on giving a pageant. They will each write a scene. The proceeds will go to charity. They end up with the entire community involved in the pageant. The end result exceeds their wildest dreams!
I enjoyed the book very much. I guess it's time to pass it on to my granddaughter! Shhhh! Don't tell her!
I enjoyed the book very much. I guess it's time to pass it on to my granddaughter! Shhhh! Don't tell her!
August 20, 2021
Only for Streatfeild completists
August 11, 2017
Charming (in a British sort of way). I liked this a lot more this time round, but I still wish that the war was a more important part of the story--I mean, you don't have Victory in Europe every day but it's passed over in just a few pages. Still, it's a Streatfeild, even it isn't her best.
The Andrews' children are downright beasts to Selina, though. I wanted to seriously reach into this book and slap them.
The Andrews' children are downright beasts to Selina, though. I wanted to seriously reach into this book and slap them.
January 14, 2025
3.75! a slow paced read that i keep forgetting is based in england but NONE of characters i imagine with british accents
October 21, 2013
*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***
I would give this book 2 1/2 stars if I could.
This book was quite different from the other Shoe Books that I've read so far, and I actually found it somewhat boring. Even though there are still books in the series that I haven't read yet, I think I'll take a break from them for a while.
One of the main characters, Selina, is a temporary orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle, who have six children of their own. Unlike the other Shoe Books, we don't learn right away why Selina is living with her cousins. This lack of information was a little annoying in the beginning, but rest assured, you do find out the reason eventually.
The whole premise of the book seemed more fitting for a short story than a full-length novel. Selina receives a lovely party dress and matching shoes from her godmother in America (the story takes place in England), but since there is no upcoming event to which she can wear the dress, all the children get together and plan a pageant, just so Selina can wear her dress. Right away, the whole idea of planning an event around one dress seemed silly. Just let her wear the dress around the house! But I suppose in those days, everything was proper and people didn't do things like that.
It was a cute enough story at first. Each of the older children took responsibility for writing and planning one act of the pageant. Unlike other Shoe Books, stage talent isn't a central theme. Sally does apparently have a talent for dancing, but it's not anywhere near the focus of this book.
Instead, this book shows the reader all the work that goes on behind the scenes of a big production. The kids need to reserve a venue (a nearby Abbey that is soon to be sold), write their acts, engage actors and dancers to participate, plan and run rehearsals, and manage costumes for the entire cast. Phew! It was a lot of work, and I did enjoy the way the children's parents really got involved. Still, for the most part, it didn't make for every exciting or compelling reading.
In fact, the whole production started to become rather unbelievable when Phillip, an injured soldier who produced plays before the war, and who grew up living in the Abbey, started to take an interest in the pageant. The children had put so much work into their acts, and then Phillip came along and usurped the entire production! I felt indignant on the children's behalf, even though they were all, eventually, quite happy with their roles in the pageant. As the production grew bigger and bigger, everything just seemed to get more ridiculous.
It wasn't until towards the end of the book that finally everything started to come together, and I accepted the grand nature of the pageant. Instead of just being an event at which Selina can wear her dress, the pageant was also a realization of Phillip's dream to put on a production at the Abbey, and it was a fitting farewell for the Day family, who were moving out of the Abbey after many generations of Days had lived there. And I admit, it was satisfying to see the entire community rally behind the production.
I really enjoyed the ending, particularly the final four or five chapters, and I was glad to feel rewarded for having invested all that time reading the previous chapters.
I would give this book 2 1/2 stars if I could.
This book was quite different from the other Shoe Books that I've read so far, and I actually found it somewhat boring. Even though there are still books in the series that I haven't read yet, I think I'll take a break from them for a while.
One of the main characters, Selina, is a temporary orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle, who have six children of their own. Unlike the other Shoe Books, we don't learn right away why Selina is living with her cousins. This lack of information was a little annoying in the beginning, but rest assured, you do find out the reason eventually.
The whole premise of the book seemed more fitting for a short story than a full-length novel. Selina receives a lovely party dress and matching shoes from her godmother in America (the story takes place in England), but since there is no upcoming event to which she can wear the dress, all the children get together and plan a pageant, just so Selina can wear her dress. Right away, the whole idea of planning an event around one dress seemed silly. Just let her wear the dress around the house! But I suppose in those days, everything was proper and people didn't do things like that.
It was a cute enough story at first. Each of the older children took responsibility for writing and planning one act of the pageant. Unlike other Shoe Books, stage talent isn't a central theme. Sally does apparently have a talent for dancing, but it's not anywhere near the focus of this book.
Instead, this book shows the reader all the work that goes on behind the scenes of a big production. The kids need to reserve a venue (a nearby Abbey that is soon to be sold), write their acts, engage actors and dancers to participate, plan and run rehearsals, and manage costumes for the entire cast. Phew! It was a lot of work, and I did enjoy the way the children's parents really got involved. Still, for the most part, it didn't make for every exciting or compelling reading.
In fact, the whole production started to become rather unbelievable when Phillip, an injured soldier who produced plays before the war, and who grew up living in the Abbey, started to take an interest in the pageant. The children had put so much work into their acts, and then Phillip came along and usurped the entire production! I felt indignant on the children's behalf, even though they were all, eventually, quite happy with their roles in the pageant. As the production grew bigger and bigger, everything just seemed to get more ridiculous.
It wasn't until towards the end of the book that finally everything started to come together, and I accepted the grand nature of the pageant. Instead of just being an event at which Selina can wear her dress, the pageant was also a realization of Phillip's dream to put on a production at the Abbey, and it was a fitting farewell for the Day family, who were moving out of the Abbey after many generations of Days had lived there. And I admit, it was satisfying to see the entire community rally behind the production.
I really enjoyed the ending, particularly the final four or five chapters, and I was glad to feel rewarded for having invested all that time reading the previous chapters.
January 2, 2013
Party Shoes isn't quite what I expected it to be. It started out with great promise, I thought. We meet Selina, a girl living with her British cousins through the war (World War II). One day she receives a present from her American godmother. The parcel contains a beautiful though inappropriate for the times dress or 'frock' and some lovely shoes. Selina knows, as does her cousins and aunt and uncle that there will never be a suitable occasion for her to wear the dress and shoes. Not with the war on, not with the economy being what it is, etc. So the cousins have a meeting. Every person has to suggest at least one idea of how Selina can wear her dress and shoes before she outgrows them. After many ideas are presented, everyone concludes that they will have a pageant on the neighbor's lawn. They set the date for September 20, 1945. And then they each begin writing their piece.
Selina does learn through the process that she is more capable than she ever thought, that she can do things, that she is good at many things, that she is great with working with people, solving problems, etc.
Over half the book is focused on the tiny details of the pageant, each scene of the pageant. We're there for what feels like three hundred rehearsals. Of course, that's not really the case. Probably more like forty. But still. As their scenes are changed, arranged, rearranged, scripted, directed, etc. I found most of the book tedious. I didn't want it to be tedious. I wanted it to be a delight. But most of the delight happened in the first hundred pages.
Selina does learn through the process that she is more capable than she ever thought, that she can do things, that she is good at many things, that she is great with working with people, solving problems, etc.
Over half the book is focused on the tiny details of the pageant, each scene of the pageant. We're there for what feels like three hundred rehearsals. Of course, that's not really the case. Probably more like forty. But still. As their scenes are changed, arranged, rearranged, scripted, directed, etc. I found most of the book tedious. I didn't want it to be tedious. I wanted it to be a delight. But most of the delight happened in the first hundred pages.
September 28, 2014
What an extreme disappointment. I'm a huge fan of Noel Streatfeild's books, and when I found this somewhat recently, I was thrilled at the thought of a new "Shoes" book that I had somehow missed reading as a child.
Well, I finally had time to read this, and it was horrible.
There isn't much of a plot - Selina gets a party frock, and the family plans a pageant so she can wear it - but there also wasn't much of a plot in Streatfeild's similar Family Shoes (which is less theatrically based than her other Shoes books, which revolve around acting or dancing).
However, in Family Shoes, the characters are all fully realized. Family Shoes and its sequel, New Shoes, are my favorite Streatfeild books, as evidenced by the battered conditions of their covers. The characters in Party Shoes seem like mash-ups of characters from her other books, and never become real.
I don't know where in her bibliography Party Shoes falls, but it seems like either a very early effort or very late effort. I had to immediately start re-reading Family Shoes to get the taste of this disappointment out of my head.
Well, I finally had time to read this, and it was horrible.
There isn't much of a plot - Selina gets a party frock, and the family plans a pageant so she can wear it - but there also wasn't much of a plot in Streatfeild's similar Family Shoes (which is less theatrically based than her other Shoes books, which revolve around acting or dancing).
However, in Family Shoes, the characters are all fully realized. Family Shoes and its sequel, New Shoes, are my favorite Streatfeild books, as evidenced by the battered conditions of their covers. The characters in Party Shoes seem like mash-ups of characters from her other books, and never become real.
I don't know where in her bibliography Party Shoes falls, but it seems like either a very early effort or very late effort. I had to immediately start re-reading Family Shoes to get the taste of this disappointment out of my head.
April 19, 2022
I loved this book, this book was really good. I am really sad that why did Selina pass her frock and shoes to Phobe but, that's not to worry about. This book just made me think that the people/ person who is mentioned in this story are really independent and are allowed to do the pageant on their own!.
Really good book.
Really good book.
January 16, 2023
I loved so many of Noel Streatfeild’s books when I first tree ad them as a child. I thought finding a new one would be a special treat. It was not. I found it hard to believe that so many people would know so much about theatrical history that they could put on this pageant, with hundreds of participants.
July 29, 2024
A Noel Streatfeild that I never read before! Lovely story, that works up into a grand climax where everything turns out to be perfect, the usual family of children is very entertaining, each one with a unique personality, including a 5-or 6-year old who starts every sentence with, “My dear…”. I didn’t want it to end.
September 30, 2013
Positively the weakest Streatfield I've ever read. Interesting depiction of how children experienced the end of WWII; otherwise forgettable.
April 13, 2025
Primary school Miranda could not get enough of this!! I desperately wanted to live in a village and put on a play and wear a 1940s party dress.
July 21, 2025
Originally published in 1945, Party Shoes (also known as Party Frock in some editions) is a wartime addition to Noel Streatfeild’s loosely connected “Shoes” series. While each book in the series can stand alone, they often feature cameo appearances from characters in previous novels. This installment centers on Selina, a girl sent to live with her extended family in the English countryside during the waning days of World War II.
When Selina receives a parcel from her American godmother containing a lavish party dress and matching shoes, excitement quickly turns bittersweet. In an England still gripped by rationing and austerity, the dress seems like a cruel relic of a life out of reach. To create an occasion worthy of the gift, the family decides to stage a grand pageant—what begins as a modest affair spirals into an ambitious production, thanks to the involvement of their cousin Phillip, recently wounded in the war.
While the historical backdrop and themes of postwar resilience and creativity are compelling, the story suffers from a lack of warmth in its characters. Selina, though the protagonist, is often passive and overshadowed. Phillip, though pivotal, veers into manipulative territory, particularly in his treatment of Selina. Other family members, such as Phoebe, come across as spoiled or self-centered. The narrative's emotional beats, particularly those meant to feel triumphant or endearing, can feel forced or unearned.
That said, Party Shoes does offer a vivid glimpse into post-war British life, especially the domestic and social constraints faced by children during the period. Fans of the “Shoes” series or historical fiction enthusiasts may still find value in its details and setting. However, modern readers—especially younger ones—may struggle to connect with the characters or find the same magic present in Streatfeild’s more beloved works, such as Ballet Shoes.
Recommended for: dedicated fans of the “Shoes” series, readers of vintage children's literature, and those interested in homefront England during WWII. For a more emotionally resonant and engaging take on the same period, The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a stronger alternative.
When Selina receives a parcel from her American godmother containing a lavish party dress and matching shoes, excitement quickly turns bittersweet. In an England still gripped by rationing and austerity, the dress seems like a cruel relic of a life out of reach. To create an occasion worthy of the gift, the family decides to stage a grand pageant—what begins as a modest affair spirals into an ambitious production, thanks to the involvement of their cousin Phillip, recently wounded in the war.
While the historical backdrop and themes of postwar resilience and creativity are compelling, the story suffers from a lack of warmth in its characters. Selina, though the protagonist, is often passive and overshadowed. Phillip, though pivotal, veers into manipulative territory, particularly in his treatment of Selina. Other family members, such as Phoebe, come across as spoiled or self-centered. The narrative's emotional beats, particularly those meant to feel triumphant or endearing, can feel forced or unearned.
That said, Party Shoes does offer a vivid glimpse into post-war British life, especially the domestic and social constraints faced by children during the period. Fans of the “Shoes” series or historical fiction enthusiasts may still find value in its details and setting. However, modern readers—especially younger ones—may struggle to connect with the characters or find the same magic present in Streatfeild’s more beloved works, such as Ballet Shoes.
Recommended for: dedicated fans of the “Shoes” series, readers of vintage children's literature, and those interested in homefront England during WWII. For a more emotionally resonant and engaging take on the same period, The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a stronger alternative.
April 20, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up. I felt like I had wandered into the 1990s edition of The Archers, with the Ambridge production of The Mikado (with the original D'Oyley Carte set design). Selina receives a party frock and shoes from her American godmother. Sadly at the tail-end of the war there's nowhere to wear it, so of course (of course!) she and her cousins decide to get up a show. Because if it's a show instead of a party, no need to worry about rationed food. Their original idea of a little neighbourhood "do" mushrooms into a pageant with a cast of hundreds. Coinkidinks abound as suddenly the en-tire village becomes involved up to the hilt,all the otherwise rational adults agree to everything they're asked, a really-truly theatrical producer appears right under their noses, and it all ends with standing ovations and curtain calls.
I did find the book rather too long, and it bogs down in the middle. A good fifty pages could have been cut without hurting the story. Not my favourite Streatfield but not the worst, either.
I did find the book rather too long, and it bogs down in the middle. A good fifty pages could have been cut without hurting the story. Not my favourite Streatfield but not the worst, either.
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January 18, 2020I did like this book when I first got it when I turned 8 in 2004. It also taught me a little bit about what life was like in those days too. My mom read it to me. Of course some parts were too much for me back then. A true children's classic. It was a birthday present. Yesterday I reread it for the first time in several years.
May 20, 2022
I loved this book, this book was really good. I am really sad that why did Selina pass her frock and shoes to Phobe but, that's not to worry about. This book just made me think that the people/ person who is mentioned in this story are really independent and are allowed to do the pageant on their own!.
Really good book.
Really good book.
November 21, 2022
This was a surprisingly hard book to read. There are a lot of characters and a lot of explaining and repetition. I tried to put myself in the shoes of a tween at the end of WWI, and maybe that would make it more relatable, but it just wasn't that fulfilling for me. I was actually amazed at the fact that so many people in the book spent months working on a play. Is this normal in England? This dedication to theater? I probably won't read any others in the series...
October 14, 2021
I found this one really stressful, but I still enjoyed it and the ending was beautiful. I really like that Streatfeild highlights the smaller, domestic troubles that come with your country being at war.
May 11, 2023
Loved it! Sensitive daughter approved. All turns out well in the end. A slight bit of sibling bickering at times and the words stupid and ass are used. Solid family working together values shine in this book.
August 20, 2023
What an existing book this is.
I think I might have been too young when I read this- I my mind, all that was happening was planning a party and Phoebe was whining. Perhaps I will see that there is more that met my fourteen year old brain when I re-read it, some day.
I think I might have been too young when I read this- I my mind, all that was happening was planning a party and Phoebe was whining. Perhaps I will see that there is more that met my fourteen year old brain when I re-read it, some day.
October 27, 2023
One of my favourite Noel Streatfeild books, the whole book is centred around the children putting on a concert so thier cousin has somewhere to wear this beautiful dress and everything gets a bit tangled.
November 30, 2025
Kind of a slow mover, starts in one direction and then takes another half way through. The finale was pretty good though. My historical fiction loving daughter thought: "It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible. It wasn't ear catching."
November 11, 2017
Really enjoying the Shoes series - they're a great read with one's daughter :) (Skating Shoes still my favorite but this one is lovely too!)
November 14, 2018
Not as good as the other shoes books I’ve read
August 11, 2019
Ahhh this one still perfect, Philip still a massive crush
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